OPR-B342-KR-24 Long Island Sound Long Island Sound Ocean Surveys H13931 6 Oregon Hills to Rocky Point New York United States 10000 2024 John R. Bean Navigable Area 2024-05-06 2024-06-26 2024-09-27 Multibeam Echo Sounder Multibeam Echo Sounder Backscatter meters UTC Atlantic Hydrographic Branch Any revisions to the Descriptive Report (DR) applied during office processing are shown in red italic text. The DR is maintained as a field unit product, therefore all information and recommendations within this report are considered preliminary unless otherwise noted. The final disposition of survey data is represented in the NOAA nautical chart products. All pertinent records for this survey are archived at the National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) and can be retrieved via https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/. Products created during office processing were generated in NAD83 UTM 18N, MLLW. All references to other horizontal or vertical datums in this report are applicable to the processed hydrographic data provided by the field unit. CC0-1.0 (NOAA Contractors) CC0-1.0 https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/ https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/legalcode These data were produced under contract with NOAA and any potential copyright was assigned to NOAA. NOAA waives any potential copyright and related rights in these data worldwide through the Creative Commons Zero 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication (CC0). Contractor This survey provides hydrographic data for waters in Long Island Sound, NY. The general locations of the survey limits are presented in Table 1. 41.02088888888889 72.55955555555555 41.15410833333333 72.35201388888888 Survey limits were acquired in accordance with the requirements in the Project Instructions and the HSSD. High resolution bathymetry and backscatter acquired in this survey will help with the identification of existing geologic and benthic characteristics for hazard and habitat mapping. The data will support management decisions regarding the effects of potential energy infrastructure projects and mitigation opportunities, including the Offshore Wind Cable Corridor Constraints Assessment being conducted by the New York State Energy Research Development Authority (NYSERDA). This effort was made possible through a partnership with NOAA and the State of Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (CTDEEP) through the FY24 Brennan Matching Fund and Long Island Sound Research and Restoration Fund / Long Island Sound Cable Fund (LISCF). The members of the LISCF steering committee include representatives from CTDEEP, US EPA Regions 1 & 2 through the Long Island Sound Study, the New York Department of Environmental Conservation and Department of State, and both CT and NY Sea Grant offices. The efforts of this partnership will support habitat identification, resource management, and navigation of these important waterways. Data from this project will supersede all prior survey data, providing modern hydrographic survey data for this area and updating the local charting products. The entire survey is adequate to supersede previous data. All waters in survey area Complete Coverage (Refer to HSSD Section 5.2.2.3 Option A). Prioritize backscatter quality. Survey coverage was in accordance with the requirements listed above and in the HSSD. Project OPR-B342-KR-24 coverage with H13931 emphasized. file:///H:/OPR-B342-KR-24/Surveys/H13931/01_HDR/Reports/Descriptive_Report/SupportFiles/H13931-Overview.jpg RV North Cove 0.0 194.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 RV South Cove 0.0 718.9 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 44.9 0.0 0.0 912.9 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 44.9 0.0 4.9 3 0 0 0 28.1 2024-06-26 2024-06-27 2024-06-28 2024-06-29 2024-07-03 2024-07-04 2024-07-05 2024-07-06 2024-07-07 2024-07-13 2024-07-14 2024-07-15 2024-07-16 2024-07-17 2024-07-18 2024-07-19 2024-09-16 2024-09-17 2024-09-27 Refer to the Data Acquisition and Processing Report (DAPR) for a complete description of data acquisition and processing systems, survey vessels, quality control procedures and data processing methods. Additional information to supplement sounding and survey data, and any deviations from the DAPR, are discussed in the following sections. RV North Cove 11.1 0.8 RV South Cove 9.4 0.8 RV North Cove configured for survey operations. file:///H:/OPR-B342-KR-24/Surveys/H13931/01_HDR/Reports/Descriptive_Report/SupportFiles/NC-overview.png RV South Cove configured for survey operations. file:///H:/OPR-B342-KR-24/Surveys/H13931/01_HDR/Reports/Descriptive_Report/SupportFiles/SC_overview.jpg