1998 - First day at MBARI

2012 - On board R/V Zephyr, Gulf of California

David Caress Software Engineer Research and Development Division Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute

Technical Focus:

• High resolution mapping of the deep ocean seafloor using the MBARI Mapping AUV, an autonomous underwater vehicle equipped with multibeam, sidescan, and subbottom profiler sonars.
• Techniques for the processing of swath mapping sonar data.
• Photographic imaging of the seafloor

• Morphology and sediment transport processes in submarine canyons
• Morphology and tectonics of oceanic spreading centers
• Morphology and tectonics of seamounts
• Morphology and subsurface structure of gas hydrate deposits and outcrops

• MB-System - an open source software package for the processing and display of swath mapping sonar data.
• Ocean Imaging - Development project for low altitude seafloor surveys. We are working to combine stereo still photography with high-frequency multibeam sonar on ROV and AUV platforms flying at 2-3 m altitudes. Our goal is to obtain fully three-dimensional models of the seafloor combining topography on scales of ~5 cm with color photography.This is a long term effort that will require several years.

• Curriculum Vitae
• Publications

Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute
P.O. Box 628
7700 Sandholdt Road
Moss Landing, CA 95039-0628
Office: (831) 775-1775
Fax: (831) 775-1620
caress@mbari.org