Benthic habitat mapping in the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary: Classification of side scan sonar data from survey HMPR-108-2002-01: Version I

In September 2002, side scan sonar was used to image a portion of the sea floor in the northern OCNMS and was mosaiced at 1-meter pixel resolution using 100 kHz data collected at 300-meter range scale. Video from a remotely-operated vehicle (ROV), bathymetry data, sedimentary samples, and sonar mapping have been integrated to describe geological and biological aspects of habitat and polygon features have been created and attributed with a hierarchical deep-water marine benthic classification scheme (Greene et al. 1999). The data can be used with geographic information system (GIS) software for display, query, and analysis. Textural analysis of the sonar images provided a relatively automated method for delineating substrate into three broad classes representing soft, mixed sediment, and hard bottom. Microhabitat and presence of certain biologic attributes were also populated into the polygon features, but strictly limited to areas where video groundtruthing occurred. Further groundtruthing work in specific areas would improve confidence in the classified habitat map. (PDF contains 22 pages.)

Biogeographic analysis of the Tortugas Ecological Reserve: Examining the refuge effect following reserve establishment

Almost 120 days at sea aboard three NOAA research vessels and one fishing vessel over the past three years have supported biogeographic characterization of Tortugas Ecological Reserve (TER). This work initiated measurement of post-implementation effects of TER as a refuge for exploited species. In Tortugas South, seafloor transect surveys were conducted using divers, towed operated vehicles (TOV), remotely operated vehicles (ROV), various sonar platforms, and the Deepworker manned submersible. ARGOS drifter releases, satellite imagery, ichthyoplankton surveys, sea surface temperature, and diver census were combined to elucidate potential dispersal of fish spawning in this environment. Surveys are being compiled into a GIS to allow resource managers to gauge benthic resource status and distribution. Drifter studies have determined that within the ~ 30 days of larval life stage for fishes spawning at Tortugas South, larvae could reach as far downstream as Tampa Bay on the west Florida coast and Cape Canaveral on the east coast. Together with actual fish surveys and water mass delineation, this work demonstrates that the refuge status of this area endows it with tremendous downstream spillover and larval export potential for Florida reef habitats and promotes the maintenance of their fish communities. In Tortugas North, 30 randomly selected, permanent stations were established. Five stations were assigned to each of the following six areas: within Dry Tortugas National Park, falling north of the prevailing currents (Park North); within Dry Tortugas National Park, falling south of the prevailing currents (Park South); within the Ecological Reserve falling north of the prevailing currents (Reserve North); within the Ecological Reserve falling south of the prevailing currents (Reserve South); within areas immediately adjacent to these two strata, falling north of the prevailing currents (Out North); and within areas immediately adjacent to these two strata, falling south of the prevailing currents (Out South). Intensive characterization of these sites was conducted using multiple sonar techniques, TOV, ROV, diver-based digital video collection, diver-based fish census, towed fish capture, sediment particle-size, benthic chlorophyll analyses, and stable isotope analyses of primary producers, fish, and, shellfish. In order to complement and extend information from studies focused on the coral reef, we have targeted the ecotone between the reef and adjacent, non-reef habitats as these areas are well-known in ecology for indicating changes in trophic relationships at the ecosystem scale. Such trophic changes are hypothesized to occur as top-down control of the system grows with protection of piscivorous fishes. Preliminary isotope data, in conjunction with our prior results from the west Florida shelf, suggest that the shallow water benthic habitats surrounding the coral reefs of TER will prove to be the source of a significant amount of the primary production ultimately fueling fish production throughout TER and downstream throughout the range of larval fish dispersal. Therefore, the status and influence of the previously neglected, non-reef habitat within the refuge (comprising ~70% of TER) appears to be intimately tied to the health of the coral reef community proper. These data, collected in a biogeographic context, employing an integrated Before-After Control Impact design at multiple spatial scales, leave us poised to document and quantify the postimplementation effects of TER. Combined with the work at Tortugas South, this project represents a multi-disciplinary effort of sometimes disparate disciplines (fishery oceanography, benthic ecology, food web analysis, remote sensing/geography/landscape ecology, and resource management) and approaches (physical, biological, ecological). We expect the continuation of this effort to yield critical information for the management of TER and the evaluation of protected areas as a refuge for exploited species. (PDF contains 32 pages.)

