For typical beach surveys, USGS scientists drive an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) like the one shown here, equpped with precision GPS that collects location and elevation data. Driving along features such as high-water marks, and driving a grid pattern spaced by about 30 meters, enable the collection of a complete 3D representation of the beach surface.
PCMSC Marine Facility (MarFac) Active
Learn about the USGS Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center Marine Facility, or MarFac
MarFac is the operational arm of PCMSC. MarFac staff provide engineering, mechanical, and electronics expertise for field operations along the coast, in the nearshore environment, and in the deeper waters of the ocean.
Shipping/Freight Address:
USGS Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center Marine Facility
2831 Mission St.
Santa Cruz, CA 95060
Learn more about MarFac.
PCMSC MarFac Field Equipment and Capabilities
PCMSC MarFac Team
PCMSC MarFac Vessels
Overlapping seabed images and location data acquired using the SQUID-5 system at Eastern Dry Rocks coral reef, Florida, in May 2021, with derived point cloud, digital elevation model and orthomosaic of submerged topography
Point clouds, bathymetric maps, and orthoimagery generated from overlapping lakebed images acquired with the SQUID-5 system near Dollar Point, Lake Tahoe, CA, March 2021
Overlapping lakebed images and associated GNSS locations acquired near Dollar Point, Lake Tahoe, CA, March 2021
Multichannel Seismic-Reflection and Navigation Data Collected Using Sercel GI Guns and Geometrics GeoEel Digital Streamers During the Mid-Atlantic Resource Imaging Experiment (MATRIX), USGS Field Activity 2018-002-FA
SQUID-5 structure-from-motion point clouds, bathymetric maps, orthomosaics, and underwater photos of coral reefs in Florida, 2019
Below are multimedia items associated with Marfac
For typical beach surveys, USGS scientists drive an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) like the one shown here, equpped with precision GPS that collects location and elevation data. Driving along features such as high-water marks, and driving a grid pattern spaced by about 30 meters, enable the collection of a complete 3D representation of the beach surface.
Two personal watercraft operators from the USGS Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center in Santa Cruz, California, navigate their personal watercraft (PWC) in the shallow nearshore region in Moss Landing near Elkhorn Slough. The PWCs are set up with precision GPS and echosounder systems in order to create detailed bathymetric maps (depth).
Two personal watercraft operators from the USGS Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center in Santa Cruz, California, navigate their personal watercraft (PWC) in the shallow nearshore region in Moss Landing near Elkhorn Slough. The PWCs are set up with precision GPS and echosounder systems in order to create detailed bathymetric maps (depth).
Two USGS scientists operate personal watercraft equipped with sonar and GPS along the beachfront off San Ysidro Creek, near Fernald Point in Montecito, California. They will use the data collected to create bathymetric (depth) maps.
Two USGS scientists operate personal watercraft equipped with sonar and GPS along the beachfront off San Ysidro Creek, near Fernald Point in Montecito, California. They will use the data collected to create bathymetric (depth) maps.
USGS ocean engineer Gerry Hatcher (left) and USGS postdoctoral oceanographer Shawn Harrison make adjustments to a computer controlling two video cameras on the roof of the Dream Inn, a 10-story hotel overlooking Monterey Bay in Santa Cruz, California. One camera looks eastward over Santa Cruz Main Beach and boardwalk, and the other southward over Cowells Beach.
USGS ocean engineer Gerry Hatcher (left) and USGS postdoctoral oceanographer Shawn Harrison make adjustments to a computer controlling two video cameras on the roof of the Dream Inn, a 10-story hotel overlooking Monterey Bay in Santa Cruz, California. One camera looks eastward over Santa Cruz Main Beach and boardwalk, and the other southward over Cowells Beach.
What does it take to become an ocean engineer? Here is the path that USGS Gerry Hatcher took.
What does it take to become an ocean engineer? Here is the path that USGS Gerry Hatcher took.
