The R/V Sallenger tows the structure-from-motion quantitative underwater imaging device with 5 cameras (SQUID-5) across the water over Looe Key Reef in the Florida Keys.
Gerry Hatcher
Ocean Engineer with the USGS Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center
Science and Products
SQUID-5 camera system
PCMSC MarFac Field Equipment and Capabilities
PCMSC Marine Facility (MarFac)
BOB Sled
Mini BOB Sled
Sediment core data from offshore southern Cascadia during field activity 2019-643-FA
High-resolution Geophysical and Imagery Data Collected in May 2023 Near Fort Hase, Marine Corps Base Hawaii
High-resolution Geophysical and Imagery Data Collected in November 2022 Offshore of Boca Chica Key, FL
Digital seafloor images, sediment grain size, bathymetry, and water velocity data from the lower Columbia River, Oregon and Washington, 2021
Multichannel minisparker seismic-reflection and chirp subbottom data collected offshore Northern California during USGS field activity 2019-643-FA
Multichannel minisparker seismic-reflection data collected offshore Glacier Bay National Park during USGS field activity 2015-629-FA
Hydrographic and sediment field data collected in the vicinity of Wainwright, Alaska, in 2009
Overlapping seabed images and location data acquired using the SQUID-5 system at Looe Key, Florida, in July 2021, with structure-from-motion derived point cloud, digital elevation model and orthomosaic of submerged topography
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
Historical shorelines and morphological metrics for barrier islands and spits along the north coast of Alaska between Cape Beaufort and the U.S.-Canadian border, 1947 to 2019
Colored shaded-relief bathymetric map and orthomosaic from structure-from-motion quantitative underwater imaging device with five cameras of the Lake Tahoe floor, California
The R/V Sallenger tows the structure-from-motion quantitative underwater imaging device with 5 cameras (SQUID-5) across the water over Looe Key Reef in the Florida Keys.
The SQUID-5 system is pulled behind the USGS research vessel the R/V Sallenger near Looe Key. The SQUID-5 is taking images of the seafloor which will be made into 3-dimensional models.
The SQUID-5 system is pulled behind the USGS research vessel the R/V Sallenger near Looe Key. The SQUID-5 is taking images of the seafloor which will be made into 3-dimensional models.
Studying Seafloor Erosion in the Florida Keys
The challenge:
Studying Seafloor Erosion in the Florida Keys
The challenge:
Diagram of the SQUID-5 towed surface vehicle and the waterproof camera housings with labeled components. The camera mounting mechanism aligns the camera axially with the dome and allows the camera to be adjusted fore and aft to accommodate various lens types and enable alignment with the glass port radius of curvature for minimal distortion.
Diagram of the SQUID-5 towed surface vehicle and the waterproof camera housings with labeled components. The camera mounting mechanism aligns the camera axially with the dome and allows the camera to be adjusted fore and aft to accommodate various lens types and enable alignment with the glass port radius of curvature for minimal distortion.
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.
Jenny White and Pete Dal Ferro, engineering technicians from the USGS Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center in Santa Cruz, California, deploy a piston core from the stern of Research Vessel Sharp.
Jenny White and Pete Dal Ferro, engineering technicians from the USGS Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center in Santa Cruz, California, deploy a piston core from the stern of Research Vessel Sharp.
BOBSled suspended by its tow cable. The tow cable has one single-mode fiber-optic line for video transmission, eight conductors for system power and control, a Kevlar layer for strength, and a urethane jacket for abrasion resistance and water exclusion.
BOBSled suspended by its tow cable. The tow cable has one single-mode fiber-optic line for video transmission, eight conductors for system power and control, a Kevlar layer for strength, and a urethane jacket for abrasion resistance and water exclusion.
BOBSled with its major components labeled. The system collects high-definition (HD) video images of seafloor as deep as 100 meters and is easily hand deployed from a small boat. The video imagery is viewed and recorded in real time at the surface.
BOBSled with its major components labeled. The system collects high-definition (HD) video images of seafloor as deep as 100 meters and is easily hand deployed from a small boat. The video imagery is viewed and recorded in real time at the surface.
Screen capture of a video collected March 8, 2013, on the west side of the Elwha River delta in the Strait of Juan de Fuca, Washington. Seafloor is about 30 meters (100 feet) deep. This area has strong currents and a lot of material (suspended sediment) in the water. Two red laser dots near the bottom of the video are 10 centimeters (nearly 4 inches) apart.