Deepwater reef fishes and multibeam bathymetry of the Tortugas South Ecological Reserve, Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, Florida

The Tortugas South Ecological Reserve, located along the margin of the southwest Florida carbonate platform, is part of the largest no-take marine reserve in the U.S. Established in July 2001, the reserve is approximately 206 km2 in area, and ranges in depths from 30 m at Riley’s Hump to over 600 m at the southern edge of the reserve. Geological and biological information for the Tortugas South Reserve is lacking, and critical for management of the area. Bathymetric surveys were conducted with a Simrad EM 3000 multibeam echosounder at Riley’s Hump and Miller’s Ledge, located in the northern and central part of the reserve. Resulting data were used to produce basemaps to obtain geological ground truth and visual surveys of biological communities, including reef fishes. Visual surveys were conducted using SCUBA and the Phantom S2 Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) at Riley’s Hump. Visual surveys were conducted using the ROV and the Deepworker 2000 research submersible along Miller’s Ledge, within and outside of the reserve. A total of 108 fishes were recorded during SCUBA, ROV, and submersible observations. Replicate survey transects resulted in over 50 fishes documented at Miller’s Ledge, and eight of the top ten most abundant species were planktivores. Many species of groupers, including scamp (Mycteroperca phenax), red grouper (Epinephelus morio), snowy grouper (E. niveatus), speckled hind (E. drummondhayi), and Warsaw grouper (E. nigritus), are present in the sanctuary. Numerous aggregations of scamp and a bicolor phase of the Warsaw grouper were observed, indicating the importance of Miller’s Ledge as a potential spawning location for both commercially important and rare deep reef species, and as a potential source of larval recruits for the Florida Keys and other deep reef ecosystems of Florida

Deep reef fish surveys by submersible on Alderdice, McGrail, and Sonnier Banks in the Northwestern Gulf of Mexico

Submersible surveys at numerous reefs and banks in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico (NWGOM) were conducted as part of the Sustainable Seas Expedition (SSE) during July/August 2002 to identify reef fish communities, characterize benthic habitats, and identify deep coral reef ecosystems. To identify the spatial extent of hard bottom reef communities, the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary (FGBNMS) and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) mapped approximately 2000 km2 of the Northwestern Gulf of Mexico (NWGOM) continental shelf during June 2002 with high-resolution multibeam bathymetry. Previous investigations conducted on the features of interest (with the exceptions of East and West Flower Garden and Sonnier Banks, accessible by SCUBA) had not been conducted since the 1970s and 1980s, and did not have the use of high-resolution maps to target survey sites. The base maps were instrumental in navigating submersibles to specific features at each study site during the Sustainable Seas Expedition (SSE)—a submersible effort culminating from a partnership between the National Atmospheric and Oceanic Administration (NOAA) and the National Geographic Society (NGS). We report the initial findings of our submersible surveys, including habitat and reef fish diversity at McGrail, Alderdice, and Sonnier Banks. A total of 120 species and 40,724 individuals were identified from video surveys at the three banks. Planktivorous fishes constituted over 87% by number for the three banks, ranging from 81.4% at Sonnier Banks to 94.3% at Alderdice Bank, indicating a direct link to pelagic prey communities, particularly in the deep reef zones. High numbers of groupers, snappers, jacks, and other fishery species were observed on all three features. These sites were nominated as Habitat Areas of Particular Concern (HAPC) by the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Council in March 2004. Data obtained during this project will contribute to benthic habitat characterization and assessment of the associated fish communities through future SCUBA, ROV, and submersible missions, and allow comparisons to other deep reef ecosystems found throughout the Gulf of Mexico and western Atlantic Ocean.

