Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: . This study presents high-resolution hydroacoustic datasets covering over 7,000 km² of Polish Marine Areas in the Southern Baltic, acquired between April 2022 and December 2023 as part of a national initiative to map benthic habitats using advanced sonar technologies. Utilizing a fleet of seven vessels and the expertise of approximately 250 personnel, the project collected bathymetric and side-scan sonar data along more than 95,000 km of survey lines, adhering to International Hydrographic Organization S-44 Order 1a standards. The resulting datasets include detailed bathymetric grids at 50 x 50 cm resolution and sonar mosaics at 20 x 20 cm resolution, with robust quality control ensuring at least 95% data completeness per grid cell. These data provide unprecedented insight into the underwater topography and sediment characteristics of the region, supporting applications in scientific research, environmental management, offshore wind farm planning, and underwater archaeology. The datasets, available at DOI: https://doi.org/10.26408/southern-baltic-hydroacoustic-datasets, lay a solid foundation for future studies and the development of science-informed policies to promote sustainable and resilient marine ecosystems in the Baltic Sea.
Source: Earth system science data
Authors: Łukasz Janowski, Anna Barańska, Aleksandra Bojke, Roksana Bona, Anna Borecka, Agnieszka Cichowska, Grażyna Dembska, Patryk Dombrowski, Diana Dziaduch, Agnieszka Flasińska, Sara Foit, Aleksandra Gadzińska, Łukasz Gajewski, Juliusz Gajewski, Katarzyna Galer-Tatarowicz, Karol Ginał, Urszula Grzywińska, Izabela Górecka, Olha Hruzdieva, Edyta Jurkiewicz-Gruszecka, Natalia Kaczmarek, Marcin Kalarus, Magdalena Kamińska, Maciej Kałas, Sandra Korczak, Mateusz Kołakowski, Maria Kubacka, Tomasz Kusio, Emilia Leszczyńska, Aliaksandr Lisimenka, Małgorzata Marciniewicz-Mykieta, Monika Michałek, Ewelina Misiewicz, Jarosław Nowak, Radosław Opioła, Piotr Pieckiel, Karolina Rogowska, Marcin Sontowski, Marta Szafrańska, Kazimierz Szefler, Anna Tarała, Radosław Wróblewski, Paweł Wysocki, Krzysztof Załęski
Language: English
Subfield: Oceanography
Field: Earth and Planetary Sciences
Domain: Physical Sciences
SDG: Life below water
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $1,509
Funder: Uniwersytet Morski w Gdyni
Awards: G1032062870, G5033091969
OpenAlex ID: W4416988878