Screen capture of a video collected March 8, 2013, on the west side of the Elwha River delta in the Strait of Juan de Fuca, Washington. Seafloor is about 30 meters (100 feet) deep. This area has strong currents and a lot of material (suspended sediment) in the water. Two red laser dots near the bottom of the video are 10 centimeters (nearly 4 inches) apart.
Snapshot from a video collected February 12, 2013, off the Olowalu area on the northwest side of the Hawaiian island of Maui. Seafloor is about 10 meters (30 feet) deep. This setting provides an example of extremely clear tropical water and ambient light. The sea turtle's shell is approximately 1 meter (3 feet) long.
Snapshot from a video collected February 12, 2013, off the Olowalu area on the northwest side of the Hawaiian island of Maui. Seafloor is about 10 meters (30 feet) deep. This setting provides an example of extremely clear tropical water and ambient light. The sea turtle's shell is approximately 1 meter (3 feet) long.
Accurate maps of reef-scale bathymetry with synchronized underwater cameras and GNSS
Accurate bathymetric maps from underwater digital imagery without ground control
Integrating structure from motion, numerical modelling and field measurements to understand carbonate sediment transport in coral reef canopies
Practical approaches to maximizing the resolution of sparker seismic reflection data
End of the chain? Rugosity and fine-scale bathymetry from existing underwater digital imagery using structure-from-motion (SfM) technology
Autonomous bed-sediment imaging-systems for revealing temporal variability of grain size
Application of GPS drifters to track Hawaiian coral spawning
Marfac Machine Vision Camera Interface
squid5-software
Science and Products
- Science
SQUID-5 camera system
The SQUID-5 is a S tructure-from-Motion Q uantitative U nderwater I maging D evice with 5 cameras.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 Marine Facility (MarFac)
Learn about the USGS Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center Marine Facility, or MarFacBOB Sled
Benthic OBservation camera Sled, or “BOB Sled,” is and underwater video camera system that can operate to depths of 700 meters.Mini BOB Sled
Mini Benthic OBservation camera Sled, or “Mini BOB Sled,” is and underwater video tow fish that can operate to depths of 75 meters. - Data
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Sediment core data from offshore southern Cascadia during field activity 2019-643-FA
This data release contains sediment core data including core imagery, multi-sensor core logger (MSCL) data, and radiocarbon age data. Sediment cores were collected offshore northern California during U.S. Geological Survey cruise 2019-643-FA aboard the M/V Bold-Horizon. The cores were collected along with geophysical data to evaluate potential hazards (e.g., active fault systems, slope instabilitiHigh-resolution Geophysical and Imagery Data Collected in May 2023 Near Fort Hase, Marine Corps Base Hawaii
Scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center in St. Petersburg, Florida (USGS – SPCSMC), conducted a geophysical and imagery survey around Fort Hase Marine Corps Base Hawaii (MCBH) and Coconut Island, on the island of Oahu, Hawaii (HI), during May 2023. During this study, multibeam bathymetry and acoustic backscatter data were collected aboard the resHigh-resolution Geophysical and Imagery Data Collected in November 2022 Offshore of Boca Chica Key, FL
Scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center in St. Petersburg, Florida (USGS - SPCSMC), conducted a geophysical and imagery survey around Boca Chica Key, Florida, during November 2022. During this study, multibeam bathymetry and acoustic backscatter data were collected aboard the research vessel (R/V) Sallenger using a Reson T50P Dual Head system. UDigital seafloor images, sediment grain size, bathymetry, and water velocity data from the lower Columbia River, Oregon and Washington, 2021
Growth of subaqueous sand dunes commonly causes shoaling in engineered river channels that necessitates costly dredging to maintain adequate depths for navigation. The factors that result in sand wave growth are theoretically understood from laboratory experiments, but the capacity to predict sand wave geometries in field settings is limited due to temporal and spatial variability in hydrodynamicsMultichannel minisparker seismic-reflection and chirp subbottom data collected offshore Northern California during USGS field activity 2019-643-FA
High-resoulution multichannel seismic-reflection (MCS) and Chirp sub-bottom data were collected by the U.S. Geological Survey in 2019 offshore Humboldt County of northern California to expand data coverage along the southern Cascadia Margin. Data were acquired to characterize offshore faults and to study sediment distribution. MCS and Chirp data were collected coincidentally and were used to deterMultichannel minisparker seismic-reflection data collected offshore Glacier Bay National Park during USGS field activity 2015-629-FA
