Initial results from a test of the NASA EAARL lidar in the Tampa Bay region

An initial test of the performance of the NASA Experimental Advanced Airborne Research Lidar (EAARL) over coastal environments around the margins of an urbanized Gulf of Mexico estuary was performed over Tampa Bay in January 2002. The EAARL is a raster-scanning, water-penetrating, full-waveform adaptive lidar that is coupled to aircraft positioning systems and a downlooking color digital camera. The EAARL has unique capabilities for simultaneously mapping topography, shallow bathymetry, and vegetation. Initial analysis within 2 Tampa Bay subregions traversed by the survey flightlines has revealed that the EAARL can survey shallow bathymetry and variables associated with benthic cover in remarkable detail. The results of this ongoing study will aid in developing recommendations on the appropriate use of NASA EAARL surveys for mapping bathymetry and benthic habitats in estuaries around the Gulf of Mexico.