Dataset Overview | National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI)

NCCOS Mapping: Geospatial products of water depth and acoustic backscatter collected by NOAA Ship Nancy Foster in Carolina Long Bay from 2024-06-12 to 2024-06-18 (NCEI Accession 0303334)

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Multibeam bathymetry and acoustic backscatter data collected by NOAA Ship Nancy Foster from 2024-06-12 to 2024-06-18. These data were collected using a Kongsberg EM2040 multibeam echosounder (MBES). Bathymetry grids were created using Qimera; depths are referenced to the North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD88). Backscatter mosaics were created using Fledermaus Geocoder Toolbox (FMGT). Survey depths range from 25 to 33 meters. Processed grids are available at 0.5 and 1m resolution.

Dataset Citation

Cite as: Taylor, Chris; Churchwell, Ben; Urquhart, Karina (2025). NCCOS Mapping: Geospatial products of water depth and acoustic backscatter collected by NOAA Ship Nancy Foster in Carolina Long Bay from 2024-06-12 to 2024-06-18 (NCEI Accession 0303334). [indicate subset used]. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Dataset. https://doi.org/10.25921/4s8m-y774. Accessed [date].

Dataset Identifiers

ISO 19115-2 Metadata

gov.noaa.nodc:0303334

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Download Data	HTTPS (download) Navigate directly to the URL for data access and direct download. FTP (download) These data are available through the File Transfer Protocol (FTP). FTP is no longer supported by most internet browsers. You may copy and paste the FTP link to the data into an FTP client (e.g., FileZilla or WinSCP).
Distribution Formats	GeoTIFF
Ordering Instructions	Contact NCEI for other distribution options and instructions.
Distributor	NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information +1-301-713-3277 ncei.info@noaa.gov
Dataset Point of Contact	NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information ncei.info@noaa.gov

Time Period	2024-06-12 to 2024-06-18
Spatial Bounding Box Coordinates	West: -77.8877213 East: -77.8252122 South: 33.392059 North: 33.52201
Spatial Coverage Map

General Documentation

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Descriptive Information
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Associated Resources

NCCOS Project, Improving Methods and Identifying Best Practices for Defining and Delineating Low-relief Hardbottom Essential Fish Habitat in Wind Energy Areas: A Case Study in Carolina Long Bay
- https://coastalscience.noaa.gov/project/improving-methods-and-identifying-best-practices-for-defining-and-delineating-low-relief-hardbottom-essential-fish-habitat-in-wind-energy-areas-a-case-study-in-carolina-long-bay/
  National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) project page

