High resolution bathymetric, sea-floor backscatter, and seismic-reflection data were collected offshore of southeastern Louisiana aboard the research vessel Point Sur on May 19-26, 2017, in an effort to characterize mudflow hazards on the Mississippi River Delta front. As the initial field program of a research cooperative between the U.S. Geological Survey, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, and other Federal and academic partners, the primary objective of this cruise was to assess the suitability of sea-floor mapping and shallow subsurface imaging tools in the challenging environmental conditions found across delta fronts (for example, variably distributed water column stratification and widespread biogenic gas in the shallow subsurface). Approximately 675 kilometers (km) of multibeam bathymetry and backscatter data, 420 km of towed chirp data, and 550 km of multichannel seismic data were collected. Varied mudflow (gully, lobe), prodelta morphologies, and structural features were imaged in selected survey areas from Pass a Loutre to Southwest Pass.

High resolution bathymetric, sea-floor backscatter, and seismic-reflection data were collected offshore of southeastern Louisiana aboard the research vessel Point Sur on May 19-26, 2017, in an effort to characterize mudflow hazards on the Mississippi River Delta front. As the initial field program of a research cooperative between the U.S. Geological Survey, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, and other Federal and academic partners, the primary objective of this cruise was to assess the suitability of sea-floor mapping and shallow subsurface imaging tools in the challenging environmental conditions found across delta fronts (for example, variably distributed water column stratification and widespread biogenic gas in the shallow subsurface). Approximately 675 kilometers (km) of multibeam bathymetry and backscatter data, 420 km of towed chirp data, and 550 km of multichannel seismic data were collected. Varied mudflow (gully, lobe), prodelta morphologies, and structural features were imaged in selected survey areas from Pass a Loutre to Southwest Pass.

The Delmarva Peninsula is a 220-kilometer-long headland, spit, and barrier island complex that was significantly affected by Hurricane Sandy in the fall of 2012. The U.S. Geological Survey conducted cruises during the summers of 2014 and 2015 to map the inner continental shelf of the Delmarva Peninsula using geophysical and sampling techniques to define the geologic framework that governs coastal system evolution at storm-event and longer timescales. Geophysical data collected during the cruises include swath bathymetric, sidescan sonar, chirp and boomer seismic reflection profiles, grab sample and bottom photograph data. More information about the USGS survey conducted as part of the Hurricane Sandy Response-- Geologic Framework and Coastal Vulnerability Study can be found at the project website or on the WHCMSC Field Activity Web pages: https://woodshole.er.usgs.gov/project-pages/delmarva/, https://cmgds.marine.usgs.gov/fan_info.php?fan=2014-002-FA and https://cmgds.marine.usgs.gov/fan_info.php?fan=2015-001-FA. Data collected during the 2014 survey can be obtained here: https://doi.org/10.5066/F7MW2F60

The Delmarva Peninsula is a 220-kilometer-long headland, spit, and barrier island complex that was significantly affected by Hurricane Sandy in the fall of 2012. The U.S. Geological Survey conducted cruises during the summers of 2014 and 2015 to map the inner continental shelf of the Delmarva Peninsula using geophysical and sampling techniques to define the geologic framework that governs coastal system evolution at storm-event and longer timescales. Geophysical data collected during the cruises include swath bathymetric, sidescan sonar, chirp and boomer seismic reflection profiles, grab sample and bottom photograph data. More information about the USGS survey conducted as part of the Hurricane Sandy Response-- Geologic Framework and Coastal Vulnerability Study can be found at the project website or on the WHCMSC Field Activity Web pages: https://woodshole.er.usgs.gov/project-pages/delmarva/, https://cmgds.marine.usgs.gov/fan_info.php?fan=2014-002-FA and https://cmgds.marine.usgs.gov/fan_info.php?fan=2015-001-FA. Data collected during the 2014 survey can be obtained here: https://doi.org/10.5066/F7MW2F60

High resolution bathymetric, sea-floor backscatter, and seismic-reflection data were collected offshore of southeastern Louisiana aboard the research vessel Point Sur on May 19-26, 2017, in an effort to characterize mudflow hazards on the Mississippi River Delta front. As the initial field program of a research cooperative between the U.S. Geological Survey, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, and other Federal and academic partners, the primary objective of this cruise was to assess the suitability of sea-floor mapping and shallow subsurface imaging tools in the challenging environmental conditions found across delta fronts (for example, variably distributed water column stratification and widespread biogenic gas in the shallow subsurface). Approximately 675 kilometers (km) of multibeam bathymetry and backscatter data, 420 km of towed chirp data, and 550 km of multichannel seismic data were collected. Varied mudflow (gully, lobe), prodelta morphologies, and structural features were imaged in selected survey areas from Pass a Loutre to Southwest Pass.

