NOAA TIFF Image - 50m Backscatter, Charleston Bump - Deep Coral Priority Areas - Nancy Foster - (2006), UTM 17N NAD83

This dataset contains a unified GeoTiff with 30x30 meter cell size representing the backscatter intensity of the Charleston Bump off of the South Atlantic Bight, derived from data collected in 2006. NOAA's NOS/NCCOS/CCMA Biogeography Branch, in collaboration with the College of Charleston, as well as the NOAA Ship Nancy Foster , and private sector partners, acquired multibeam bathymetry data off the Charleston Bump to identify habitats for deep water coral ecosystems from 08/28/2006 to 08/29/2006. Data was acquired with a hull-mounted Kongsberg Simrad EM 1002 multibeam echosounder (95 kHz). It was processed by the College of Charleston Department of Geology using CARIS HIPS software. Data has all correctors applied (attitude, sound velocity) and has been reduced to mean lower low water (MLLW) using final approved tides and zoning from NOAA COOPS. Data is in UTM Zone 17 north, datum NAD83. The processed CARIS data was used to generate a CARIS BASE surface based on swath angle. The CARIS Export option "BASE Surface to Image" was then used to create a GeoTiff of the priority areas. The backscatter component of the bathymetry data were geometrically and radiometrically corrected using Fledermaus FMGT software. Acoustic backscatter mosaics are ostensibly an important piece of information when characterizing surficial seafloor features and delineating benthic habitats.

This multibeam data was processed as part of a mulitagency cooperative deep-sea coral assessment. The multibeam component of the cruise was intended to both provide fine scale acoustic imagery of known deep coral sites, as well as serve as a nautical survey for charting purposes. The backscatter component will be used to characterize the seafloor topography to identify and predict deep water coral habitats.

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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 30xx) Service Pack 2; ESRI ArcCatalog 10.x

This GeoTiff 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 Grid. Some positional shifts may have occurred between the original data points and the transformed grid.

As the survey was not conducted to meet IHO standards, all users should independently analyze the dataset according to their own needs and standards to determine data usability.