A sonar-equipped personal watercraft mapping the bathymetry underwater near Santa Cruz, Calif.
A sonar-equipped personal watercraft mapping the bathymetry underwater near Santa Cruz, Calif.
USGS ocean engineer Gerry Hatcher with the camera system he helped create for recording the precise time and geographic location of each air photo it takes. The system is mounted in the cargo compartment of a Cessna 182R airplane and takes photos through a window cut into a removable cargo door (right).
USGS ocean engineer Gerry Hatcher with the camera system he helped create for recording the precise time and geographic location of each air photo it takes. The system is mounted in the cargo compartment of a Cessna 182R airplane and takes photos through a window cut into a removable cargo door (right).
Physical scientist Jackson Currie steers a personal water craft (PWC) equipped with GPS and echo sounder through the waves of the nearshore area of Zmudowski State Beach in Moss Landing, California.
Physical scientist Jackson Currie steers a personal water craft (PWC) equipped with GPS and echo sounder through the waves of the nearshore area of Zmudowski State Beach in Moss Landing, California.
Engineering technician Tim Elfers of the USGS Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center navigates a personal watercraft (PWC) through waves offshore of central California. The PWC is equipped with sonar and GPS in order to map the nearshore seafloor.
Engineering technician Tim Elfers of the USGS Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center navigates a personal watercraft (PWC) through waves offshore of central California. The PWC is equipped with sonar and GPS in order to map the nearshore seafloor.
USGS acting Marine Operations Manager Tim Elfers navigates a personal watercraft toward Cowell Beach in Santa Cruz to record bathymetric (depth) data along a transect.
USGS acting Marine Operations Manager Tim Elfers navigates a personal watercraft toward Cowell Beach in Santa Cruz to record bathymetric (depth) data along a transect.
The USGS Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, located in Santa Cruz, California, owns and operates the research vessel R/V Parke Snavely to collect data and run surveys.
The USGS Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, located in Santa Cruz, California, owns and operates the research vessel R/V Parke Snavely to collect data and run surveys.
USGS Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center’s research vessel R/V Parke Snavely motors on the Nisqually Reach of Puget Sound.
USGS Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center’s research vessel R/V Parke Snavely motors on the Nisqually Reach of Puget Sound.
Eric Grossman and Rob Wyland reviewing bathymetry data as it's being collected, on R/V Parke Snavely.
Eric Grossman and Rob Wyland reviewing bathymetry data as it's being collected, on R/V Parke Snavely.
USGS scientists Patrick Barnard (left) and Jeff Hansen navigate personal watercraft equipped with GPS and echo sounders through the waters of San Francisco Bay. They are collecting bathymetric, or depth, information in order to create maps of the bottom of the Bay.
USGS scientists Patrick Barnard (left) and Jeff Hansen navigate personal watercraft equipped with GPS and echo sounders through the waters of San Francisco Bay. They are collecting bathymetric, or depth, information in order to create maps of the bottom of the Bay.
Jeff Hansen on an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) at Ocean Beach, San Francisco, in 2006. The ATV is equipped with instrumentation which records beach topography.
Jeff Hansen on an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) at Ocean Beach, San Francisco, in 2006. The ATV is equipped with instrumentation which records beach topography.
Personal watercraft equipped with GPS and sonar (echo sounder) is used to collect detailed, nearshore bathymetry (depth) information.
Personal watercraft equipped with GPS and sonar (echo sounder) is used to collect detailed, nearshore bathymetry (depth) information.
Below are publications associated with this project.
Accurate bathymetric maps from underwater digital imagery without ground control
Marfac Machine Vision Camera Interface
squid5-software
- Overview
Learn about the USGS Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center Marine Facility, or MarFac
MarFac is the operational arm of PCMSC. MarFac staff provide engineering, mechanical, and electronics expertise for field operations along the coast, in the nearshore environment, and in the deeper waters of the ocean.
