Multibeam Bathymetry Data Collected in March 2018 at Crocker Reef, the Florida Keys

Acquisition: An ERS was conducted using two Teledyne Reson SeaBat T50-P multibeam echosounders, in dual-head configuration. The pair of Mills Cross [configuration] transmit and receive arrays, were placed side-by-side within a bracket that oriented them at opposing 30-degree angles (relative to horizontal). The bracket was pole-mounted on the starboard gunnel of the R/V Sallenger, a 26-ft fiberglass research vessel. The sonar arrays were oriented athwartships (primary and secondary arrays facing outward and down to port and starboard, respectively) and located approximately 1-m below the waterline when deployed. An Applanix Pos MV Wavemaster II V5 inertially aided navigation system was used for timing, positioning, and attitude. The Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) was mounted atop the sonar bracket just aft of the pole. Two Trimble 540AP Global Navigation Satellite System antennas were affixed atop the cabin approximately amidships of the vessel, two meters apart, port-starboard. An AML Oceanographic Micro-X sound velocity sensor was used for speed of sound readings at the sonar head. A Valeport SWiFT sound velocity profiler was used for measuring sound velocity profiles. Hydrographic survey acquisition and processing software, HYPACK/HYSWEEP (version 2016a) managed data inputs from sensors and produced two files (.RAW and .HSX). Data were collected in WGS84 [G1762] Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) Zone 17 North (17N) coordinates.

Processing: Positioning and attitude data were post-processed in Applanix POSPac MMS (POSPac) software version 8.0 Service Pack 3. Raw position files were imported into POSPac and processed with the IN-Fusion GNSS Nav - Single Base processing mode utilizing Florida Department of Transportation, Permanent Reference Network base station Plantation Key (FLPK); creating smoothed best estimate of trajectory (SBET) files and dynamic error files (SMRMSG) for each day of the survey. Bathymetric data were post-processed in CARIS Hydrographic processing software HIPS/SIPS version 10.4. HYPACK acquisition files (.HSX) were first imported into CARIS and then post-processed navigation files (SBET and SMRMSG) were imported and applied. Additionally, GPS tide (GPS tidal corrections utilize GPS height information from real time survey observations to obtain an ellipsoid height) was computed and sound velocity profiles were applied. Roll calibration was also performed, as necessary. TPU was calculated from real time values recorded in the HSX and the SMRMSG files. Data were filtered to exclude any points with RESON Quality flags of 0, 1, and 2 (these flags are assigned to individual soundings at the time of acquisition and are a metric of pass/fail in regards to both brightness and collinearity: 0 = fail both, 1 = pass brightness only, 2 = pass collinearity only), as well as soundings that had a TPU greater than stated IHO Special Order standards (IHO, 2008). Refraction artifacts were addressed using Refraction Editor. Further editing was performed in Subset Editor. A visual and statistical inspection of the data was performed to serve as quality control. A 1-m bathymetric CUBE surface was computed and the final surface was exported as an x,y,z ASCII file using the Base Surface to ASCII function.

Added keywords section with USGS persistent identifier as theme keyword.