Multibeam bathymetric and backscatter data, Emperor Seamounts and Hess Rise, R/V Falkor cruise FK190726 (2019, investigators Les Watling and John R. Smith)

The processed multibeam bathymetric data were derived from raw multibeam data acquired using a Kongsberg EM 302 multibeam echosounder (MBES). The data set consists of Generic Sensor Format (GSF) swath data files of multibeam bathymetry and backscatter processed using POS-MV navigation. The multibeam surveys were conducted at the Hess Rise and Emperor Seamounts in the North Central Pacific Ocean during R/V Falkor cruise FK190726. The cruise was primarily a biogeographic study using ROV SuBastian and the surveys were designed for ROV dive site selection and multibeam gap filling when time allowed. The data set consists of eight sites that represent places where a dedicated survey with nearly parallel lines or some other pattern took place. The Emperor Seamounts surveyed include Suiko, Yomei, Godaigo, Nintoku, Jingu, Annei, and Koko (from north to south, respectively). Another survey was carried out on Hess Rise. The transit data from Hawaii to Hess Rise are not included in the processed archive because of poor quality. Overpainting of the sonar transducer gondola in the shipyard period prior to this cruise resulted in a reduced swath width, more noise, and dropped beams. The project title is Deep Coral Diversity at Emperor Seamount Chain 2019. Funding was provided by an award from Schmidt Ocean Institute (Ship, ROV, gravimeter, magnetometer) to Les Watling, PI, and from NOAA OER grant number NA16OAR0110192 (Science support) to John R. Smith, PI. This data was included in the Global Multi-Resolution Topography (GMRT) Synthesis (version 3.8).