Low-cost bathymetric mapping for tropical marine conservation: A focus on reef fish spawning aggregation sites

Marine conservation scientists and managers working in the tropics need bathymetric
data, yet there exists no relatively simple and inexpensive system to derive them. We
designed a system to produce bathymetric maps in 0–1,000 m water depth in less
time, with less cost, and with less effort than any other system available. The system
uses Landsat TM imagery to guide the collection and visualization of depth soundings
obtained with a commercially available fish finder/GPS on a small boat. ArcGIS is used
for interpolation and data display. The system was used to map two reef fish spawning
aggregation sites in Belize and may be useful for shelf-edge mapping in other tropical
locations.