Multichannel seismic reflection data were collected by the U.S. Geological Survey in May of 2015 outside of Palma Bay, Alaska. Seismic data were acquired coincidentally with high resolution bathymetry (Dartnell and others, 2022). Data were acquired to map the offshore extension of the Queen Charlotte-Fairweather Fault. The fault has produced several significant earthquakes during the last 150 yearHydrographic and sediment field data collected in the vicinity of Wainwright, Alaska, in 2009
This dataset consists of hydrographic, geomorphic, and sediment field measurements obtained during the ice-free summer of 2009 in the vicinity of Wainwright, Alaska. Time-series data were collected with a bottom-mounted instrument package and consist of wave statistics, vertical water flow velocity profiles, water temperatures, conductivity, and salinity concentrations. Data collected at distinctOverlapping seabed images and location data acquired using the SQUID-5 system at Looe Key, Florida, in July 2021, with structure-from-motion 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 Looe Key, a coral reef located within the Florida KeysOverlapping 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 towHistorical shorelines and morphological metrics for barrier islands and spits along the north coast of Alaska between Cape Beaufort and the U.S.-Canadian border, 1947 to 2019
A suite of morphological metrics were derived from existing shoreline and elevation datasets for barrier islands and spits located along the north-slope coast of Alaska between Cape Beaufort and the U.S.-Canadian border. This dataset includes barrier shorelines and polygons attributed with morphological metrics from five time periods: 1950s, 1980s, 2000s, 2010s, and 2020s. - Maps
Colored shaded-relief bathymetric map and orthomosaic from structure-from-motion quantitative underwater imaging device with five cameras of the Lake Tahoe floor, California
This two-sheet publication displays a high-resolution colored shaded-relief bathymetric map (sheet 1) and orthomosaic (sheet 2) of part of the Lake Tahoe floor in California generated from a U.S. Geological Survey towed surface vehicle with multiple downward-looking underwater cameras. The system is named the Structure-from-Motion Quantitative Underwater Imaging Device with Five Cameras (SQUID-5). - Multimedia
R/V Sallenger Tows SQUID-5 for 3D Seafloor MappingR/V Sallenger Tows SQUID-5 for 3D Seafloor Mapping
The R/V Sallenger tows the structure-from-motion quantitative underwater imaging device with 5 cameras (SQUID-5) across the water over Looe Key Reef in the Florida Keys.
The R/V Sallenger tows the structure-from-motion quantitative underwater imaging device with 5 cameras (SQUID-5) across the water over Looe Key Reef in the Florida Keys.
R/V Sallenger tows SQUID-5 near Looe KeyThe SQUID-5 system is pulled behind the USGS research vessel the R/V Sallenger near Looe Key. The SQUID-5 is taking images of the seafloor which will be made into 3-dimensional models.
The SQUID-5 system is pulled behind the USGS research vessel the R/V Sallenger near Looe Key. The SQUID-5 is taking images of the seafloor which will be made into 3-dimensional models.
Studying Seafloor Erosion in the Florida KeysStudying Seafloor Erosion in the Florida Keys
The challenge:
Studying Seafloor Erosion in the Florida Keys
The challenge:
SQUID-5 Towed Surface VehicleDiagram of the SQUID-5 towed surface vehicle and the waterproof camera housings with labeled components. The camera mounting mechanism aligns the camera axially with the dome and allows the camera to be adjusted fore and aft to accommodate various lens types and enable alignment with the glass port radius of curvature for minimal distortion.
Diagram of the SQUID-5 towed surface vehicle and the waterproof camera housings with labeled components. The camera mounting mechanism aligns the camera axially with the dome and allows the camera to be adjusted fore and aft to accommodate various lens types and enable alignment with the glass port radius of curvature for minimal distortion.
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.
Piston core deploymentJenny White and Pete Dal Ferro, engineering technicians from the USGS Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center in Santa Cruz, California, deploy a piston core from the stern of Research Vessel Sharp.
Jenny White and Pete Dal Ferro, engineering technicians from the USGS Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center in Santa Cruz, California, deploy a piston core from the stern of Research Vessel Sharp.
BOBSled suspended by its tow cableBOBSled suspended by its tow cable. The tow cable has one single-mode fiber-optic line for video transmission, eight conductors for system power and control, a Kevlar layer for strength, and a urethane jacket for abrasion resistance and water exclusion.
BOBSled suspended by its tow cable. The tow cable has one single-mode fiber-optic line for video transmission, eight conductors for system power and control, a Kevlar layer for strength, and a urethane jacket for abrasion resistance and water exclusion.
BOBSled with its major components labeledBOBSled with its major components labeled. The system collects high-definition (HD) video images of seafloor as deep as 100 meters and is easily hand deployed from a small boat. The video imagery is viewed and recorded in real time at the surface.
