BATHYMETRIC SURVEY SYSTEM AND METHOD

The present invention provides a bathymetric survey system and method, and in particular a system and method involving multiple unmanned autonomous vessels arranged to provide improved efficiency when conducting a bathymetric survey, by traversing a first survey line with a first lead vessel while mapping the seabed and water depth beneath the first vessel, dynamically generating an adjacent survey line, as the first vessel traverses the fist survey line, based on mapping data acquired from traversing the first survey line, and traversing the adjacent survey line with a second vessel trailing the first vessel while mapping the seabed and water depth beneath the second vessel.