NetSurvey Outer Approaches To The Firth Of Lorne Survey

Contracted by NetSurvey to provide a Reports Coordinator for the MCA Outer Approaches to the Firth of Lorne Survey. On the west coast of Scotland, this large survey project was undertaken as part of the ongoing Civil Hydrography Programme. The 1,740 square kilometre survey area is bounded to the north by the Isle of Mull, to the south by Islay, and extends westwards from Colonsay. This exposed area was particularly challenging to survey, with depths ranging from the drying line to in excess of 140m. Areas of complex seabed topography with steep-sided rocky outcrops and bedforms required multiple passes in order to satisfy the IHO Order 1a requirement. Five vessels have been involved in the project – MV Icebeam, MV Ocean Star, MV Seabeam, MV Triad and MV Xplorer. Caris HIPS and Fledermaus have been utilised to verify the data, with a Report of Survey submitted to the UK Hydrographic Office, along with high-resolution FM Geocoder backscatter data and seabed samples to support seabed classification.