High resolution bathymetric, sea-floor backscatter, and seismic-reflection data were collected offshore of southeastern Louisiana aboard the research vessel Point Sur on May 19-26, 2017, in an effort to characterize mudflow hazards on the Mississippi River Delta front. As the initial field program of a research cooperative between the U.S. Geological Survey, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, and other Federal and academic partners, the primary objective of this cruise was to assess the suitability of sea-floor mapping and shallow subsurface imaging tools in the challenging environmental conditions found across delta fronts (for example, variably distributed water column stratification and widespread biogenic gas in the shallow subsurface). Approximately 675 kilometers (km) of multibeam bathymetry and backscatter data, 420 km of towed chirp data, and 550 km of multichannel seismic data were collected. Varied mudflow (gully, lobe), prodelta morphologies, and structural features were imaged in selected survey areas from Pass a Loutre to Southwest Pass.

High resolution bathymetric, sea-floor backscatter, and seismic-reflection data were collected offshore of southeastern Louisiana aboard the research vessel Point Sur on May 19-26, 2017, in an effort to characterize mudflow hazards on the Mississippi River Delta front. As the initial field program of a research cooperative between the U.S. Geological Survey, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, and other Federal and academic partners, the primary objective of this cruise was to assess the suitability of sea-floor mapping and shallow subsurface imaging tools in the challenging environmental conditions found across delta fronts (for example, variably distributed water column stratification and widespread biogenic gas in the shallow subsurface). Approximately 675 kilometers (km) of multibeam bathymetry and backscatter data, 420 km of towed chirp data, and 550 km of multichannel seismic data were collected. Varied mudflow (gully, lobe), prodelta morphologies, and structural features were imaged in selected survey areas from Pass a Loutre to Southwest Pass.

The natural resiliency of the New Jersey barrier island system, and the efficacy of management efforts to reduce vulnerability, depends on the ability of the system to recover and maintain equilibrium in response to storms and persistent coastal change. This resiliency is largely dependent on the availability of sand in the beach system. In an effort to better understand the system's sand budget and processes in which this system evolves, high-resolution geophysical mapping of the sea floor in Little Egg Inlet and along the southern end of Long Beach Island near Beach Haven, New Jersey was conducted from May 31 to June 10, 2018, followed by a sea floor sampling survey conducted from October 22 to 23, 2018, as part of a collaborative effort between the U.S. Geological Survey and Stockton University. Multibeam echo sounder bathymetry and backscatter data were collected along 741 kilometers of tracklines (approximately 200 square kilometers) of the coastal sea floor to regionally define its depth and morphology, as well as the type and distribution of sea-floor sediments. Six hundred ninety-two kilometers of seismic-reflection profile data were also collected to define the thickness and structure of sediment deposits in the inlet and offshore. These new data will help inform future management decisions that affect the natural and recreational resources of the area around and offshore of Little Egg Inlet. These mapping surveys provide high-quality data needed to build scientific knowledge of the evolution and behavior of the New Jersey barrier island system.

These data were collected in a collaboration between the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). The primary objective of this program was to collect baseline bathymetry for Muskeget Channel, Massachusetts, and identify areas of morphologic change within and around the channel. Repeat surveys in select areas were collected one month apart to monitor change. These data were collected to support an assessment of the effect on sediment transport that a tidal instream energy conversion facility would have within Muskeget Channel. Accurate data and maps of sea-floor topography are important first steps in monitoring bedform migration, fish habitat, marine resources, and environmental changes due to natural or human impacts. The data include high-resolution bathymetry, acoustic-backscatter intensity, sound velocity in water, and navigation data. These data were collected during two surveys between October 2010 and November 2011 onboard the research vessel (RV) Rafael using an SEA Ltd. SwathPlus interferometric sonar (234 kilohertz). More information about the cruise can be found on the Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center field activity Web page at https://cmgds.marine.usgs.gov/fan_info.php?fan=2010-072-FA.

These data were collected in a collaboration between the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). The primary objective of this program was to collect baseline bathymetry for Muskeget Channel, Massachusetts, and identify areas of morphologic change within and around the channel. Repeat surveys in select areas were collected one month apart to monitor change. These data were collected to support an assessment of the effect on sediment transport that a tidal instream energy conversion facility would have within Muskeget Channel. Accurate data and maps of sea-floor topography are important first steps in monitoring bedform migration, fish habitat, marine resources, and environmental changes due to natural or human impacts. The data include high-resolution bathymetry, acoustic-backscatter intensity, sound velocity in water, and navigation data. These data were collected during two surveys between October 2010 and November 2011 onboard the research vessel (RV) Rafael using an SEA Ltd. SwathPlus interferometric sonar (234 kilohertz). More information about the cruise can be found on the Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center field activity Web page at https://cmgds.marine.usgs.gov/fan_info.php?fan=2010-072-FA.