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 Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary approximately seven miles southeast of Key West, Florida. The SQUID-5 surface vehicle was towed through the survey area using the 39' R/V Rachel Carson NOAA support vessel during the data collection from May 7 through 13, 2021.

The images and position data acquired by the SQUID-5 system were then processed using SfM photogrammetry techniques to generate the point clouds, bathymetric maps, and full-color orthomosaic data products presented here.

The goal of this work was to generate very high resolution (mm scale) maps and precisely co-registered full-color orthomosaic imagery of the seabed at Eastern Dry Rocks with accurate geospatial location to provide foundational maps and data for the USGS and other partners to co-register and validate their imagery and ecological data in the area. Additionally, the data were collected to evaluate their potential to fundamentally improve projects such as USGS seafloor elevation and stability modeling, and small-scale hydrodynamic flow modeling by filling a major gap in high-resolution data needed for short-term (seasonal, event-driven, small-scale) analysis.