High-resolution optical and acoustic remote sensing datasets of the Puck Lagoon, Southern Baltic

TL;DR

This paper presents the first high-resolution optical and acoustic remote sensing datasets of Puck Lagoon, providing detailed seafloor and habitat information crucial for ecological, archaeological, and management purposes.

Contribution

It introduces comprehensive, multi-source high-resolution DEMs and seafloor data for Puck Lagoon, a previously uncharted area, enabling advanced analysis of its submerged environments.

Findings

First detailed DEMs of Puck Lagoon

Enhanced understanding of seafloor morphology and habitats

Resource for sustainable management and decision-making

Abstract

The very shallow marine basin of Puck Lagoon in the southern Baltic Sea, on the Northern coast of Poland, hosts valuable benthic habitats and cultural heritage sites. These include, among others, protected Zostera marina meadows, one of the Baltic's major medieval harbours, a ship graveyard, and likely other submerged features that are yet to be discovered. Prior to this project, no comprehensive high-resolution remote sensing data were available for this area. This article describes the first Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) derived from a combination of airborne bathymetric LiDAR, multibeam echosounder, airborne photogrammetry and satellite imagery. These datasets also include multibeam echosounder backscatter and LiDAR intensity, allowing determination of the character and properties of the seafloor. Combined, these datasets are a vital resource for assessing and understanding seafloor morphology, benthic habitats, cultural heritage, and submerged landscapes. Given the significance of Puck Lagoon's hydrographical, ecological, geological, and archaeological environs, the high-resolution bathymetry, acquired by our project, can provide the foundation for sustainable management and informed decision-making for this area of interest.