RCMG (University Gent), Belgium

Training (provided from RCMG):
Training will particularly be provided in the acquisition and processing of various geo-acoustic methods including interpretative techniques. These methods will mainly concern very-high resolution sub-bottom and reflection seismics, side-scan sonar, single- and multibeam and automated seabed classification.

Workload:
Research activities are mainly related to marine aggregate prospection (location, mapping and evaluation) and the assessment of environmental impacts (a.o. related to morpho- and sediment dynamics, budgets…). More specifically, the following points need to be dealt with:
- Review and optimisation of the existing geo-acoustic and sampling survey strategies, instrumentation and interpretative techniques.
- Evaluation and calibration of automated acoustic seabed classification from a variety of acoustical sources by tuning ground-truthing methods, in order to provide tools for an integrated mapping of the occurrence and characterisation of marine aggregate areas and for habitat mapping in general.
- Assessment and use of geological techniques to evaluate extraction impacts on sediment- and morphodynamic patterns.