MBES Teledyne RESON SeaBat T50-R Positioning and Attitude System Applanix POS MV 320 v5 Positioning System Trimble NetR9 Sound Speed System AML Oceanographic Micro SV-Xchange Conductivity, Temperature, and Depth Sensor AML Oceanographic AML-3 LGR Crossline mileage in H13931 totaled 4.9% of the mainscheme survey miles. Agreement between crosslines and mainscheme bathymetry was very good, with a mean difference of 0.03m in the 2m resolution surface. Multiple surfaces of different depth ranges were submitted for this survey, but 77% of the survey area had water depths in the range specified for a 2m resolution surface and so the crossline comparison was done on a full surface at that resolution. Crossline tracks overlaid on a coverage surface. file:///H:/OPR-B342-KR-24/Surveys/H13931/01_HDR/Reports/Descriptive_Report/SupportFiles/H13931-XL.jpg Depth differences between mainscheme and crossline data. file:///H:/OPR-B342-KR-24/Surveys/H13931/01_HDR/Reports/Descriptive_Report/SupportFiles/H13931_MB_2m_Main-H13931_MB_2m_XL_depth_delta.png ERS via VDATUM 7.91 RV North Cove 2 1 RV South Cove 2 1 The HydrOffice "QC Tools" application was used to calculate TVU QC, determined by a ratio of uncertainty to the allowable error per NOAA and IHO specification. A set of surfaces covering different water depth ranges were finalized in CARIS HIPS using the "uncertainty" option to select the combination of a priori and realtime uncertainty estimates as the surface TVU source. The surfaces all passed the uncertainty check, with 99.5+% or 100% of nodes meeting the uncertainty standards. Results are shown from the 2m surface only, which covers 72% of the survey area. Uncertainty standards, 2m resolution surface. file:///H:/OPR-B342-KR-24/Surveys/H13931/01_HDR/Reports/Descriptive_Report/SupportFiles/H13931_MB_2m_MLLW_Final.GQv6.tvu_qc.png No prior junctions were assigned for Project OPR-B342-KR-24. Two current surveys junction with the northern and eastern borders of H13931. H13926 10000 2024 OSI NE This junction is discussed in the H13926 DR. H13927 10000 2024 OSI N This junction is discussed in the H13927 DR. H13931 junction map with junction area depth differences. file:///H:/OPR-B342-KR-24/Surveys/H13931/01_HDR/Reports/Descriptive_Report/SupportFiles/H13931-Junction.jpg Sonar system quality control checks were conducted as detailed in the quality control section of the DAPR. None Exist There were no conditions or deficiencies that affected equipment operational effectiveness. Sound Speed Variation Sound speed variations were observed throughout the survey area, correlating to factors including the tide, weather, water depth, and bathymetric features, such as slopes or sand waves. In data processing, sound speed profiles that did not adequately reflect the surrounding water mass were identified and removed, edited, or replaced. Sound speed casts were primarily applied using the CARIS HIPS "Nearest in Distance within Time" method, therefore, removing a profile collected on a steep slope would allow deeper and shoaler casts on either side to be applied instead. Casts that were empirically found to represent a large water zone were added at additional locations within that zone to ensure proper corrections given the cast selection options available in the CARIS sound speed tools. Bathymetry, uncertainty, and standard deviation surfaces were used to direct editing and determine the accuracy of sound speed cast selection. RV North Cove and RV South Cove acquired AML3 casts at intervals of approximately 60 minutes. Hydrographers acquired more frequent sound speed profiles if high variability was noted in the surface sound speed from the AML Micro-X installed on the head of the transducer, or when the surface sound speed comparison threshold was exceeded (>2m/s change) between the profile reading at the draft of the transducer and the Micro-X. OSI submitted a data package titled "SOUND VELOCITY collected from RV North Cove, RV South Cove, and RV West Cove II in North Atlantic Ocean, Long Island Sound from 2024-06-20 to 2024-09-27" in NetCDF format to the National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) on October 22, 2024. H13931 sound speed cast locations. file:///H:/OPR-B342-KR-24/Surveys/H13931/01_HDR/Reports/Descriptive_Report/SupportFiles/H13931-SVP.jpg This survey was conducted to achieve Complete Coverage with multibeam, as specified in HSSD 5.2.2.3, Option A. The survey methods used to meet coverage requirements did not deviate from those described in the DAPR. The HydrOffice "QC Tools" application was used to calculate TVU QC, determined by a ratio