Performance and Progress Report NOAA Grant No: NA10NOS4000073 Project Title: Joint Hydrographic Center Report Period: 01/01/2016 – 12/31/2016 Principal Investigator: Larry A. Mayer CONTENTS INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................................................ 4 INFRASTRUCTURE .................................................................................................................................................. 5 PERSONNEL .......................................................................................................................................................................... 5 Research Scientists and Staff ........................................................................................................................................ 10 NOAA Employees ......................................................................................................................................................... 14 Other Affiliated Faculty ................................................................................................................................................ 17 Visiting Scholars ........................................................................................................................................................... 21 FACILITIES, IT AND EQUIPMENT ........................................................................................................................................ 24 Office and Teaching Space ........................................................................................................................................... 24 Laboratory Facilities .................................................................................................................................................... 25 Pier Facilities ............................................................................................................................................................... 28 Information Technology ............................................................................................................................................... 28 Research Vessels and Platforms: .................................................................................................................................. 35 EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM .................................................................................................................................. 43 CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT ............................................................................................................................................ 43 Gebco Certificate Program .......................................................................................................................................... 46 HYDROGRAPHIC FIELD COURSE ......................................................................................................................................... 53 Extended training ......................................................................................................................................................... 54 STATUS OF RESEARCH: JANUARY–DECEMBER 2016 ................................................................................. 56 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 ....................................................................................... 58 SONARS ........................................................................................................................................................................... 58 LIDAR .............................................................................................................................................................................. 69 AUV/ASV ACTIVITIES ...................................................................................................................................................... 81 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 .................................................... 85 IMPROVED BATHYMETRIC PROCESSING ............................................................................................................................. 85 IMPROVED PROCESSING FOR PHASE-MEASURING BATHYMETRIC SONARS ........................................................................ 91 EVALUATION OF UNCERTAINTY IN BATHYMETRY, NAVIGATION AND SHORELINE DATA FROM LIDAR, PHOTOGRAMMETRY OR SATELLITE IMAGERY .................................................................................................................... 92 IMPROVED BACKSCATTER PROCESSING ........................................................................................................................... 103 DATA MANAGEMENT ....................................................................................................................................................... 106 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 ........ 110 HABITAT MAPPING .......................................................................................................................................................... 110 SEDIMENTOLOGY LAB ...................................................................................................................................................... 137 WATER COLUMN MAPPING .............................................................................................................................................. 137 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 ................................................................................................................................................. 151 BACKSCATTER FROM HYDROGRAPHIC VESSELS .............................................................................................................. 152 BATHYMETRY AND BACKSCATTER FROM THE NOAA FSVS ........................................................................................... 152 JHC Performance and Progress Report 2 30 January 2017 SUPER STORM SANDY IOCM EXAMPLES ......................................................................................................................... 153 THEME 5: NEW AND INNOVATIVE APPROACHES FOR THE 3D AND 4D VISUALIZATION OF HYDROGRAPHIC AND OCEAN MAPPING DATASETS, INCLUDING BETTER REPRESENTATION OF UNCERTAINTY AND COMPLEX TIME- AND SPACE-VARYING OCEANOGRAPHIC, BIOLOGICAL AND GEOLOGICAL PHENOMENA ............................................................................................................................. 172 VISUALIZING CURRENTS, WAVES AND WEATHER: .......................................................................................................... 172 FLOW PATTERN IDENTIFICATION STUDY: ANIMATED VS STATIC PORTRAYAL................................................................. 172 LIMITS OF INFORMATION DISPLAYED BY VECTOR FIELDS ............................................................................................... 174 THEME 6: DEVELOPING INNOVATIVE APPROACHES AND CONCEPTS FOR THE ELECTRONIC CHART OF THE FUTURE AND E-NAVIGATION .......................................................................................................... 178 EVOLUTIONARY ................................................................................................................................................................ 178 COAST PILOT DATABASE ................................................................................................................................................. 183 REVOLUTIONARY ............................................................................................................................................................. 190 THEME 7: BEING NATIONAL LEADERS IN THE PLANNING, ACQUISITION, PROCESSING, ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF BATHYMETRIC DATA COLLECTED IN SUPPORT OF A POTENTIAL SUBMISSION BY THE U.S. FOR AN EXTENDED CONTINENTAL SHELF UNDER ARTICLE 76 OF THE UNITED NATIONS CONVENTION ON THE LAW OF THE SEA ................................................................. 191 2016 LAW OF THE SEA ACTIVITIES .................................................................................................................................. 192 OUTREACH ............................................................................................................................................................ 210 APPENDIX A: GRADUATE DEGREES IN OCEAN MAPPING ..................................................................... 233 APPENDIX B: FIELD PROGRAMS ..................................................................................................................... 238 APPENDIX C: OTHER FUNDING ....................................................................................................................... 242