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Design and Function of the Autonomous Benthic Imaging and Surveying System (ABISS) for Remote Sensing of Lake and Seabed Environments

Techniques and Methods 8-D3
Prepared in cooperation with the Michigan Tech Research Institute and Michigan Technological University
By: , , , , , , , and 
https://doi.org/10.3133/tm8D3

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Abstract

Lake and seabed environments are home to fisheries and other biota that are important to ecosystems and economies, yet these environments and the species that use them are difficult to accurately assess and monitor. Traditional benthic survey techniques, like bottom trawling used by the U.S. Geological Survey, are limited by substrate constraints, poor spatial resolution and precision, and operational depth limits, hindering accurate assessment of benthic species and habitats. In response to these limitations, the U.S. Geological Survey developed the Autonomous Benthic Imaging and Surveying System, a camera system integrated into underwater vehicles, to capture high- resolution images of the lakebed. The system uses color and stereo cameras to collect imagery, which can be analyzed using computational methods to detect organisms and (or) characterize habitat features, such as geologic substrate types. The system has been integrated into autonomous underwater vehicles and into an underwater housing used by self- contained underwater breathing apparatus (SCUBA) divers. Although the engineering of the system was motivated by the need for data collection in the Great Lakes, it has potential to collect high quality data in any aqueous setting with sufficient water clarity and safe operating conditions. The Autonomous Benthic Imaging and Surveying System can operate across diverse depths and light conditions to map and quantify ecological patterns that were difficult or impossible to assess using traditional methods. The Autonomous Benthic Imaging and Surveying System offers the potential for accurate and precise monitoring and assessment of native benthic biota, invasive species, and habitat, potentially providing natural resource managers with improved information to support decision making about benthic resource management.

Suggested Citation

Tilley, A.T., Esselman, P.C., Roussi, C., Hart, B., Lyons, A., Arnold, A.J., Childress, J., and Weller, C., 2026, Design and function of the Autonomous Benthic Imaging and Surveying System (ABISS) for remote sensing of lake and seabed environments: U.S. Geological Survey Techniques and Methods, book 8, chap. D3, 18 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/tm8D3.

ISSN: 2328-7055 (online)

Table of Contents

  • Acknowledgments
  • Abstract
  • Plain Language Summary
  • Introduction
  • The Autonomous Benthic Imaging and Surveying System (ABISS)
  • Data Processing
  • Applications
  • Future Directions
  • Summary
  • References Cited
Publication type Report
Publication Subtype USGS Numbered Series
Title Design and function of the Autonomous Benthic Imaging and Surveying System (ABISS) for remote sensing of lake and seabed environments
Series title Techniques and Methods
Series number 8-D3
DOI 10.3133/tm8D3
Publication Date February 23, 2026
Year Published 2026
Language English
Publisher U.S. Geological Survey
Publisher location Reston, VA
Contributing office(s) Great Lakes Science Center
Description Report: vii, 18 p.
Online Only (Y/N) Y
Additional Online Files (Y/N) N
Additional publication details