Personal watercraft equipped with sonar and GPS

A USGS scientist navigates a personal watercraft (PWC) slowly through Elkhorn Slough. The PWC is equipped with an echosounder and GPS, to record accurate depth and location. This mapping effort is part of recurring surveys in the Monterey Bay area. Data from these surveys help the USGS understand how sand moves around the Bay, how the beaches, inlets, harbors, and other coastal features change with storms and the seasons, and how the local community may be impacted.