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

多波束声纳已成为广泛的海洋学研究的基本测绘工具，在美国学术研究舰队的几艘船上安装这些系统方面已进行了大量投资。多波束咨询委员会（MAC）成立于2011年，旨在协调全舰队范围的声纳校准工作，对系统性能进行一致的常规评估，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，以保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，指导方针和专业知识，以优化美国学术舰队多波束声纳的操作和监测。他们将继续促进利益攸关方社区之间的沟通，包括运营机构的代表，辅之以来自用户和技术/工程社区的关键外部专家以及声纳专家，他们可以帮助就舰队多波束系统运营商面临的广泛问题提供指导。他们建议通过与船舶运营商密切合作，定期访问船舶以审查系统性能并安装软件工具，以及为海上人员提供培训，来维持MAC技术团队的活动。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NSF资助的海洋学研究项目（这些项目单独接受NSF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资助的研究人员使用工作、校准仪器进行研究，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.