Day and night abundance, distribution, and activity patterns of demersal fishes on Heceta Bank, Oregon

Most shallow-dwelling tropical marine fishes exhibit different activity patterns during the day and night but show similar transition behavior among habitat sites despite the dissimilar assemblages of the species. However, changes in species abundance, distribution, and activity patterns have only rarely been examined in temperate deepwater habitats during the day and night, where day-to-night differences in light intensity are extremely slight. Direct-observation surveys were conducted over several depths and habitat types on Heceta Bank, the largest rocky bank off the Oregon coast. Day and night fish community composition, relative density, and activity levels were compared by using videotape footage from a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) operated along paired transects. Habitat-specific abundance and activity were determined for 31 taxa or groups. General patterns observed were similar to shallow temperate day and night studies, with an overall increase in the abundance and activity of fishes during the day than at night, particularly in shallower cobble, boulder, and rock ridge habitats. Smaller schooling rockfishes (Sebastes spp.) were more abundant and active in day than in night transects, and sharpchin (S. zacentrus) and harlequin (S. variegatus) rockfish were significantly more abundant in night transects. Most taxa, however, did not exhibit distinct diurnal or nocturnal activity patterns. Rosethorn rockfish (S. helvomaculatus) and hagfishes (Eptatretus spp.) showed the clearest diurnal and nocturnal activity patterns, respectively. Because day and night distributions and activity patterns in demersal fishes are likely to influence both catchability and observability in bottom trawl and direct-count in situ surveys, the patterns observed in the current study should be considered for survey design and interpretation.

Effects of trawling for ocean shrimp (Pandalus jordani) on macroinvertebrate abundance and diversity at four sites near Nehalem Bank, Oregon

Surveys with a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) at four mudhabitat sites with different histories of ocean shrimp (Pandalus jordani) trawling showed measurable effects of trawling on macroinvertebrate abundance and diversity. Densities of the sea whip (Halipteris spp., P<0.01), the flat mud star (Luidia foliolata, P< 0.001), unidentified Asteroidea (P<0.05), and squat lobsters (unidentified Galathoidea, P<0.001) were lower at heavily trawled (HT) sites, as was invertebrate diversity based on the Shannon-Wiener index. Sea cucumbers (unidentified Holothuroidea) and unidentified corals (Hydrocoralia) were observed at lightly trawled (LT) sites but not at HT sites. Hagfish (Eptatretus spp.) burrows were the dominant structural feature of the sediment surface at all sites and were more abundant at the HT sites (P<0.05), a result potentially related to effects from fishery discards. Substantial heterogeneity was found between the northern and southern site pairs, indicating high site-to-site variability in macroinvertebrate densities in these deep (146–156 m) mud habitats. Two of the study sites were closed to trawling in June 2006. The data from this study can be used in combination with future surveys to measure recovery rates of deep, mud, seaf loor habitats from the effects of trawling, thus providing a critical piece of information for ecosystem-based management.

Estimating species and size composition of rockfishes to verify targets in acoustic surveys of untrawlable areas

Rockfish (Sebastes spp.) biomass is difficult to assess with standard bottom trawl or acoustic surveys because of their propensity to aggregate near the seafloor in highrelief areas that are inaccessible to sampling by trawling. We compared the ability of a remotely operated vehicle (ROV), a modified bottom trawl, and a stereo drop camera system (SDC) to identify rockfish species and estimate their size composition. The ability to discriminate species was highest for the bottom trawl and lowest for the SDC. Mean lengths and size distributions varied among the gear types, although a larger number of length measurements could be collected with the bottom trawl and SDC than with the ROV. Dusky (S. variabilis), harlequin (S. variegatus), and northern rockfish (S. polyspinis), and Pacific ocean perch (S. alutus) were the species observed in greatest abundance. Only dusky and northern rockfish regularly occurred in trawlable areas, whereas these two species and many more occurred in untrawlable areas. The SDC was able to resolve the height of fish off the seafloor, and some of the rockfish species were observed only near the seafloor in the acoustic dead zone. This finding is important, in that fish found exclusively in the acoustic dead zone cannot be assessed acoustically. For these species, methods such as bottom trawls, long-lines, or optical surveys using line transect or area swept methods will be the only adequate means to estimate the abundance of these fishes. Our results suggest that the selection of appropriate methods for verifying targets will depend on the habitat types and species complexes to be examined.

