Seabed Substrate Classification Charts for Vancouver Harbour and Vicinity
Presentation Abstract
As part of the World Class Tanker Safety initiative of the Government of Canada, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) Pacific region science division has been tasked with predicting species distributions and habitat suitability along northern shipping routes. Bottom substrate charts are key tools in developing habitat charts. They are important to stakeholders within DFO, Parks Canada, and Environment Canada as they are used to identify areas of potentially high biodiversity, increased oil spill susceptibility, or heightened importance to an ecosystem. Science staff at the Pacific Biological Station (PBS), and Canadian Hydrographic Service (CHS) have been developing a seabed classification model that analyses Multi-beam Echo Sounder (MBES) backscatter derivatives and bathymetry derivatives. This Iso-Cluster model has been enhanced with sediment grab data and ROV observations to further refine the algorithm. Additionally, a new tool using Random Forests (RF) machine learning has been developed and applied that may provide an objective and automated approach for predicting seafloor bottom types.
The CHS has previously collected backscatter data from MBES bathymetric surveys conducted in and around Vancouver harbour from 2000-2012. While this data has traditionally been secondary to navigational chart production, more recently, CHS has received increasing requests for seabed classification products. With recent developments to MBES hardware and software, combined with the newly developed processing models, CHS is poised to provide better support for a seabed substrate charting project with Port Metro Vancouver. CHS will process this existing data using the ISO-Cluster model and present unsupervised initial bottom substrate maps.
Session Title
Protection, remediation and restoration
Conference Track
Protection, Remediation, & Restoration
Conference Name
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference (2016 : Vancouver, B.C.)
Document Type
Event
Location
2016SSEC
Type of Presentation
Poster
Genre/Form
presentations (communicative events)
Contributing Repository
Digital content made available by University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.
Subjects – Topical (LCSH)
Ocean bottom ecology--Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.); Backscattering
Subjects – Names (LCNAF)
Canada. Department of Fisheries and Oceans. Pacific Region
Geographic Coverage
Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.)
Rights
This resource is displayed for educational purposes only and may be subject to U.S. and international copyright laws. For more information about rights or obtaining copies of this resource, please contact University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA 98225-9103, USA (360-650-7534; heritage.resources@wwu.edu) and refer to the collection name and identifier. Any materials cited must be attributed to the Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference Records, University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.
Type
Text
Language
English
Format
application/pdf
Seabed Substrate Classification Charts for Vancouver Harbour and Vicinity
2016SSEC
As part of the World Class Tanker Safety initiative of the Government of Canada, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) Pacific region science division has been tasked with predicting species distributions and habitat suitability along northern shipping routes. Bottom substrate charts are key tools in developing habitat charts. They are important to stakeholders within DFO, Parks Canada, and Environment Canada as they are used to identify areas of potentially high biodiversity, increased oil spill susceptibility, or heightened importance to an ecosystem. Science staff at the Pacific Biological Station (PBS), and Canadian Hydrographic Service (CHS) have been developing a seabed classification model that analyses Multi-beam Echo Sounder (MBES) backscatter derivatives and bathymetry derivatives. This Iso-Cluster model has been enhanced with sediment grab data and ROV observations to further refine the algorithm. Additionally, a new tool using Random Forests (RF) machine learning has been developed and applied that may provide an objective and automated approach for predicting seafloor bottom types.
The CHS has previously collected backscatter data from MBES bathymetric surveys conducted in and around Vancouver harbour from 2000-2012. While this data has traditionally been secondary to navigational chart production, more recently, CHS has received increasing requests for seabed classification products. With recent developments to MBES hardware and software, combined with the newly developed processing models, CHS is poised to provide better support for a seabed substrate charting project with Port Metro Vancouver. CHS will process this existing data using the ISO-Cluster model and present unsupervised initial bottom substrate maps.
Comments
Multi-Beam Echo Sounder
Backscattter
ISO-Cluster
Seabed
Substrate Classification