Multibeam Bathymetry and Backscatter Data from the Caribbean Sea, 2009

NOAA Ship Nancy Foster collected high-resolution multibeam bathymetry and backscatter data with 100% seafloor ensonification in high-priority conservation areas near Puerto Rico. The Center for Coastal Monitoring and Assessment gathered this data from March 26 to April 2, 2009, covering mid-water depths from approximately 10 to 1020 meters. This dataset is intended for seafloor characterization and scientific research.

Use Cases

• Create high-resolution seafloor topography maps based on the multibeam bathymetry data.
• Characterize seafloor sediment types based on the acoustic backscatter data.
• Identify and delineate marine conservation areas based on the bathymetric and backscatter features.
• Analyze underwater geological features in the Caribbean Sea based on the depth and backscatter data.

Strengths

• Data provides 100% seafloor ensonification for the surveyed area.
• High-resolution multibeam data collected from depths of approximately 10 to 1020 meters.
• Collected by NOAA's Center for Coastal Monitoring and Assessment, a recognized authority.

Limitations

• Last updated 2009-04-02 00:00:00; freshness should be verified.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count and file formats are unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.

Provenance

Source

NOAA_NCEI

Collection Method

Collected via multibeam sonar from NOAA Ship Nancy Foster.

Time Range

2009-03 26 to 2009-04-02

Freshness

Last updated 2009-04-02 00:00:00

Geography

Caribbean Sea, southern and eastern offshore of Isla de Vieques, Puerto Rico