UNH/NOAA Joint Hydrographic Center Performance and Progress Report Project Title: Joint Hydrographic Center Principal Investigator: NOAA Ref No: NA0NOS4001153 Report Period: 01/01/2011 – 12/31/2011 Larry A. Mayer NOAA Ref No: NA10NOS4000073 30 January 2011 1 Flyers from the 2011 JHC/CCOM Seminar Series and welcome signs. 2 JHC Performance Report Table of Contents EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ..........................................................................................................................................5 INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................................................... 5 HIGHLIGHTS FROM OUR 2011 PROGRAM ................................................................................................................... 7 INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................................................................19 INFRASTRUCTURE ................................................................................................................................................19 PERSONNEL ............................................................................................................................................................. 19 F aculty ............................................................................................................................................................. 20 Research Scientists and Staff ................................................................................................................................ 22 NOAA Employees ................................................................................................................................................. 25 Other Affiliated Faculty ......................................................................................................................................... 27 Visiting Scholars ................................................................................................................................................... 28 FACILITIES, IT AND EQUIPMENT ................................................................................................................................. 30 Office and Teaching Space.................................................................................................................................... 30 Laboratory Facilities .............................................................................................................................................. 30 Pier Facilities ......................................................................................................................................................... 32 Information Technology ....................................................................................................................................... 32 Research Vessels ................................................................................................................................................... 36 EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM ...................................................................................................................................42 CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT .................................................................................................................................... 42 JHC–Originated Courses ...................................................................................................................................... 43 Modules ............................................................................................................................................................. 43 GEBCO Certificate Program ................................................................................................................................. 43 Extended Training ................................................................................................................................................. 44 HYDROGRAPHIC FIELD COURSE ................................................................................................................................ 44 STATUS OF RESEARCH: JANUARY–DECEMBER 2011............................................................................................46 THEME 1: Improving the Sensors Used for Hydrographic, Ocean and Coastal Mapping (Sonar, Lidar, AUVs, etc.) with Emphasis on Increasing Accuracy, Resolution, and Efficiency, Especially in Shallow Water ...........................................................................................................................................47 Sonars ................................................................................................................................................................. 47 Lidar .................................................................................................................................................................. 53 Sound Speed Sensors ........................................................................................................................................... 56 A UV Activities ...................................................................................................................................................... 58 Other Sensors - Instrumenting the Harbor ............................................................................................................ 60 THEME 2: Improving and Developing New Approaches to Hydrographic, Ocean and Coastal Mapping Data Processing with Emphasis on Increasing Efficiency While Understanding, Quantifying, and Reducing Uncertainty ........................................................................................................61 Improved Bathymetric Processing ......................................................................................................................... 61 Improved Processing for Phase-Measuring Bathymetric Sonars .............................................................................. 65 Sound Speed Profile Uncertainty Estimation and Management ............................................................................. 66 Evaluation of Uncertainty in Bathymetry, Navigation and Shoreline Data from Photogrammetry or Satellite Imagery................................................................................................................................................... 70 Improved Backscatter Processing .......................................................................................................................... 71 Data Management ............................................................................................................................................... 74 30 January 2011 3 Table of Contents THEME 3: Developing Tools and Approaches for the Adaptation of Hydrographic, Coastal and Ocean Mapping Technologies for the Mapping of Benthic Habitat and Exploring the Broad Potential of Mapping Features in the Water Column ...................................................................................77 Habitat Mapping .................................................................................................................................................. 77 W ater Column Mapping ....................................................................................................................................... 83 THEME 4: Developing Tools, Protocols, Non-Standard Products, and Approaches that Support the Concept of “Map Once – Use Many Times,” i.e., Integrated Coastal and Ocean Mapping .............................................................................................................................................87 IOCM Activities on the Oscar Dyson ......................................................................................................................87 Backscatter from Hydrographic Vessels ................................................................................................................. 89 Collaborations with OER ....................................................................................................................................... 89 Nearshore Bathymetric Estimation from Lidar-Based Airborne Imagery .................................................................. 90 THEME 5: New and Innovative Approaches for the 3- and 4D Visualization of Hydrographic and Ocean Mapping Data Sets, Including Better Representation of Uncertainty, and Complex Time- and Space-Varying Oceanographic, Biological and Geological Phenomena........................92 Interactive Exploration/Visual Analysis System for Complex Time-Dependent Flow and Other Models .....................92 Enhanced Flow Visualization Glyphs ..................................................................................................................... 94 FlowVis2D ............................................................................................................................................................ 95 Whale Tracking: Mom and Calf .............................................................................................................................95 Ice Coverage Camera - Geocamera ....................................................................................................................... 97 THEME 6: Developing Innovative