Oregon OCS Seafloor Mapping Cruise Report for USGS Field Activity 2014-607-FA

Suggested Citation:

Cochrane, G.R., Dartnell, P., Hemery, L.G., and Hatcher, G., 2017, Data release for USGS field activity 2014-607-FA, Oregon OCS seafloor mapping: selected lease blocks relevant to renewable energy (ver. 2.0, July 2017), U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/F7V40S8V.

First posted June 23, 2015
Revised July 25, 2017, ver. 2.0

Version History 2.0

Photograph of the bow, or front, of our boat R/V Snavely.

Figure 1. R/V Parke Snavely on site. [Larger version]

Operations

Operations were conducted using the USGS R/V Parke Snavely (Figure 1) equipped with a Reson 7111 multibeam sonar mounted on starboard side pole and a towed high definition video sled. Sonar data were acquired using Reson PDS 2000 software. Horizontal positions for navigation and data collection were determined by using a POS M/V V5 operating in Differential GPS (DGPS) mode. The horizontal datum was Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) Zone 10 North and the vertical datum was MLLW.

The survey was conducted using 12 hour day operations out of Charleston Harbor near Coos Bay, Oregon. The cruise plan consisted of 23 days on site split between sonar mapping and video ground truth surveying. Activities parsed out to nine days of sonar mapping, three days of video surveying, eight days of no operations due to weather, and three days mobilizing and demobilizing (Table 1). Typically the Snavely would transit out to the survey area in an hour at a speed of 20 knots. Multibeam sonar operations were conducted on north or south oriented tracklines at a speed of 4 to 5 knots depending on sea state. The optimal heading for sonar operations is isobath parallel. Video operations were conducted by deploying up drift of a target and drifting over it at speeds of 1 knot or less.

**Table 1.** Summary of daily activities.
Day	Month	Date	BOEM Participant	USGS Scientist	Operations
Tu	August	19			Sonar mobilization
We	August	20		Guy Cochrane	Sonar patch testing
Th	August	21	Dave Pereksta	Guy Cochrane	Sonar mapping
Fr	August	22	Dave Pereksta	Guy Cochrane	Sonar mapping
Sa	August	23		Guy Cochrane	No operations due to weather
Su	August	24		Guy Cochrane	No operations due to weather
Mo	August	25		Guy Cochrane	No operations due to weather
Tu	August	26		Guy Cochrane	No operations due to weather
We	August	27	Dave Ball	Guy Cochrane	Sonar mapping
Th	August	28	Dave Ball	Guy Cochrane	Sonar mapping
Fr	August	29	Dave Ball	Guy Cochrane	Sonar mapping
Sa	August	30	Frank Pendleton	Guy Cochrane	Sonar mapping
Su	August	31	Frank Pendleton	Guy Cochrane	Sonar mapping
Mo	September	1	Kevin Smith	Peter Dartnell	Sonar mapping
Tu	September	2		Peter Dartnell	Video mobilization
We	September	3		Peter Dartnell	No operations due to weather
Th	September	4		Peter Dartnell	No operations due to weather
Fr	September	5		Peter Dartnell	No operations due to weather
Sa	September	6	Lisa Gilbane	Peter Dartnell	Video surveying
Su	September	7	Lisa Gilbane	Peter Dartnell	Video surveying
Mo	September	8		Peter Dartnell	No operations due to weather
Tu	September	9		Peter Dartnell	Video surveying
We	September	10		Peter Dartnell	Demobilization

Sonar data were processed using Caris HIPS/SIPS software for the bathymetry and Fledermaus Geocoder for the backscatter intensity.

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Results

Approximately 95 square kilometers of area were mapped with multibeam sonar. The survey expanded the extent of mapping data collected by Solmar Hydro Inc. in 2013 under a contract with WindFloat Pacific. When added to the Solmar Hydro data the total area mapped is approximately 140 square kilometers (Figure 2).

Figure 2. Shaded relief image of all the available multibeam sonar bathymetry data. Small numbers are OCS lease blocks. Large numbers are depths in meters for bathymetry contours. Inset map shows location of survey as dark polygon off the State of Oregon. [Larger version]

Figure 3. Image of the multibeam sonar bathymetry data from the USGS survey. Numbers are depths in meters for bathymetry contours. [Larger version]

Figure 4. Image of the multibeam sonar backscatter intensity data from the USGS survey. Numbers are depths in meters for bathymetry contours. Rectangular patches of darker or lighter shade are artifacts of sonar equipment malfunction and data processing. [Larger version]

Mammal observations were made during multibeam operations (Table 2). The USGS voluntarily staffs its seismic and sonar ships with a trained mammal observer for seismic and sonar operations in Federal waters. The observer monitored the survey area for 30 minutes prior to the start up of the sonar system to ensure that no marine mammals were in the area. The observer called for system shut-downs when marine mammals entered the 160dB isopleth (safety zone). Whenever a marine mammal entered the safety zone the sound source was shut down until it was confirmed that the marine mammal had either left the safety zone, 15 minutes had passed after its last sighting, or the vessel transited to another trackline. The Reson 7111 multibeam sonar operates at a frequency of 213.5 kHz and has a peak source level of 213 db. The radius of the safety zone for the Reson 711 is 200 m.

