MBARI and 3D at Depth collaborate to advance seafloor mapping technology

In a bid to uncover the secrets of the deep seafloor, the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) has joined forces with 3D at Depth, a leading expert in commercial subsea Lidar technology. This dynamic partnership aims to revolutionize seafloor mapping by developing an advanced subsea Lidar system.

Imaging the structure of the deep seafloor is crucial for comprehending the biology and ecology of the largest living space on our planet. However, only approximately 20% of the ocean floor has been mapped at a resolution suitable for scientific study.

Over the past decade, MBARI has collaborated with 3D at Depth to develop innovative tools utilizing Lidar technology for seafloor mapping. This partnership aims to create the next generation of subsea Lidar technology capable of generating highly detailed and high-resolution maps of underwater features.

Enhanced Lidar technology

“To meet our goal of surveying the complex and rugged terrain of the deep seafloor at one-centimetre resolution, we’re working closely with 3D at Depth to develop enhanced Lidar technology that will be smaller in size and weight and require less power, making it ideal for deployment on MBARI’s robotic submersibles and eventually our autonomous robots too,” said Dave Caress, a principal engineer at MBARI and the principal investigator of MBARI’s Seafloor Mapping Lab.

“We’re excited that a research organization such as MBARI continues to use and invest in our technology to meet one of its strategic goals. These projects are truly a win-win for both organizations as they provide MBARI with a tool to meet its scientific goals and help us improve our subsea Lidar systems for diverse robotic platforms,” said 3D at Depth CEO Carl Embry.

The ocean covers roughly 70% of the Earth’s surface, harbouring a complex terrain comprising expansive plains, towering seamounts, deep submarine canyons and chasm-like trenches. By combining multi-scale seafloor mapping, imaging, targeted sampling and novel sensors with precision navigation, MBARI has developed the capability to conduct efficient, high-resolution and repeatable surveys of deep-sea research sites off Central California and beyond.

The journey of seafloor mapping technology

MBARI’s efforts to develop seafloor mapping technology began over 20 years ago. In 2006, MBARI started using Dorado-class autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) to map the ocean floor at a resolution of one metre. In 2011, the seafloor mapping team began utilizing remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) as platforms for high-resolution low-altitude surveys of the seafloor. These ROVs employ sound (sonar), lasers (Lidar), stereo photography and inertial navigation systems to produce maps of the seafloor at an incredibly detailed one-centimetre resolution. MBARI’s partnership with 3D at Depth has been instrumental in this endeavour.

Lidar, also known as light detection and ranging, employs a laser to reconstruct three-dimensional terrain. Subsea Lidar employs pulses of high-intensity green laser light to gather remarkably precise information about seafloor characteristics, enabling researchers to generate detailed bathymetric maps.

In 2013, MBARI began testing 3D at Depth’s technology with the first-generation subsea Lidar system, the SL1. This sensor was integrated into the low-altitude survey system on MBARI’s ROV Doc Ricketts.

Originally designed for surveying underwater infrastructure in the oil and gas industry, the SL1 projects a two-dimensional 30-degree by 30-degree field of view, ideal for detailed sideways scans of wellheads and pipelines. However, this narrow coverage is not suitable for down-looking, ‘mow-the-lawn’ surveys of the seafloor. For the past seven years, MBARI and 3D at Depth have been developing a next-generation Wide Swath Subsea Lidar (WiSSL) optimized for seafloor mapping.

Unlocking possibilities beyond seafloor mapping

In 2017, 3D at Depth delivered a WiSSL rated to 4,000 metres to meet the custom requirements for MBARI’s seabed mapping campaigns. It features a 90-degree field of view, covering a seafloor swath twice as wide as the distance to the seafloor. MBARI’s Seafloor Mapping Lab has utilized the WiSSL to map various seafloor features and habitats at a centimetre scale, including methane gas seeps, faults, submarine canyons, deep-sea coral and sponge communities, octopus brooding sites and high-temperature hydrothermal vents. After completing extensive design reviews and field trials, the team aims to build and test the next-generation subsea Lidar system this year.

The upcoming WiSSL will be more portable and energy-efficient, making it well-suited for autonomous platforms. This advancement brings MBARI engineers closer to their vision of integrating the low-altitude survey capability on smaller AUVs to scale their seafloor mapping efforts more flexibly.

The new system will unlock further possibilities beyond seafloor mapping. The next-generation WiSSL will have a 360-degree field of view and be capable of conducting three-dimensional scans in open water, over complex terrain and even on vertical surfaces.

Repeated mapping of the deep seafloor is vital for understanding the complexity of its landscapes, the processes that shape and disrupt them and their significance as habitats. The deep sea plays a critical role in the health of our planet, and scientists are racing to comprehend it before climate change, pollution and overfishing irreversibly alter its ecosystems. Collaborating with 3D at Depth to advance Lidar technologies and enhance seafloor mapping efforts allows MBARI scientists to study seafloor geology and biology over vast areas, particularly in regions of societal and ecological importance.