BOBSled with its major components labeled. The system collects high-definition (HD) video images of seafloor as deep as 100 meters and is easily hand deployed from a small boat. The video imagery is viewed and recorded in real time at the surface.
Elwha River rocksScreen capture of a video collected March 8, 2013, on the west side of the Elwha River delta in the Strait of Juan de Fuca, Washington. Seafloor is about 30 meters (100 feet) deep. This area has strong currents and a lot of material (suspended sediment) in the water. Two red laser dots near the bottom of the video are 10 centimeters (nearly 4 inches) apart.
Screen capture of a video collected March 8, 2013, on the west side of the Elwha River delta in the Strait of Juan de Fuca, Washington. Seafloor is about 30 meters (100 feet) deep. This area has strong currents and a lot of material (suspended sediment) in the water. Two red laser dots near the bottom of the video are 10 centimeters (nearly 4 inches) apart.
Sea turtle off Olowalu on northwest side of MauiSnapshot from a video collected February 12, 2013, off the Olowalu area on the northwest side of the Hawaiian island of Maui. Seafloor is about 10 meters (30 feet) deep. This setting provides an example of extremely clear tropical water and ambient light. The sea turtle's shell is approximately 1 meter (3 feet) long.
Snapshot from a video collected February 12, 2013, off the Olowalu area on the northwest side of the Hawaiian island of Maui. Seafloor is about 10 meters (30 feet) deep. This setting provides an example of extremely clear tropical water and ambient light. The sea turtle's shell is approximately 1 meter (3 feet) long.
- Publications
Accurate maps of reef-scale bathymetry with synchronized underwater cameras and GNSS
We investigate the utility of towed underwater camera systems with tightly coupled Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) positions to provide reef-scale bathymetric models with millimeter to centimeter resolutions and accuracies with Structure-from-Motion (SfM) photogrammetry. Successful development of these techniques would allow for detailed assessments of benthic conditions, including the aAuthorsGerald A. Hatcher, Jonathan Warrick, Christine J. Kranenburg, Andrew C. RitchieAccurate 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. YatesIntegrating structure from motion, numerical modelling and field measurements to understand carbonate sediment transport in coral reef canopies
Reef canopies are complex and extremely variable across a range of spatial scales. This variability affects the velocity above as well as within the canopy, and directly impacts the transport of sediment along the bed as well as suspended in the water column. How a canopy affects the transport of sediment is important to understand and predict changes in the position of the adjacent shoreline, parAuthorsAndrew Pomeroy, Curt D. Storlazzi, Kurt J. Rosenberger, Gerry Hatcher, Jonathan WarrickPractical approaches to maximizing the resolution of sparker seismic reflection data
Sparkers are a type of sound source widely used by the marine seismic community to provide high-resolution imagery of the shallow sub-bottom (i.e., < 1000 m). Although sparkers are relatively simple, inexpensive, and high-frequency (100–2500 Hz) sources, they have several potential pitfalls due to their complicated and unpredictable signature. In this study we quantify the source characteristics oAuthorsJared W. Kluesner, Daniel S. Brothers, Patrick E. Hart, Nathaniel C. Miller, Gerry HatcherEnd of the chain? Rugosity and fine-scale bathymetry from existing underwater digital imagery using structure-from-motion (SfM) technology
The rugosity or complexity of the seafloor has been shown to be an important ecological parameter for fish, algae, and corals. Historically, rugosity has been measured either using simple and subjective manual methods such as ‘chain-and-tape’ or complicated and expensive geophysical methods. Here, we demonstrate the application of structure-from-motion (SfM) photogrammetry to generate high-resolutAuthorsCurt D. Storlazzi, Peter Dartnell, Gerry Hatcher, Ann E. GibbsAutonomous bed-sediment imaging-systems for revealing temporal variability of grain size
We describe a remotely operated video microscope system, designed to provide high-resolution images of seabed sediments. Two versions were developed, which differ in how they raise the camera from the seabed. The first used hydraulics and the second used the energy associated with wave orbital motion. Images were analyzed using automated frequency-domain methods, which following a rigorous partialAuthorsDaniel Buscombe, David M. Rubin, Jessica R. Lacy, Curt D. Storlazzi, Gerald Hatcher, Henry Chezar, Robert Wyland, Christopher R. SherwoodApplication of GPS drifters to track Hawaiian coral spawning
No abstract available.AuthorsGerald A. Hatcher, Thomas E. Reiss, Curt D. Storlazzi - 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