Photograph of a whale showing its tail in the ocean. See caption that follows.

Figure 5. Whale observed during video transect portion of the research cruise. [Larger version]

Figure 6. Location of marine mammal observations during USGS multibeam sonar operations. [Larger version]

**Table 2**. Shipboard navigation log excerpts of marine mammal observations. The shipboard navigation log is not the official marine mammal observation log. The official log is hand written on paper forms.
Date	Time	Longitude	Latitude	Log Entry
8/20/14	18:13:43	-124.31808	43.350487	harbor seal on surface
8/20/14	18:17:10	-124.32232	43.35485	harbor seal
8/21/14	14:05:04	-124.37917	43.369942	dolphins, heading north
8/21/14	14:39:26	-124.60442	43.451747	Sea lion, 10m off port, heading south
8/22/14	13:50:17	-124.41097	43.382251	sea lion at 330 degrees - stationary
8/22/14	14:19:08	-124.58645	43.451191	Sea lion 100 m
8/22/14	14:27:25	-124.64228	43.472003	Sea lion
8/22/14	16:26:28	-124.71935	43.510209	northernfur seal. 300m, 130 degrees
8/22/14	18:47:25	-124.7357	43.49717	sea lion, 200m, basking, 20 degrees
8/27/14	14:28:14	-124.56894	43.394431	sea lion
8/27/14	17:45:42	-124.66834	43.364503	whale dove below headed south 200 m
8/27/14	17:50:06	-124.66949	43.363019	Whale - Humpback - Diving 20 meters shutdown
8/27/14	20:04:00	-124.68174	43.307434	sea lion
8/27/14	22:33:31	-124.69575	43.316124	sea lion 200m
8/27/14	23:15:19	-124.61425	43.34958	whale
8/28/14	14:30:40	-124.56534	43.352571	SEA LION SWIMMING EAST 200M 40DEG
8/28/14	19:44:55	-124.71582	43.31192	N. FUR SEAL, 300M 110DEG
8/28/14	19:50:20	-124.71561	43.303514	POD OF PILOT WHALES? >1KM 70DEG, SWIMMING SOUTH
8/28/14	20:08:06	-124.72305	43.297155	4 N. FUR SEALS 270DEG 200M
8/29/14	14:17:13	-124.63372	43.326282	whale 300m 40deg
8/29/14	17:10:56	-124.73133	43.340598	1 sea lion 60m 300deg
8/29/14	17:41:02	-124.73048	43.29956	pod of dolphins 350deg 1km
8/29/14	18:54:52	-124.74016	43.377214	1 sea lion sleeping 500m 20deg
8/29/14	19:00:06	-124.74029	43.383568	1 humpback 2km 70deg breaching
8/29/14	21:32:40	-124.75484	43.361145	2 Fur seals sleeping 500m 340deg
8/29/14	22:35:46	-124.76106	43.33091	1 fur seal 500 m 340deg
8/29/14	22:44:03	-124.76076	43.319687	1 fur seal basking 500m 90deg
8/29/14	22:48:24	-124.76069	43.314169	1 fur seal basking 300m 270deg
8/30/14	17:13:08	-124.77351	43.308634	1 seal or sea lion dove 300 m 270deg
8/30/14	17:58:27	-124.77469	43.36634	numerous white sided porpoise and sea lions approaching bow riding 40deg
8/30/14	22:10:01	-124.64403	43.516969	1 fur seal basking 50m 290deg
8/30/14	23:25:01	-124.59553	43.450814	2 humpback swimmingnw 1km 40deg
8/31/14	15:56:44	-124.63674	43.471274	numerous white sided dolphin approaching, bow riding 290deg and 1 sea lion
8/31/14	17:09:30	-124.63009	43.467337	1 whale dove 200m 40deg
8/31/14	17:12:59	-124.63005	43.462348	2 blue whale swimming 2km 270deg
8/31/14	17:43:27	-124.62835	43.425318	Fur Seal basking 200m 160deg
8/31/14	18:07:12	-124.62414	43.439729	numerous dolphin swimming away 40deg 300m
8/31/14	19:49:05	-124.61835	43.468075	2 blue whales? 300m 0deg shutdown move east
8/31/14	21:33:03	-124.60516	43.446283	1 humpback dove 300m 30deg
8/31/14	22:57:24	-124.59028	43.456526	numerous white sided 500m 20 deg
8/31/14	23:01:38	-124.55857	43.443094	2 humpback 1 km 40deg
8/31/14	23:15:22	-124.45578	43.401591	3 sea lions swimming 200 m 0deg
9/1/14	16:01:06	-124.65498	43.513044	sealion 1m starboard side, jump.

