Automatic Segmentation of Multi-Beam Data for Predictive Mapping of Benthic Habitats on the Chella Seamount (North-Eastern Alboran Sea, Western Mediterranean)

A reliable and objective classification method has been produced for the differentiation of benthic habitats in the seamount regions of the North-Eastern Alboran Sea. Acoustic backscatter and depth measurements from multi-beam data are automatically fused and then classified using video transects of known cold-water coral ecosystems as ground-truth. Results of the classification reveal the locations of potentially similar habitats in the region, and could be used as a base map for the planning of future scientific campaigns in the area.