Shipping/Freight Address:
USGS Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center Marine Facility
2831 Mission St.
Santa Cruz, CA 95060
- Science
Learn more about MarFac.
PCMSC MarFac Field Equipment and Capabilities
Learn about the USGS Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center Marine Facility’s vast array of field equipment, sampling devices, and mapping systems, and our capabilities. Our engineers, designers, mechanics, and technicians have also designed and developed some of the specialized field equipment we use in field operations in the nearshore, in the deep sea, and on land.PCMSC MarFac Team
Below is the list of our fieldwork specialists at PCMSC's Marine Facility, or MarFac.PCMSC MarFac Vessels
The USGS Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center uses a wide variety of vessels, from kayaks to open-ocean ships, to conduct fieldwork. Most vessels are managed by our Marine Facility, or MarFac. - Data
Overlapping seabed images and location data acquired using the SQUID-5 system at Eastern Dry Rocks coral reef, Florida, in May 2021, with derived point cloud, digital elevation model and orthomosaic of submerged topography
Underwater images were collected using a towed-surface vehicle with multiple downward-looking underwater cameras developed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). The system is named the Structure-from-Motion (SfM) Quantitative Underwater Imaging Device with Five Cameras (SQUID-5). The raw images and associated navigation data were collected at Eastern Dry Rocks, a coral reef located within the FloPoint clouds, bathymetric maps, and orthoimagery generated from overlapping lakebed images acquired with the SQUID-5 system near Dollar Point, Lake Tahoe, CA, March 2021
Underwater images were collected in Lake Tahoe, CA, using a recently developed towed-surface vehicle with multiple downward-looking underwater cameras. The system is named the Structure-from-Motion (SfM) Quantitative Underwater Imaging Device with Five Cameras (SQUID-5). The data were collected March 10th and 11th of 2021 to assess the accuracy, precision, and effectiveness of the new SQUID-5 cameOverlapping lakebed images and associated GNSS locations acquired near Dollar Point, Lake Tahoe, CA, March 2021
Underwater images were collected using a recently developed towed-surface vehicle with multiple downward-looking underwater cameras. The system is named the Structure-from-Motion (SfM) Quantitative Underwater Imaging Device with Five Cameras (SQUID-5). However, there were only 4 cameras operational for this collection due to a cable failure. Images were collected March 10th and 11th of 2021 by towMultichannel Seismic-Reflection and Navigation Data Collected Using Sercel GI Guns and Geometrics GeoEel Digital Streamers During the Mid-Atlantic Resource Imaging Experiment (MATRIX), USGS Field Activity 2018-002-FA
In summer 2018, the U.S. Geological Survey partnered with the U.S Department of Energy and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management to conduct the Mid-Atlantic Resources Imaging Experiment (MATRIX) as part of the U.S. Geological Survey Gas Hydrates Project. The field program objectives were to acquire high-resolution 2-dimensional multichannel seismic-reflection and split-beam echosounder data alongSQUID-5 structure-from-motion point clouds, bathymetric maps, orthomosaics, and underwater photos of coral reefs in Florida, 2019
The new structure-from-motion (SfM) quantitative underwater imaging device with five cameras (SQUID-5) was tested in July 2019 at Crocker Reef in the Florida Keys. The SQUID-5 was developed to meet the unique challenges of collecting SfM underwater imagery, including multiple cameras with different perspectives, accurate geographic locations of images, accurate and precise scaling of derived surfa - Multimedia
Below are multimedia items associated with Marfac
PWC and ATV for beach surveysFor typical beach surveys, USGS scientists drive an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) like the one shown here, equpped with precision GPS that collects location and elevation data. Driving along features such as high-water marks, and driving a grid pattern spaced by about 30 meters, enable the collection of a complete 3D representation of the beach surface.