Figure 8. Locations of video transects to be used for geologic and biologic modeling. [Larger version]

The second half of the cruise was devoted to ground-truth video surveying. The video survey was designed after the sonar mapping to investigate sea floor features of interest. Features of interest include bathymetric features such as ridges and depressions, areas that represent the spectrum of backscatter intensity observed in the survey area, and areas that represent the spectrum of water depths surveyed. The camera sled (Figure 7) has downward and adjustable oblique-forward facing HD video cameras. A fiber optic cable is used to allow real time on board viewing of both camera feeds. There is a forward scanning sonar for collision avoidance. Conductivity and temperature are continuously recorded using a SeaBird Seacat 37-SM. Depth and altitude are measured to aid operations but not recorded. There is a downward facing still camera for small invertebrate identification but lighting was insufficient on this new camera sled for usable still images. Observations of the major and minor substrate type are made (Figure 8) as well as occasional comments about organisms, features, or objects of interest. There were 18 video transects; 11.6 hours of video were collected; the mean length of time per transect was 38 minutes.

Figure 7. Towed high-definition video sled. [Larger version]

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Web Services

Web services were created using an ArcGIS service definition file. The ArcGIS REST service and OGC WMS service include all the data layers listed in "GIS Data Files" table. Individual web services for each GIS file are available from the main service pages provided in the links below.

ArcMap Users: Instructions to use these services in ArcMap version 10.0 or above.

ArcGIS REST Service

OGC WMS Service

ArcGIS Project File

OregonOCSArcMap.zip (0.5 MB) is a compressed version of the ArcMap document (.mxd) that has all the data layers loaded in the table of contents and has all the data symbolized as on the view images provided below. Download and save this ArcGIS project file to the directory you created for this GIS. Download the individual layers you want from the list below and unzip them into a subdirectory named "data".

GIS Data Files

Each GIS data file is listed below with a brief description, a small image, and links to the metadata files and the downloadable data files. The data were compiled in ArcMap (version 10.1). Raster data layers are registered TIFF images and are in the UTM Zone 10 coordinate system. Point, line, and polygon features are in shapefile format and are projected in WGS 84 coordinates. We recommend that you create a single new folder named "data" within which to unzip the files you want to use.

The downloadable data files can be unzipped with Winzip (or other tool) on Windows systems. The .zip file for a TIFF image includes the image (.tif), the world registration file (.tfw), and the text (.txt) and XML (.tif.xml) versions of the metadata. The .zip for a shapefile includes the .aux, .dbf, .shp, .shx, .sbx, and .sbn files, as well as the text (.txt) and XML (.shp.xml) versions of the metadata.

Theme Description	File Format	Metadata	File Compressed	File Size
Bathymetry (12m/pixel), Oregon OCS Survey 2014-607-FA	TIFF 32 bit float	txt, xml, html, faq	OregonOCSbathym.zip	13 MB
Bathymetry Hillshade (2m/pixel), Oregon OCS Survey 2014-607-FA	TIFF 8 bit integer	txt, xml, html, faq	OregonOCShillsh.zip	4 MB
Contours, Oregon OCS Survey 2014-607-FA	ESRI Shapefile (line)	txt, xml, html, faq	OregonOCScontou.zip	5 MB
Backscatter (12m/pixel), Oregon OCS Survey 2014-607-FA	TIFF 8 bit integer	txt, xml, html, faq	OregonOCSbacksc.zip	10 MB
Visual observations of geologic substrate, Oregon OCS Survey 2014-607-FA	ESRI Shapefile (points)	txt, xml, html, faq	OregonOCSgeolog.zip	2.6 MB
Visual observations of Marine Mammals, Oregon OCS Survey 2014-607-FA	ESRI Shapefile (points)	txt, xml, html, faq	OregonOCSmammal.zip	2.4 MB
Video, Oregon OCS Survey 2014-607-FA	Digital Video Files (.zip)	txt, xml, html, faq	See Video Page for individual .zip downloads	Files range from 3.8 GB to 26 GB each

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Oregon OCS Seafloor Mapping: Selected Lease Blocks Relevant to Renewable Energy