Mapping and Measuring with Multibeam

Many of our customers ask how Multi Beam Echo Sounder (MBES) backscatter can be used to characterise seabed types for habitat and baseline environmental studies.

MBES backscatter is becoming recognised more and more as a valuable tool. Backscatter can be defined as the amount of acoustic energy received by the sonar after a complex interaction with the seafloor. This information can be used to determine bottom type, because different bottom types “scatter” sound energy differently.

This case study shows how backscatter was used to study eelgrass beds. The data was used to determine presence/absence, percent cover, maximum depth limit, and canopy height.

Read more here