For typical beach surveys, USGS scientists drive an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) like the one shown here, equpped with precision GPS that collects location and elevation data. Driving along features such as high-water marks, and driving a grid pattern spaced by about 30 meters, enable the collection of a complete 3D representation of the beach surface.
Beach survey on personal watercraftTwo personal watercraft operators from the USGS Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center in Santa Cruz, California, navigate their personal watercraft (PWC) in the shallow nearshore region in Moss Landing near Elkhorn Slough. The PWCs are set up with precision GPS and echosounder systems in order to create detailed bathymetric maps (depth).
Two personal watercraft operators from the USGS Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center in Santa Cruz, California, navigate their personal watercraft (PWC) in the shallow nearshore region in Moss Landing near Elkhorn Slough. The PWCs are set up with precision GPS and echosounder systems in order to create detailed bathymetric maps (depth).
Nearshore survey of San Ysidro CreekTwo USGS scientists operate personal watercraft equipped with sonar and GPS along the beachfront off San Ysidro Creek, near Fernald Point in Montecito, California. They will use the data collected to create bathymetric (depth) maps.
Two USGS scientists operate personal watercraft equipped with sonar and GPS along the beachfront off San Ysidro Creek, near Fernald Point in Montecito, California. They will use the data collected to create bathymetric (depth) maps.
Beach-monitoring video cameras atop hotel in Santa Cruz, CaliforniaBeach-monitoring video cameras atop hotel in Santa Cruz, CaliforniaUSGS ocean engineer Gerry Hatcher (left) and USGS postdoctoral oceanographer Shawn Harrison make adjustments to a computer controlling two video cameras on the roof of the Dream Inn, a 10-story hotel overlooking Monterey Bay in Santa Cruz, California. One camera looks eastward over Santa Cruz Main Beach and boardwalk, and the other southward over Cowells Beach.
USGS ocean engineer Gerry Hatcher (left) and USGS postdoctoral oceanographer Shawn Harrison make adjustments to a computer controlling two video cameras on the roof of the Dream Inn, a 10-story hotel overlooking Monterey Bay in Santa Cruz, California. One camera looks eastward over Santa Cruz Main Beach and boardwalk, and the other southward over Cowells Beach.
Hatching an EngineerWhat does it take to become an ocean engineer? Here is the path that USGS Gerry Hatcher took.
What does it take to become an ocean engineer? Here is the path that USGS Gerry Hatcher took.
Sonar-equipped personal watercraft mapping bathymetry.Sonar-equipped personal watercraft mapping bathymetry.A sonar-equipped personal watercraft mapping the bathymetry underwater near Santa Cruz, Calif.
A sonar-equipped personal watercraft mapping the bathymetry underwater near Santa Cruz, Calif.
Gerry Hatcher and Camera SystemUSGS ocean engineer Gerry Hatcher with the camera system he helped create for recording the precise time and geographic location of each air photo it takes. The system is mounted in the cargo compartment of a Cessna 182R airplane and takes photos through a window cut into a removable cargo door (right).
USGS ocean engineer Gerry Hatcher with the camera system he helped create for recording the precise time and geographic location of each air photo it takes. The system is mounted in the cargo compartment of a Cessna 182R airplane and takes photos through a window cut into a removable cargo door (right).
Collecting Bathymetric DataPhysical scientist Jackson Currie steers a personal water craft (PWC) equipped with GPS and echo sounder through the waves of the nearshore area of Zmudowski State Beach in Moss Landing, California.
Physical scientist Jackson Currie steers a personal water craft (PWC) equipped with GPS and echo sounder through the waves of the nearshore area of Zmudowski State Beach in Moss Landing, California.
PWC bathymetric surveyEngineering technician Tim Elfers of the USGS Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center navigates a personal watercraft (PWC) through waves offshore of central California. The PWC is equipped with sonar and GPS in order to map the nearshore seafloor.
