Supporting the Multibeam Sonar Systems of the U.S. Academic Research Fleet: Coordinating Operations to Optimize Data Quality

多波束声纳已经成为广泛的海洋学研究的基本测绘工具，并且在美国学术研究舰队的几艘船上安装了这些系统。多波束咨询委员会（MAC）成立于2011年，旨在协调整个舰队的声纳校准工作，执行一致和常规的系统性能评估，并为一致的数据采集实践提供工具和协议。MAC已经实现了其主要目标，并寻求资金继续支持其对整个舰队声纳的支持作用。UNH和LDEO建议继续MAC的活动，特别是开发技术资源、工具、指南和专业知识，以优化美国学术舰队的多波束声纳的操作和监测。他们将继续促进利益相关者之间的沟通，包括来自运营机构的代表，辅以来自用户和技术/工程社区的关键外部专家，以及声纳制造商，他们可以帮助为舰队多波束系统运营商面临的广泛问题提供指导。他们建议维持海事管理委员会技术小组的活动，包括与船舶操作员密切合作，定期访问船舶以检查系统性能和安装软件工具，以及为航海人员提供培训。更广泛的影响本提案的主要影响是根据提案指南（NSF 13-589）的优点评审标准2。它为科学家提供基础设施支持，以使用该船及其共享使用的仪器来支持他们的国家科学基金会资助的海洋学研究项目（这些项目单独接受国家科学基金会相关研究计划的单独审查）。共享使用仪器的获取、维护和操作允许来自任何美国大学或实验室的nsf资助的研究人员为他们的研究访问工作、校准仪器，降低研究成本，并扩大潜在研究人员的基础。

Multibeam sonars have become fundamental mapping tools for a wide range of oceanographic studies,and significant investments have been made in installing these systems on several ships inthe U.S. Academic Research Fleet. The Multibeam Advisory Committee (MAC) was developed in 2011 to coordinate fleet-wide sonar calibration efforts, to perform consistent and routine assessment of system performance, and to provide tools and protocols for consistent data acquisition practices. The MAC has achieved its primary goals and seeks funding for continued support to maintain its support role for sonars across the fleet.UNH and LDEO propose to continue the activities of the MAC, specifically to develop technical resources, tools, guidelines and expertise to optimize the operation and monitoring of multibeam sonarsacross the U.S. Academic Fleet. They will continue to facilitate communication among the communityof stakeholders including representatives from operating institutions, complemented by keyoutside experts from the user and technical/engineering communities, and sonar manufacturersthat can assist in providing guidance on the broad array of issues faced by the operatorsof the fleet's multibeam systems. They propose to maintain the activities of the MAC's technicalteams by working closely with vessel operators, visiting ships periodically to review systemperformance and installing software tools, and providing training to seagoing personnel.Broader ImpactsThe principal impact of the present proposal is under Merit Review Criterion 2 of the Proposal Guidelines (NSF 13-589). It provides infrastructure support for scientists to use the vessel and its shared-use instrumentation in support of their NSF-funded oceanographic research projects (which individually undergo separate review by the relevant research program of NSF). The acquisition, maintenance and operation of shared-use instrumentation allows NSF-funded researchers from any US university or lab access to working, calibrated instruments for their research, reducing the cost of that research, and expanding the base of potential researchers.