[GRASSLIST:6178] Re: Underwater GIS?

[David Finlayson]

Bernino -

As far as the actual mapping tasks, I can see no reason why 
off-the-shelf Grass cannot handle mapping the sea floor and objects of 
interest on the sea floor.  Simply interpolate your X,Y,Z points into a 
DEM. (I am getting a Ph.D. doing exactly this on a more ambitious scale) 
  You will have to be more creative if you want a 3-D map that includes 
objects in the water column itself (not on the sea floor).  But then, 
Grass may be the best tool around for this task as well, since it is the 
only GIS I am aware of that has a full 3-D model built in (not even ESRI 
has this yet).

I might be able to give you a better answer if you described what 
"tools" you had in mind that were unique to divers.

Something else...I recently attended a research conference in Vancouver, 
B.C. where a program known as the Sidney Pier Artificial Reef Science 
(SPARS) was presented.  The idea was to use recreational SCUBA divers to 
help monitor an artificial reef.  They may have developed techniques for 
underwater mapping that were manageable for recreational divers.  Here 
is the web site:

http://www-sci.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/protocol/spars/



Cheers,

--
David Finlayson
School of Oceanography
University of Washington

Bernino Lind wrote:
> Dear Sirs,
> 
> A wish to you for a good day.
> 
> I am a UNIX programmer and professional diver with a background of
> master in physics.
> 
> I am doing a mapping project of the port of Copenhagen for recreational
> divers to use, fishermen, sailors and environmental interested persons.
> 
> The mapping tools currently used are traditional, that is lines to
> measure distances, compasses to stay on track, depth gauge for an analog
> elevation model - which must all be done with full SCUBA gear on in the
> water (which is currently 4 degree celsius).
> 
> As part of my physics studies I have played with grass and various
> satellite images with radiation theory applied is the issue.
> 
> (1) Therefor I know that it is possible to make a map from a picture and
> I am thinking it must be possible to do this underwater as well?
> 
> I have searched for sources of knowledge and found that esri.com has
> done some work in this field, but not so much with respect to SCUBA and
> GIS (ie. the measurements are done by persons in the water - which makes
> it more fun...).
> 
> I have found that indeed work on this subject does exist (taking into
> account app. 2/3 of the earth surface is aquatic realm) a book about the
> issues called "Undersea with GIS" http://dusk.geo.orst.edu/undersea/
> (which I just bought at amazon) and a usergroup called marine mapping
> user group, http://mmug.calfish.org/ .
> 
> It seems like all ressources I have found have in focus a macro
> perspective and that not much if any work has been done in micro
> perspective - we now the major currents of the oceans etc. etc. but not
> much about which car wrecks are located where in the port of
> Copenhagen...
> 
> (2) Does anyone know of micro perspective underwater GIS mapping
> projects expanded with DEM (and best of all, something in the university
> which I then can claim documentation from) - any marine archeologists
> out there...?
> 
> (3) What I need is a simple, cheap, not so sofisticated set of
> underwater GIS tools (cameras? VCR? other?) which ordinary specially
> interested sailors and divers could reach economically. Anyone who could
> give me some hints?
> 
> (4) I am very much willing to put in a lot of research time and some $
> (limited by my little income), but I will certainly need experts to
> guide and help me. Anyone interested in participating (we will start
> from scratch writing a specification, project descpription etc. etc.
> with the only requirement that we will have a cheap working set of GIS
> tools for underwater useage by SCUBA recreational divers).
> 
> I wish you all the best regards,
> 
> Bernino Lind
>