BE 1302 Interferometric sidescan sonar mapping of the continental shelf and slope in the DeSoto Canyon area, NE Gulf of Mexico, July 12-20, 2012

The objectives for this cruise were to map the seafloor using a Teledyne-Benthos C3D interferometric sidescan sonar. Operating at 200 kHz, this system acquire backscatter and swatch bathymetry. The survey track was designed to address 2 objectives 1) map the bottom type along the benthic sampling transects occupied by Deep-C researchers, and 2) to explore unknown areas of the seafloor in this region with the objective of learning more about sedimentary processes (sediment type, current reworking, etc) and benthic habitats (e.g. hard bottoms, fish burrows, high relief topography).