NOAA UNH Joint Hydrographic Center Education and Research at

NOAA/UNH Joint Hydrographic Center Education and Research at the University of New Hampshire www. ccom. unh. edu

Joint Hydrographic Center • Directed by Congress • Created by NOAA/UNH MOU June 1999 • Funded annually through a cooperative agreement grant

Complementary Centers • NOAA/UNH Joint Hydrographic Center (JHC) – A Government and University Organization • UNH Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping (CCOM) – Provides for participation of other government agencies and private sector NSF, ONR, NRL, DARPA, USGS, GEBCO Industrial Consortium

Center Goals • To be a world leader in the development of hydrographic & ocean mapping technologies and approaches • To expand the scope and applications of ocean mapping • To educate a new generation of hydrographers and ocean mappers that can meet the growing needs of both government agencies and the private sector.

Who are we? • • • 9 Faculty— 7 UNH and 2 NOAA 12 Research Scientists— 10 UNH and 2 NOAA 13 Graduate Students—including 3 NOAA 4 Admin/Technical Support Staff Visiting Scholar Program – Denmark, Sweden, Germany (2), Australia, Scotland, Israel, and Texas

Industry Partners Sonar manufacturers : Cable and pipelines: Mapping and processing software: Survey Companies:

Educational Programs • M. Sc. and Ph. D. – Two tracks • Ocean Engineering • Earth Sciences/Oceanography/Natural Resources – Thesis or Non-thesis M. S. options available • Graduate Certificate Program • Non-Degree Programs – Undergraduate Courses – Short Courses and Seminars • FIG/IHO CAT A Certification – May 2001

Adjoining Facilities • • • Electronics Lab Machine shop Acoustic Test Tank Tow and wave tank Recirculating Flume Tank

RV Coastal Surveyor

Research Themes • Sonar System Capabilities and Limitations • New approaches to multibeam sonar data processing • Data Visualization and Management • New Applications of Seafloor Mapping Technology and Data – Remote Seafloor Characterization – Fisheries Habitat – ? ? ? ?

Special Research Projects • Law of the Sea—Article 76 • Electronic Chart of the Future • Advanced RTK GPS

Research Themes Sonar System Capabilities and Limitations Push the limits of resolution (all sorts), coverage, and information content Depth measurements from side scan sonars Wide area side scan for habitat mapping Water column information from multibeam sonars

Research Themes New Approaches to Multibeam Sonar Data Processing An example to consider • The Request: Develop techniques to speed up the cleaning of multibeam sonar soundings

First, find the right question… • What’s really the problem? • What’s taking the time? • What does the end user really need? What is it that we really need to solve our problem?

Automated Multibeam Sonar Processing • CUBE – Combined Uncertainty and Bathymetric Estimator – Creates a high resolution digital elevation model rather than a (huge) bunch of individual soundings – Being incorporated into leading hydrographic software products

Valdez Survey Data A CUBE vs. Traditional Method Trial • 5 days • Two launches with different multibeam systems • 22, 227, 491 Soundings

Valdez Narrows, AK

Total Time Comparison

Research Themes Data Visualization and Management • The Navigation Surface – Archiving a digital elevation model rather than a shoal-biased set of soundings – Lets us generalize the products, not our original survey data

This has been our archive product Snow Passage Depth Plot H 10949

This will be our archived product Data: NOAA Ship RAINIER

Article 76 Bathymetric Study • Identify areas of potential claim • Identify existing data pertinent to LOS • Define areas of potential claim where existing data is insufficient • Determine survey requirements and costs to fill in data gaps

Research Project Electronic Chart of the Future • Next Generation improvements – What improved capabillity can be implemented in today’s electronic charting technology • Revolutionary changes – What should an electronic chart look like – Unconstrained by existing ECDIS and ENC standards, formats, and conventions

Challenges

Challenges Help us find the right question to ask.