Seabed videos were collected using two battery-operated, high-definition (1920 x 1080 pixels) GoPro Hero 4 Black digital video cameras mounted on the SEABOSS. See the cross-references for additional description of the SEABOSS system. The SEABOSS system had two GoPro cameras and a SeaViewer 6000 HD Sea-Drop video camera attached to it. The SeaViewer camera had a live feed to the surface and was used only to observe obstacles, like gill nets and lobster gear, in order to avoid entanglement. One of the GoPro cameras was the primary video acquisition camera and in case of camera failure, the additional cameras provided backup video.
As the SEABOSS drifted over the seabed, the GoPro cameras imaged the seabed at a rate of 60 frames per second from an altitude of ~1 meter. Lighting was provided by two battery-operated Keldan LED video lights. Each light provided a light flux of up to 9000 lumens at a correlated color temperature of 5000 kelvin. Two parallel red lasers mounted 20 centimeters apart provided a scale in the video images.
Video imagery includes the launch and recovery of the SEABOSS, transit through the water column, and the drift over the seabed. The duration of individual video files ranges from approximately 3 to 7 minutes. Video files are archived in .MP4 format and range in size from 0.7 to 1.6 gigabytes.
These video files are not part of this data release. Video files are archived at the USGS Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center, 384 Woods Hole Road, Woods Hole, MA 02543.
The position (latitude and longitude) and time were recorded from the navigation receiver by hand in the log book when the SEABOSS reached the seabed and when it left the seabed. Latitude and longitude positions recorded by hand in the log book were later adjusted to match the data recorded in the GPS navigation file based on time. Video was recorded during the descent through the water column (1-2 minutes), during the drift over the seabed, and during the ascent.