The Mapping Team creates a number of daily products to facilitate ROV dive planning. Image courtesy of the NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research, Gulf of Mexico 2012. Download larger version (jpg, 1.2 MB).
The Mapping Team creates a number of daily products to facilitate ROV dive planning. Image courtesy of the NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research, Gulf of Mexico 2012. Download larger version (jpg, 1.2 MB).
Gulf of Mexico 2012 exploration targets have been recommended by scientists from around the country. The area for today's dive was recommended by scientists at the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) because of anomalies in deepwater seismic data. We selected the specific ROV dive target in DeSoto Canyon Lease Block 493 after examining bathymetry and backscatter data collected with the ship's multibeam system. From what we saw on the seafloor today, it seems like the process worked.