Reactions of fishes to two underwater survey tools, a manned submersible and a remotely operated vehicle

We examined the reactions of fishes to a manned submersible and a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) during surveys conducted in habitats of rock and mud at depths of 30–408 m off central California in 2007. We observed 26 taxa for 10,550 fishes observed from the submersible and for 16,158 fishes observed from the ROV. A reaction was defined as a distinct movement of a fish that, for a benthic or hovering individual, was greater than one body length away from its initial position or, for a swimming individual, was a change of course or speed. Of the observed fishes, 57% reacted to the ROV and 11% reacted to the submersible. Aggregating species and those species initially observed off the seafloor reacted most often to both vehicles. Fishes reacted more often to each vehicle when they were >1 m above the seafloor (22% of all fishes >1 m above the seafloor reacted to the submersible and 73% to the ROV) than when they were in contact with the seafloor (2% of all reactions to the submersible and 18% to the ROV). Fishes reacted by swimming away from both vehicles rather than toward them. Consideration of these reactions can inform survey designs and selection of survey tools and can, thereby, increase the reliability of fish assemblage metrics (e.g., abundance, density, and biomass) and assessments of fish and habitat associations.

A survey of deep-water coral and sponge habitats along the west coast of the US using a remotely operated vehicle: NOAA Fisheries Survey Vessel (FSV)'Bell M. Shimada', November 1-5, 2010

Remotely operated vehicle (ROV) surveys were conducted from NOAA’s state-of-the-art Fisheries Survey Vessel (FSV) Bell M. Shimada during a six-day transit November 1-5, 2010 between San Diego, CA and Seattle, WA. The objective of this survey was to locate and characterize deep-sea coral and sponge ecosystems at several recommended sites in support of NOAA’s Coral Reef Conservation Program. Deep-sea corals and sponges were photographed and collected whenever possible using the Southwest Fisheries Science Center’s (SWFSC) Phantom ROV ‘Sebastes’ (Fig. 1). The surveyed sites were recommended by National Marine Sanctuary (NMS) scientists at Monterey Bay NMS, Gulf of the Farallones NMS, and Olympic Coast NMS (Fig. 2). The specific sites were: Sur Canyon, The Football, Coquille Bank, and Olympic Coast NMS. During each dive, the ROV collected digital still images, video, navigation, and along-track conductivity-temperature-depth (CTD), and optode data. Video and high-resolution photographs were used to quantify abundance of corals, sponges, and associated fishes and invertebrates to the lowest practicable taxonomic level, and also to classify the seabed by substrate type. A reference laser system was used to quantify area searched and estimate the density of benthic fauna.

