Robert A. Altenburg
Nicholas P. Chotiros
Appl. Res. Labs., Univ. of Texas, P.O. Box 8029, Austin, TX 78713-8029
A multibeam sonar, mounted on a remotely operated vehicle, and operated at 200 kHz was used to acquire bottom backscatter data at nine different sites in the Dry Tartugas near Key West, Florida. The bottom in this area is carbonate mud and biogenic carbonate detritus (hermitific corals, shells, etc.). Bottom backscattering strength as a function of grazing angle for each site, supported by bottom core sample analyses, is presented. A wide range of bottom backscattering strength values were measured and some correlation between bottom type and backscattering strength was found. [Work sponsored by ONR under management by NRL/SSC under the Coastal Benthic Boundary Layer Special Research Program.]