NOAA TIFF Image - 3x3m Multibeam Backscatter, US Virgin Islands - Vieques Island (South Bank) - Project NF-09-01 - (2009), UTM 20N NAD83

This dataset contains a GeoTIFF with 3x3 meter cell size representing the backscatter or intensity of sound returned from the seafloor on the bank/shelf escarpment south of Vieques Island, Puerto Rico. This intensity surface was collected in March and April 2009 using an EM 1002 multibeam echosounder. Acoustic backscatter mosaics are an important piece of information when characterizing surficial seafloor features and delineating benthic habitats. NOAA's NOS/NCCOS/CCMA Biogeography Branch, in collaboration with NOAA vessel Nancy Foster and territory, federal, and private sector partners, acquired multibeam data around Vieques Island from 3/26/09 to 4/2/09. Data was acquired with a hull-mounted Kongsberg Simrad EM 1002 multibeam echosounder (95 kHz) for water depths greater than 75 meters, and with a moon pool flange-mounted Reson 7125 multibeam echosounder (dual frequecy, 200/400 kHz) for water depths of less than 75 meters. The backscatter component of the multibeam data were geometrically and radiometrically corrected using Fledermaus Geocoder Toolbox (FMGT) software. The project was conducted to meet IHO Order 1 and 2 accuracy standards, dependent on the project area and depth. All users should individually evaluate the suitability of this data according to their own needs and standards.

This multibeam data was collected as IOCM (Integrated Ocean and Coastal Mapping) project NF-09-01 during the sixth year of an ongoing NOAA scientific research mission in the US Caribbean to characterize nearshore to deep water coral reef habitats at depths down to 1,000 meters. The mission purpose is to better understand the resources within the surveyed reef habitats, and ultimately develop species utilization models linking physical habitats with biological information. The multibeam backscatter, multibeam bathymetry, and ground truth video footage collected during the 2004-2009 missions will be used to create maps of seafloor habitats, helping NOAA meet its mapping commitment to the US Coral Reef Task Force. The resulting publicly-distributed data is also a contribution to the greater scientific community interested in the USVI seafloor.

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These data were prepared by an agency of the United States Government. Neither the United States Government nor any agency thereof, nor any of their employees, make any warranty, expressed or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed in this report, or represents that its use would not infringe privately owned rights. Reference therein to any specific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the United States Government or any agency thereof. Any views and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the United States Government or any agency thereof. Although all data have been used by NOAA, no warranty, expressed or implied, is made by NOAA as to the accuracy of the data and/or related materials. The act of distribution shall not constitute any such warranty, and no responsibility is assumed by NOAA in the use of these data or related materials.

Please cite any use of this data.

Note: NOT TO BE USED FOR NAVIGATION. These data were prepared by an agency of the United States Government. Neither the United States Government nor any agency thereof, nor any of their employees, make any warranty, expressed or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed in this report, or represents that its use would not infringe privately owned rights. Reference therein to any specific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the United States Government or any agency thereof. Any views and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the United States Government or any agency thereof. Although all data have been used by NOAA, no warranty, expressed or implied, is made by NOAA as to the accuracy of the data and/or related materials. The act of distribution shall not constitute any such warranty, and no responsibility is assumed by NOAA in the use of these data or related materials.

Microsoft Windows XP Version 5.1 (Build 2600) Service Pack 2; ESRI ArcCatalog 9.x

See Data Acquisition and Processing Report (DAPR) for NF-09-01.

See Data Acquisition and Processing Report (DAPR) for NF-09-01.

The bathymetry raster is sourced from a CARIS gridded dataset. The original full-resolution multibeam data was used to create a downsampled uniform-resolution CARIS BASE (Bathymetry Associated with Statistical Error) surface grid with a best depth component. The downsampled grid nodes from that depth surface were then exported and used to generate the ESRI Geotiff. Some positional shifts may have occurred between the original data points and the transformed grid.

While the project was conducted to meet IHO Order 1 and 2 accuracy standards, dependant on project area and depth, all users should independently analyze the dataset according to their own needs and standards to determine data usability.