Publication Dates	publication: 2025-04-17
Data Presentation Form	Digital table - digital representation of facts or figures systematically displayed, especially in columns
Dataset Progress Status	Complete - production of the data has been completed Historical archive - data has been stored in an offline storage facility
Data Update Frequency	As needed
Supplemental Information	This survey was performed in accordance with the NOAA Hydrographic Survey Specifications and Deliverables (HSSD) and Field Procedures Manual (FPM). NOAA Ship Nancy Foster (R352) was the platform for this survey. Data was acquired using Kongsberg’s Seafloor Information System (SIS) in the .kmall file format, data quality was monitored in real-time, and processed shortly after acquisition to identify potential issues. QPS Qimera Software was used for bathymetry data processing and point cloud cleaning. Sound velocity profile (SVP) casts were taken every four hours, or more frequently, as needed, to correct for refraction throughout the water column. SVP casts were processed using HydrOffice’s Sound Speed Manager and exported in .SVP file format. These files were applied to MBES data in Qimera to overwrite and refine the surface sound velocity information contained in raw .kmall files. The SVP correction strategy used by Qimera for bathymetry processing selects the nearest SVP cast within a 240-minute time interval. Applanix POSPAC MMS 9.1 and the PP-RTX post processing service were used to obtain vessel trajectories referenced to the North American Datum 2011 NAD83(2011)). Post processed Smoothed Best Estimate Trajectory (SBET) files were exported from Applanix POSPAC and used for all final processed vessel navigation. Backscatter data was processed using the Fledermaus Geocoder Toolbox (FMGT) module of the QPS Fledermaus software package. Once the bathymetry files were processed, final backscatter mosaics were generated using the processed .GSF files. Final Mosaics were exported in 32-bit floating point Geotiff format. NF-24-06 surfaces were generated at 1 meter and 0.5m resolution surfaces for both backscatter and bathymetry datasets. Raw MBES (.kmall), SVP, and navigation data are not included, and are mentioned only to provide insight into the processing workflow used in the development of available bathymetry and backscatter rasters.
Purpose	Beginning in 2014, NOAA’s National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) conducted extensive habitat mapping within the Carolina Long Bay lease areas–providing a strong foundation for understanding habitat interactions, particularly for high-relief hardbottom habitat. Since this study, NOAA NCCOS has continued to develop field and data processing methods that extend beyond high-relief hardbottom habitat towards cryptic, low-relief habitats that are likely present throughout the lease area and are of Essential Fish Habitat concern. New methods developed in coral reef and unconsolidated habitats required deeper evaluation and refinement with ground-truthing to ensure their rigor for delineating a range of hardbottom fish habitat features found in Carolina Long Bay. In June 2022, the Carolina Long Bay renewable energy leases (OCS-A 0545 and OCS-A 0546) were issued. Both lessees are currently developing survey plans to support their Site Assessment Plan and are planning broader surveying campaigns for subsequent years to support their Construction and Operations Plan. This dataset was collected to provide a contemporary multibeam bathymetry and acoustic backscatter for the study area, and supported the ongoing development of field and data processing methods. This data will help NCCOS further identify critical fish habitat areas, and develop predictive modeling capabilities for low relief hardbottom habitat mapping efforts in support of lessees’ Site Assessment.
Use Limitations	accessLevel: Public Distribution liability: NOAA and NCEI make no warranty, expressed or implied, regarding these data, nor does the fact of distribution constitute such a warranty. NOAA and NCEI cannot assume liability for any damages caused by any errors or omissions in these data. If appropriate, NCEI can only certify that the data it distributes are an authentic copy of the records that were accepted for inclusion in the NCEI archives.

Dataset Citation	Cite as: Taylor, Chris; Churchwell, Ben; Urquhart, Karina (2025). NCCOS Mapping: Geospatial products of water depth and acoustic backscatter collected by NOAA Ship Nancy Foster in Carolina Long Bay from 2024-06-12 to 2024-06-18 (NCEI Accession 0303334). [indicate subset used]. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Dataset. https://doi.org/10.25921/4s8m-y774. Accessed [date].
Cited Authors	Taylor, Chris NOAA National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) Churchwell, Ben AKS Engineering & Forestry Inc. Urquhart, Karina NOAA National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS)
Principal Investigators	J. Christopher Taylor NOAA National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) Bacheler, Nathan NOAA Southeast Fisheries Science Center (NMFS/SEFSC) Roldan Muñoz NOAA Southeast Fisheries Science Center (NMFS/SEFSC)
Contributors	NOAA National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS)
Resource Providers	NOAA National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS)
Points of Contact	J. Christopher Taylor NOAA National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS)
Publishers	NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information
Acknowledgments	Funding Agency: US DOI; BOEM; Interagency Agreement M24PG00018 Funding Agency: NOAA National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) NCCOS Partners: US DOI; BOEM; Environmental Studies Program NCCOS Partners: US DOC; NOAA; National Marine Fisheries Service, Southeast Regional Office

