Interpolated 5-m bathymetric grid of NOAA survey H11044 off Milford, Connecticut (H11044_BATHY5)

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection, has produced detailed geologic maps of the sea floor in Long Island Sound, a major East Coast estuary surrounded by the most densely populated region of the United States. These studies have built upon cooperative research with the State of Connecticut that was initiated in 1982. The current phase of this research program is directed toward studies of sea-floor sediment distribution, processes that control sediment distribution, nearshore environmental concerns, and the relation of benthic community structures to the sea-floor geology. The bathymetry data in this data set were collected during 2001 for charting applications as part of NOAA project OPR-B340-RU, survey H11044 aboard the NOAA Ship RUDE. The RUDE, which supports NOAA's east-coast nautical charting mission, is outfitted to acquire single-beam bathymetry with an Odom Echotrac DF-3200 duel frequency echosounder and shallow water multibeam bathymetry with a Reson 8125 system. The Reson multibeam system operates at 455 KHz with a 120 degree across track swath and 240 beams along its swath.