MBC87 Multibeam Sonar Training – Hobart, Tasmania, May 2026

Multibeam Echo Sounder Training. The 87^th OMC-CCOM MB Course will be held in Hobart, Australia from 25-30 May 2026.

Co-hosted by Acoustic Imaging and CSIRO. To find out more and to register please follow this link,

This intensive six-day program (36 lectures) provides a strong theoretical and practical foundation in modern marine swath survey technology. Designed for professionals across hydrography, offshore engineering, dredging, environmental mapping and related fields, the course offers clear, accessible coverage of:

The technology behind shallow-water multibeam systems and the challenges unique to operating in these environments
Processing and visualisation workflows that effectively manage the complexities of swath-mapping datasets
Key limitations and considerations when using swath bathymetry to achieve the highest possible data quality

INTRODUCTION AND REVIEW OF FUNDAMENTAL CONCEPTS

01 Historical Perspective and Course Overview —John Hughes Clarke
02 Underwater Acoustics A —Tom Weber
03 Oceanographic and Geologic Concepts —Larry Mayer
04 Underwater Acoustics B —Tom Weber
05 Spatial Referencing Terms and Concepts —Ian Church
06 Visualization Terms and Concepts —Larry Mayer
07 Hydrographic Performance Standards —Ian Church

SWATH SONAR ISSUES

08 Sidescan Sonar Methods —John Hughes Clarke
09 Multibeam Sonar Methods —John Hughes Clarke
10 Bottom Detection Methods —Tom Weber
11 Sidescan / Multibeam Backscatter Imaging —Tom Weber

ANCILLARY SENSOR ISSUES

12 Multisensor Integration for Swath Bathymetric Systems —John Hughes Clarke
13 Sound Refraction in the Water Column —John Hughes Clarke
14 Refraction Operational Limitations due to Watermass Variability —John Hughes Clarke
15 Positioning Requirements: Horizontal, Vertical & Orientation —Ian Church
16 Inertial Methods —Ian Church
17 GNSS Methods: Global Navigation Satellite Systems —Ian Church
18 Uncertainty Estimation in Swath Methods —Larry Mayer

SEABED ACOUSTIC BACKSCATTER

19 Acoustic Seabed Interaction Theory —Tom Weber
20 Acoustic Backscatter Image Interpretation —John Hughes Clarke
21 Introduction to Seafloor Characterization —Larry Mayer
22 Oblique Incidence Characterization Methods —Larry Mayer

SURVEY DESIGN AND QUALITY CONTROL

23 Survey Design and Planning —Larry Mayer
24 The Patch Test and Sensor to Ship Reference Frame Alignment —John Hughes Clarke
25 Field Quality Control: Dynamic Error Recognition and Analysis —John Hughes Clarke
26 Achieving Decimetre Bathymetry via Ellipsoid-Referenced Surveys —Ian Church

DATA PROCESSING

27 Swath Bathymetry Data Cleaning – Interactive and Automated —John Hughes Clarke
28 Data Reduction for Chart Compilation Purposes —John Hughes Clarke
29 The Swath Processing Pipeline —Larry Mayer
30 Impact and Management of Dense Digital Bathymetry —Ian Church

CURRENT & FUTURE TECHNOLOGY

31 Midwater Mapping —Tom Weber
32 Alternative Approaches for High Density Bathymetric Data Collection —Larry Mayer
33 MBES Specifications —Tom Weber
34 Operational Field Trials: Assessing Performance —John Hughes Clarke
35 New Data Presentation Methods —Larry Mayer
36 Course Roundup and Discussion on Emerging Issues —ALL