If Albemarle Sound were a person, a recent, large-scale survey organized by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) would be its physical. The survey will get a snapshot of all systems to ensure everything is working as it should.
It’s been a century since the sound’s 522-square nautical miles have gotten this kind of check-up. With its shallow, dynamic environment, a lot can change in 100 years.
Albemarle Sound is protected from the Atlantic Ocean by the Outer Banks. It extends about 50 miles, varies in width from 5 to 14 miles and never gets deeper than 25 feet. The Pasquotank, Alligator, Chowan and Roanoke Rivers flow into Albemarle Sound, which discharges those waters through the Roanoke and Croatan Sounds to Pamlico Sound. That’s why the nation’s nautical chart-maker, the NOAA’s Office of Coast Survey, has launched the survey.
NOAA has hired scientists from the Morehead City-based company Geodynamics to handle the massive project.
“We are honored that NOAA Coast Survey recognizes our vast expertise in hydrographic surveying and geospatial solutions, as well as our experience working in shallow complex environments, to entrust us with a project of this magnitude,” said Geodynamics Program Manager Dave Bernstein in a statement.
The company will use sonar and satellite systems to a create a multidimensional image of the sound, incorporating water depth, the shape of the seafloor and coastline, the location of obstructions on the bottom, currents and the physical features of the sound.
Geodynamics says the information collected from its hydrographic survey will be used to update NOAA charts and products. It will also be used to characterize the estuarine environment to help manage a healthy and sustainable seafood industry and monitor future changes to the estuary ecology.
The project will also look at the impacts of sea-level rise to better understand the effects of flooding and where erosion is having the greatest impact.
The company says it will utilize six specially outfitted vessels for the project, including an “endurance vessel” capable of multiday, 24-hour survey operations. All the vessels will crisscross the sound, using their specific equipment to create a multidimensional image.
“Our purpose-built vessels and advanced survey technologies will collect over 18,500 nautical miles of sonar data to help NOAA improve safe navigation in the Albemarle Sound and its connecting waterways, while providing even greater insights into the effects of water level change and coastal resiliency and how nutrient movement is impacting the environment,” added Bernstein.