of uncertainty to the allowable error per NOAA and IHO specification. A set of surfaces covering different water depth ranges were finalized in CARIS HIPS using the "uncertainty" option to select the combination of a priori and realtime uncertainty estimates as the surface TVU source. The surfaces all passed the uncertainty check, with 99.5+% or 100% of nodes meeting the uncertainty standards. Results are shown from the 2m surface only, which covers 77% of the survey area. Data density, 2m resolution surface. file:///H:/OPR-B342-KR-24/Surveys/H13931/01_HDR/Reports/Descriptive_Report/SupportFiles/H13931_MB_2m_MLLW_Final.GQv6.density.png All data reduction procedures conform to those detailed in the DAPR. All sounding systems were calibrated as detailed in the DAPR. All equipment and survey methods were used as detailed in the DAPR. H13931 multibeam backscatter mosaic. file:///H:/OPR-B342-KR-24/Surveys/H13931/01_HDR/Reports/Descriptive_Report/SupportFiles/H13931-Backscatter.jpg NOAA Profile Version 2023 H13931_MB_1m_MLLW_1of3_Final CARIS Raster Surface (CUBE) 1 0.8 20.0 NOAA_1m Complete MBES H13931_MB_2m_MLLW_2of3_Final CARIS Raster Surface (CUBE) 2 18.0 40.0 NOAA_2m Complete MBES H13931_MB_4m_MLLW_3of3_Final CARIS Raster Surface (CUBE) 4 36.0 52.0 NOAA_4m Complete MBES H13931_MB_1m_MLLW_1of3 CARIS Raster Surface (CUBE) 1 0.8 52.1 NOAA_1m Complete MBES H13931_MB_2m_MLLW_2of3 CARIS Raster Surface (CUBE) 2 1.1 52.0 NOAA_2m Complete MBES H13931_MB_4m_MLLW_3of3 CARIS Raster Surface (CUBE) 4 2.2 52.0 NOAA_4m Complete MBES H13931_MBAB_2m_400kHz_1of1 MB Backscatter Mosaic 2 N/A Processed Backscatter Additional information discussing the vertical or horizontal control for this survey can be found in the accompanying HVCR. Mean Lower Low Water ERS via VDATUM OPR-B342-KR-24_100m_NAD83_2011-MLLW_geoid18.csar North American Datum 1983 (2011) Projected UTM 18 Smart Base DARIEN CTDA GROTON CTGR GUILFORD CTGU MANSFIELD CTMA PAQUETTE CTNE FALMOUTH MAFA MARTHASVINRD MAMV NANTUCKET MANT ASSATEAGUE MDAI RIVERHEAD NYRH U OF RI COOP URIL NEW YORK WAAS 1 ZNY1 Ocean Surveys Connecticut OSCT US5NY2FD 20000 2 2022-01-31 2024-08-22 US5NY2GD 20000 2 2021-05-13 2021-05-13 US5NY2GE 20000 2 2021-05-13 2021-05-13 US5NY2GF 20000 2 2022-01-12 2023-03-01 US5NY2HD 20000 2 2021-12-06 2021-12-06 US5NY2HE 20000 2 2021-12-06 2021-12-06 US5NY2HF 20000 2 2022-01-12 2022-01-12 US5NY2HG 20000 2 2022-02-25 2024-09-09 No shoals or potentially hazardous features exist for this survey. Charted features assigned in H13930 included 15 rocks, 1 obstruction, and 4 sand wave locations. The obstruction was present, as were all of the rocks. Sand waves were observed at all charted positions, but only some were of potential navigational significance. New area features are included for the recommended sand wave charting. New sand wave area features are included in the FFF. No other new features were found. No channels exist within the survey limits. No Aids to navigation (ATONs) exist for this survey. No Maritime Boundary Points were assigned for this survey. Bottom sample locations for this project were selected based on the processed backscatter. Survey H13931 had 3 locations sampled, the primary constituents of which were coarse sand, silt, and medium sand. See the FFF for details and photos. No overhead features exist for this survey. No submarine features exist for this survey. No platforms exist for this survey. No ferry routes or terminals exist for this survey. Sand waves were observed in parts of H13931. Areas of potential navigational significance are included in the FFF. No present or planned construction or dredging exist within the survey limits. No new surveys or further investigations are recommended for this area. No new ENC scales are recommended for this area. As Chief of Party, field operations for this hydrographic survey were conducted under my direct supervision, with frequent personal checks of progress and adequacy. I have reviewed the attached survey data and reports. All field sheets, this Descriptive Report, and all accompanying records and data are approved. All records are forwarded for final review and processing to the Processing Branch. The survey data meets or exceeds requirements as set forth in the NOS Hydrographic Surveys Specifications and Deliverables, Field Procedures Manual, Letter Instructions, and all HSD Technical Directives. These data are adequate to supersede charted data in their common areas. This survey is complete and no additional work is required with the exception of deficiencies noted in the Descriptive Report. John R. Bean Chief of Party 2024-12-06 David T. Somers Data Processing Manager 2024-12-06