Theme keywords	NODC DATA TYPES THESAURUS BATHYMETRY water depth NODC OBSERVATION TYPES THESAURUS in situ WMO_CategoryCode oceanography Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Science Keywords EARTH SCIENCE > OCEANS > BATHYMETRY/SEAFLOOR TOPOGRAPHY > BATHYMETRY EARTH SCIENCE > OCEANS > BATHYMETRY/SEAFLOOR TOPOGRAPHY > WATER DEPTH NCCOS Research Data Type Geospatial NCCOS Research Priority Marine Spatial Ecology NCCOS Research Topic Ecological and Biogeographic Assessments Habitat Mapping Provider Keywords Backscatter Depth Essential Fish Habitat Habitat Characterization Seafloor Mapping
Data Center keywords	NODC COLLECTING INSTITUTION NAMES THESAURUS NOAA National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science NODC SUBMITTING INSTITUTION NAMES THESAURUS NOAA National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Data Center Keywords DOC/NOAA/NOS/NCCOS > National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, National Ocean Service, NOAA, U.S. Department of Commerce
Platform keywords	NODC PLATFORM NAMES THESAURUS NOAA Ship Nancy Foster Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Platform Keywords Ships ICES/SeaDataNet Ship Codes NANCY FOSTER (call sign: WTER, ICES code: 33NF, 2004-) Provider Platform Names NOAA Ship Nancy Foster
Instrument keywords	NODC INSTRUMENT TYPES THESAURUS acoustic sensor GPS multibeam sonar Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Instrument Keywords ACOUSTIC RECEIVERS GPS RECEIVERS > GPS RECEIVERS MBES > Multibeam Mapping System Provider Instruments Applanix POS MV 320 V5 with Trimble GPS Antenna Kongsberg EM2040 Multibeam Echosounder Teledyne Oceanscience Underway CTD with Valeport rapidSV probe
Place keywords	NODC SEA AREA NAMES THESAURUS North Atlantic Ocean Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Location Keywords OCEAN > ATLANTIC OCEAN > NORTH ATLANTIC OCEAN NCCOS Research Location Region > Atlantic Ocean U.S. States and Territories > North Carolina Provider Place Names Carolina Long Bay Coastal North Carolina Offshore North Carolina
Keywords	NCEI ACCESSION NUMBER 0303334
Keywords	Send2NCEI Submission Package ID THP1D5

Use Constraints	Cite as: Taylor, Chris; Churchwell, Ben; Urquhart, Karina (2025). NCCOS Mapping: Geospatial products of water depth and acoustic backscatter collected by NOAA Ship Nancy Foster in Carolina Long Bay from 2024-06-12 to 2024-06-18 (NCEI Accession 0303334). [indicate subset used]. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Dataset. https://doi.org/10.25921/4s8m-y774. Accessed [date].
Data License	This dataset has been dedicated to the public domain under a Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication. SPDX License: Creative Commons Zero v1.0 Universal (CC0-1.0)
Access Constraints	Use liability: NOAA and NCEI cannot provide any warranty as to the accuracy, reliability, or completeness of furnished data. Users assume responsibility to determine the usability of these data. The user is responsible for the results of any application of this data for other than its intended purpose.
Fees	In most cases, electronic downloads of the data are free. However, fees may apply for custom orders, data certifications, copies of analog materials, and data distribution on physical media.

Lineage information for: dataset
Processing Steps	2025-04-17T15:14:42Z - NCEI Accession 0303334 v1.1 was published.
Output Datasets	NCEI Accession 0303334 v1.1 NCEI Accession 0303334 v1.1 (download) published 2025-04-17T15:14:42Z

Lineage information for: dataset
Processing Steps	Parameter or Variable: Depth (measured); Units: Meters; Observation Category: in situ; Sampling Instrument: Kongsberg EM2040 Multibeam Echosounder; Sampling and Analyzing Method: Sounding data were collected by a Kongsberg EM2040 multibeam echosounder on board NOAA Ship Nancy Foster. Multibeam, sound speed, and GPS position data were incorporated and processed using Qimera where soundings were also reduced to NAVD88 as a vertical; Data Quality Method: Data was acquired and processed in accordance with NOAA’s Hydrographic Survey Specifications and Deliverables (HSSD). For more information on QC standards please refer to the HSSD.

Lineage information for: dataset

Processing Steps

Parameter or Variable: Depth (measured); Units: Meters; Observation Category: in situ; Sampling Instrument: Kongsberg EM2040 Multibeam Echosounder; Sampling and Analyzing Method: Sounding data were collected by a Kongsberg EM2040 multibeam echosounder on board NOAA Ship Nancy Foster. Multibeam, sound speed, and GPS position data were incorporated and processed using Qimera where soundings were also reduced to NAVD88 as a vertical; Data Quality Method: Data was acquired and processed in accordance with NOAA’s Hydrographic Survey Specifications and Deliverables (HSSD). For more information on QC standards please refer to the HSSD.

Acquisition Information (collection)
Instrument	acoustic sensor GPS multibeam sonar
Platform	NOAA Ship Nancy Foster

Last Modified: 2025-11-13T13:08:13Z
For questions about the information on this page, please email: ncei.info@noaa.gov

NCCOS Mapping: Geospatial products of water depth and acoustic backscatter collected by NOAA Ship Nancy Foster in Carolina Long Bay from 2024-06-12 to 2024-06-18 (NCEI Accession 0303334)

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