Characterization of Benthic Habitats using 3D Laser Scanning Technology

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Benthic environmental monitoring is essential to characterize habitat and diversity into a managementperspective and, is used to evaluate significance of areas (diversity or functional) or to monitor potential impactof anthropogenic and natural activities in the marine environment. Collecting high quality data is necessary fordecision-making and efficiency-low cost of the technology is also important for the industry when implementedwithin an environmental framework. Typically, marine seafloor assessments are performed using a RemotelyOperated Vehicle (ROV) and a drop camera, imaging over deep areas and over hard substrates. Bothtechniques are camera imaging based, expensive and have a wide range of resolution depending on lighting anddepth. Field of view, camera orientation and geolocalization can also be an issue with those instruments andlead to some incertitude. Kraken Robotic Systems Inc. ("Kraken") is an engineering company that isdeveloping new technology to increase the resolution of seafloor imaging combining various sensors, laser,video imaging and multibeam. The resolution obtained is impressive and Kraken aims to evaluate the potentialfor their imaging system for benthic habitat characterization using their SeaVision. The purpose of this projectis to assess the identification of various parameters such as species diversity, abundance, and substrate typeused for benthic habitat characterization based on analysis of existing Kraken's datasets. The results of thatanalysis will then be used for testing its application within an environmental monitoring framework. The dataanalysis of collected images using one or multiple technologies from several types of environment will be usedto define the potential of the technology for benthic assessments. Some opportunistic sampling during theproject will also allow to better understand the technology and its application for monitoring of biological data.This project will increase the potential for Kraken to assess a new market in environmental monitoring and willpromote its new technology worldwide. It will also offer to the aquaculture industry a better set of data that canbe used for site managing and monitoring effects.