Publication Abstract

Benthic habitat mapping is a rapidly growing field of marine research, driven by the need for reliable knowledge of the distribution and nature of benthic habitats required to underpin effective marine management. We have recently witnessed significant advances in the processing and interpretation of acoustic seabed data from sidescan sonar and multibeam echo sounder. Used in conjunction with ground-truthing methods, such as grabs, trawls, camera sledges and drop cameras we are now able to image and map the seabed in unprecedented detail. In this presentation, I will give a brief introduction into basic concepts of habitat mapping including the work flow from the data to the final habitat map. Case studies will illustrate the process, outputs, benefits and limitations of benthic habitat mapping.