These lidar-derived submarine topographic maps were produced as a collaborative effort between the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Coastal and Marine Geology Program, FISC St. Petersburg, Florida, the National Park Service (NPS) South Florida/Caribbean Network Inventory and Monitoring Program, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Wallops Flight Facility. One objective of this research is to create techniques to survey coral reefs and barrier islands for the purposes of geomorphic change studies, habitat mapping, ecological monitoring, change detection, and event assessment. As part of this project, data from an innovative instrument under development at the NASA Wallops Flight Facility, the NASA Experimental Airborne Advanced Research Lidar (EAARL) are being used. This sensor has the potential to make significant contributions in this realm for measuring subaerial and submarine topography wthin cross-environment surveys. High spectral resolution, water-column correction, and low costs were found to be key factors in providing accurate and affordable imagery to costal resource managers.

In-depth Resources

Report of the U.S. Geological Survey Lidar Workshop Sponsored by the Land Remote Sensing Program and held in St. Petersburg, FL, November 2002 by Michael Crane, Tonya Clayton, Ellen Raabe, Jason Stoker, Larry Handley, Gerald Bawden, Karen Morgan, Vivian Queija, OF 2004-1456, U.S. Geological Survey, 72 pages, 3.6 MB - Adobe PDF file.