Who are we?Who are we? Geological Geological

oceanographersoceanographers Use geophysical Use geophysical

tools to obtain tools to obtain images of seafloor images of seafloor and its subsurface.and its subsurface.

Use geological Use geological tools to tools to groundtruth these groundtruth these images.images.

Sedimentary process Sedimentary process studiesstudies

Geologic framework Geologic framework studies studies

Karstified Eocene Karstified Eocene Limestone SurfaceLimestone Surface

Marsh HammocksMarsh Hammocks

Bedrock Control on Bedrock Control on Marsh HammocksMarsh Hammocks

The past…The past… Widely spaced track Widely spaced track

lines producing lines producing incomplete benthic incomplete benthic mapsmaps

Poor navigationPoor navigation Analog, limited digital Analog, limited digital

acquisition and acquisition and processingprocessing

Map products hand Map products hand constructed on constructed on computerscomputers

Labor intensiveLabor intensive

Bedforms on Suwannee Bedforms on Suwannee River BottomRiver Bottom

Limestone Outcrop on Limestone Outcrop on Suwannee River BottomSuwannee River Bottom

The present, future…The present, future… Precise navigationPrecise navigation Digital acquisition Digital acquisition

and processingand processing Computer Computer

generated mapsgenerated maps Precise bathymetryPrecise bathymetry Seafloor Seafloor

classification classification systemssystems

Map benthic Map benthic habitatshabitats

We propose…We propose… Baseline bathymetric, benthic habitat, and seafloor Baseline bathymetric, benthic habitat, and seafloor

mapping for the lower Suwannee River and the mapping for the lower Suwannee River and the adjacent inner continental shelf.adjacent inner continental shelf.

These tools are essential in ecosystem management; These tools are essential in ecosystem management; can be used to ask more fundamental questions.can be used to ask more fundamental questions.