Engineering technician Tim Elfers of the USGS Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center navigates a personal watercraft (PWC) through waves offshore of central California. The PWC is equipped with sonar and GPS in order to map the nearshore seafloor.
Personal watercraft equipped with sonarUSGS acting Marine Operations Manager Tim Elfers navigates a personal watercraft toward Cowell Beach in Santa Cruz to record bathymetric (depth) data along a transect.
USGS acting Marine Operations Manager Tim Elfers navigates a personal watercraft toward Cowell Beach in Santa Cruz to record bathymetric (depth) data along a transect.
PCMSC research vessel Parke SnavelyThe USGS Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, located in Santa Cruz, California, owns and operates the research vessel R/V Parke Snavely to collect data and run surveys.
The USGS Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, located in Santa Cruz, California, owns and operates the research vessel R/V Parke Snavely to collect data and run surveys.
PCMSC research vessel Parke Snavely on Nisqually ReachPCMSC research vessel Parke Snavely on Nisqually ReachUSGS Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center’s research vessel R/V Parke Snavely motors on the Nisqually Reach of Puget Sound.
USGS Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center’s research vessel R/V Parke Snavely motors on the Nisqually Reach of Puget Sound.
Collecting bathymetry on R/V Parke SnavelyEric Grossman and Rob Wyland reviewing bathymetry data as it's being collected, on R/V Parke Snavely.
Eric Grossman and Rob Wyland reviewing bathymetry data as it's being collected, on R/V Parke Snavely.
Collecting Bathymetric Data in San Francisco BayUSGS scientists Patrick Barnard (left) and Jeff Hansen navigate personal watercraft equipped with GPS and echo sounders through the waters of San Francisco Bay. They are collecting bathymetric, or depth, information in order to create maps of the bottom of the Bay.
USGS scientists Patrick Barnard (left) and Jeff Hansen navigate personal watercraft equipped with GPS and echo sounders through the waters of San Francisco Bay. They are collecting bathymetric, or depth, information in order to create maps of the bottom of the Bay.
ATV with GPSJeff Hansen on an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) at Ocean Beach, San Francisco, in 2006. The ATV is equipped with instrumentation which records beach topography.
Jeff Hansen on an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) at Ocean Beach, San Francisco, in 2006. The ATV is equipped with instrumentation which records beach topography.
Personal watercraft equipped with GPS and sonarPersonal watercraft equipped with GPS and sonar (echo sounder) is used to collect detailed, nearshore bathymetry (depth) information.
Personal watercraft equipped with GPS and sonar (echo sounder) is used to collect detailed, nearshore bathymetry (depth) information.
- Publications
Below are publications associated with this project.
Accurate bathymetric maps from underwater digital imagery without ground control
Structure-from-Motion (SfM) photogrammetry can be used with digital underwater photographs to generate high-resolution bathymetry and orthomosaics with millimeter-to-centimeter scale resolution at relatively low cost. Although these products are useful for assessing species diversity and health, they have additional utility for quantifying benthic community structure, such as coral growth and fineAuthorsGerry Hatcher, Jonathan Warrick, Andrew C. Ritchie, Evan T. Dailey, David G. Zawada, Christine J. Kranenburg, Kimberly K. Yates - Software
Marfac Machine Vision Camera Interface
This project contains the C# software developed to control and acquire imagery from a FLIR GigE machine vision camera. It is built using the FLIR Spinnaker 64bit SDK version 2.4.0.144 and requires the spinview application and associated dll's. This software was developed using Microsoft Visual Studio 2019 to control and acquire imagery from a GigE machine vision camera (Model: BFS-PGE-50S5C-C, tsquid5-software
This software was developed for and used by the structure-from-motion (SfM) quantitative underwater imaging device with five cameras (SQUID-5) project. The SQUID-5's camera exposure and sensor gain settings are set identically using a program written with the Spinnaker SDK and examples. Another Spinnaker SDK based program was created to collect, format and save image data to long-term-storage wit - News