SQUID-5 being prepped for a test run

The SQUID-5, or Structure-from-motion (SfM) Quantitative Underwater Imaging Device with 5 cameras, shown being staged for a test run at the St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center. In the background, Andy Farmer (SPCMSC) and Gerry Hatcher (PCMSC) prep the R/V Sallenger, the vessel being used to tow the device. 

Developed by USGS scientists and engineers, SQUID-5 is towed behind a boat to capture overlapping high-resolution images of the seafloor with accurate GPS locations which are converted into high-resolution, 3-dimensional models of seafloor structures. This round of testing was conducted in preparation for field work being done in the Florida Keys to measure seafloor erosion and inform stakeholders conducting coral reef restoration.