虚拟监控遥操作水下机器人控制系统的研究

随着海洋科学考察和水下工程的日益增多，人类的研究趋势不断地向海洋深处发展。然而，水下环境与陆地和空间环境相比更加恶劣，对人类的威胁更大，因此水下机器人作为人的替代者，正在越来越多地在实际水下操作中应用。传统的水下机器人是采用主从遥操作控制，陆地上或母船上的操作员借助水下摄像机观察机器人的工作情况，通过主手或操纵杆操纵机器人，这种工作方式已不能满足当前水下作业的需要，所以研制具有高效率、高操作精度的水下机器人系统成为当今机器人领域的研究热点。本论文的研究内容是国家“863”高技术计划研究项目“虚拟监控遥操作水下机器人系统”的重要组成部分，以水下机器人检查海底石油钻井平台导管架焊缝的实际工作为背景，建立了一个完整的水下机器人实验系统，详细研究了虚拟遥操作控制、机器人监控控制及ROV(Remotely Operated Vehicles)模糊控制导航方法，并将这些控制方法应用到所建立的机器人系统中，完成实际操作实验。为了解决运动学逆解无解析解一类机械手的实时控制问题，本文提出一种适合于实时求解的算法--“跟踪搜索算法"，并使用该算法实现了5DOF水下机械手的运动学解算和实时控制。水下机器人载体ROV的导航问题一直被研究者们关注，在水下机器人控制中占重要地位。本文提出一种模糊控制导航方法，使用统一控制模式实现ROV在3D空间的导航，避免了ROV水下导航中多模控制切换点难以确定和切换过程造成ROV波动的问题。根据对ROV和机械手运劫特征的分析，以及水下环境的先验知识，建立了机器人和水下环境的虚拟模型。为了适应机器人在非结构化环境中工作的要求，提出“交互虚攒建模”方法，在环境发生变化时，重新建立虚拟环境模型，使虚拟环境反映真实环境的变化。在此基础上，建立了一个多功能虚拟仿真平台。监控控制是目前水下机器人最好的控制方法，本论文将虚拟现实技术应用在机器人监控系统中，提出虚拟监控系统的双层结构，发展了监控思想。研究并实现了四种虚拟监控控制方法：(1)基于虚拟显示的控制方法，(2)基于虚拟视觉的控制方法，(3)虚拟层任务规划，(4)虚拟投射控制。将上述各部分集成，设计并实现了虚拟监控遥操作控制系统，以该控制系统为核心，连接真实水下机器人和视觉系统，建立了虚拟监控遥操作水下机器人实验系统。本论文提出的系统结构、虚拟建模方法、模糊导航方法，虚拟监控控制方法均应用到机器人实验系统中。实际操作结果和仿真实验结果验证了所提出的虚拟监控系统结构的合理性，方法的正确性，体现了这些结构和方法的先进性。该实验系统和上述实验结果作为“863”项目“虚拟监控遥操作水下机器人系统”的重要组成部分，通过了专家组的验收，得到专家们的肯定。此外，为了适应开展网络遥操作研究的需要，本论文基于Internet网络技术，建立了机器人的网络通讯框架，使本论文中建立的机器人系统具有网络扩展性。论文的研究工作为研制可实用的高性能水下机器人系统奠定了基础，研究成果对水下机器人遥操作具有理论指导意义，为其实际应用提供了技术实现的途径。

微型遥控潜水器视频监控系统

介绍了一种微型遥控潜水器视频监控系统,包括硬件装置及基于软件技术的视频数据处理技术。硬件装置完成视频信号的采集、传输、显示。视频数据处理技术解决了视频信号的捕获、存储、画面质量调节等。该系统已经在微型遥控潜水器中应用,效果良好。

有缆水下机器人主动升沉补偿控制研究

针对母船的升沉运动影响有缆水下机器人的释放与回收的工程实际需求,提出了利用液压绞车降低中继器的升沉速度来实现水下机器人主动升沉补偿控制的方法,来提高水下机器人释放与回收的安全性能。建立液压绞车的数学模型并设计主动升沉补偿前馈控制器。水下机器人主动升沉补偿实验表明液压系统的非线性降低了液压绞车主动升沉补偿前馈控制的升沉补偿效率。针对液压绞车的非线性特性,设计了液压绞车主动升沉补偿预测控制算法,仿真实验表明基于液压系统参数辨识的液压绞车主动升沉补偿预测控制可以得到较高的升沉补偿效率。

一种遥控潜水器控制系统的研究与应用

介绍一种基于工业以太网通信技术及Windows平台构建的遥控潜水器控制系统.将该控制系统应用于最新研制的遥控潜水器中,其在通信能力、视频传输、控制性能、硬件的可扩展性、数据的存储与显示等多方面都比传统的控制系统具有明显的优势.在水池中进行了试验,验证了该控制系统及整个潜水器良好的运动功能和性能.

一种遥控水下机器人视频监控系统

本文介绍一种应用在遥控水下机器人上的视频传输与监控技术。采用光多路复用器实现水面与水下的数据及视频传输,通过工业以太网实现整个系统的摄像机及灯光控制,并对传输到水面视频信号进行显示、叠加及存储。该技术成功的应用在新开发的遥控水下机器人中,效果良好。

基于信道估计的RS纠错编码改进算法的设计与实现

提出了一种基于信道估计的RS纠错编码改进算法,该算法可以自适应地根据外界条件和环境对传输信道的干扰变化实时地调节编码系统的数据冗余量。仿真与完整的分析结果证实了该改进算法有效地改善了RS编码算法的传输效率;并且通过实际应用表明:良好的性能,高容错性适应于该通信系统的多种传输信道,具有很强的实用性。