A range of approaches are being explored to use multibeam sonar bathymetry and imagery to extract quantitative information about seafloor properties, including those relevant to fisheries habitat. New processing algorithms are being developed that take advantage of the density of multibeam sonar data and use statistically robust techniques to “clean” massive data sets very rapidly.

There will also be great changes in the products produced from seafloor mapping and the processing necessary to create them. Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROV’s) and particularly Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUV’s) will become more important as platforms for seafloor mapping systems. The inability to monitor the fine-scale spatial and temporal variability of the sound speed structure of the water column is often a limiting factor in the production of accurate maps of the seafloor improvements in this area will involve continuous monitoring devices as well as improved ocean models and perhaps tomography. Future developments will involve “hybrid”, phase-comparison/beam-forming sonars, the development of broad-band “chirp” multibeam sonars, and perhaps synthetic aperture multibeam sonars. Current trends in sonar development involve the use of innovative new transducer materials and the application of sophisticated processing techniques including focusing algorithms that dynamically compensate for the curvature of the wavefront in the nearfield and thus allow narrower beam widths (higher lateral resolution) at close ranges. Future developments must involve all aspects of the “seafloor mapping system,” including, sonars, ancillary sensors (motion sensors, positioning systems, and sound speed sensors), platforms upon which they are mounted, and the products that are produced. Over the past few years there have been remarkable and concomitant advances in sonar technology, positioning capabilities, and computer processing power that have revolutionized the mapping, imaging and exploration of the seafloor.

Chirp programming bingham