In 2005, Sea Surveyor conducted a historic,
bank-to-bank hydrographic survey of South San Francisco Bay. Soundings were collected for the
next-generation of nautical charts being prepared by NOAA and for modeling
being conducted by USGS for the Salt Pond Restoration Project. The entire 100 square miles of South Bay
was surveyed, as well as Coyote Creek and 4 sloughs. To meet the project’s expedited
schedule, survey operations were conducted 24-hours per day.
Soundings were collected at 1m intervals along survey
lines spaced at nominal 100m intervals using a single-beam, 200kHz
transducer with differential GPS navigation and vessel motion-sensors. Various survey vessels were utilized,
including a 29’ vessel for open-bay surveys, a 26’ vessel for slough
surveys, and a 14’ vessel for creek surveys.
Quester-Tangent
provided a 50kHz seabed classification
system that was used to prepare a map showing the acoustic properties and
likely composition of surficial sediments in South San Francisco Bay.
