Status: this preprint is currently under review for the journal ESSD.
Multiparametric Subaqueous Dataset for the South Baltic Sea: Lubiatowo case study
Magdalena Stella-Bogusz
Abstract. This study presents bathymetric and side-scan sonar surveys conducted in the remote nearshore zone of the southern Baltic Sea, approximately 1–2 nautical miles offshore near Lubiatowo, at water depths of 16–20 m. Measurements were collected during five field campaigns in November 2017, December 2018, and three in 2023 (April, September, and December), and processed to generate detailed bathymetric maps and sonar mosaics. These maps accurately reflect seabed conditions and highlight morphological changes over time.
In addition to the bathymetric surveys, divers performed seabed observations, documented bedform appearances, and collected seabed soil samples for grain size analysis. Underwater videos and photographs were captured using an underwater drone equipped with a ruler, ensuring precise measurement references.
The analysis includes differential bathymetric maps showing seabed elevation changes ranging from a few centimeters to more than 1 m over time intervals spanning several months to multiple years. Sonar imagery and subaqueous photographs document ripple fields and other seabed features of varying scales, providing complementary information for interpreting seabed morphology.
Received: 31 Mar 2026 – Discussion started: 15 Apr 2026
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The present manuscript presents a unique set of repeated multi-annual bathymetric and sonar surveys in the southern Baltic Sea off Lubiatowo. The attempt to collect such data in the Baltic Sea, as well as to provide their open access and combine with visual observations, deserves great praise and is quite consistent with the aims of a data-focused journal.
However, despite the valuable character of data provided, the manuscript still lacks some improvements to fully comply with the requirements for a high-quality data descriptor. The reason why lies, first of all, not in the lack of geomorphological interpretations, which is natural for a dataset paper, but in methodological, validation and scientific aspects of data collection.
First of all, let us point out that the main goal of a data paper is to provide a dataset that is transparent, reproducible and reliable. Therefore, even a general description of acquisition and processing of the data requires certain improvement to allow other researchers to reuse it for different purposes. The acquisition section should be developed with regard to all the parameters of both MBES surveys (e.g., swath width, beam angle configurations, overlap between adjacent lines, vessel speed and movement correction procedure) and side-scan sonar surveys (frequency, range, altitude and distance between lines).
The same goes for the processing part, since currently, the manuscript lacks the structured and explicit description of processing. The author mentions several software packages that were used to process datasets. However, a clear algorithm and description of every step of processing, from cleaning data to creating gridded bathymetric data and side-scan sonar mosaic are necessary to claim the reproducibility of the data.
An especially important issue here is data validation. Currently, only the qualitative comparison with side-scan imagery and bathymetric maps based on overlapping lines is provided. This is a good basis for validation, but, to ensure maximum quality of data and its reproducibility, more rigorous validation should be conducted. In particular, statistical methods of comparison between repeated surveys may be used, as well as calculation of cross-track error and other measures of spatial uncertainty. In case there are no independent datasets available, this fact should be explicitly mentioned and discussed.
Another major disadvantage of the manuscript concerns scientific contextualization of the provided dataset. The manuscript uses mostly internal citations, which seriously limits its scope. The author should consider the positioning of their data within the wider context of mapping using MBES.
Specifically, at the Baltic Sea level, it would be interesting to refer to relevant papers about other highly-investigated parts of the sea, such as Puck Lagoon and the Słupsk Bank, or large-scale investigations in the Southern Baltic Sea, since they provide a necessary reference to understand the contribution of the current data.
It would be equally important to refer to studies carried out in other similar regions of Europe, where high-resolution MBES datasets have been created. For instance, Venice Lagoon and Bay of Naples are known for the use of MBES datasets to monitor seabed changes over time.
Moreover, the manuscript would need to be positioned within the framework of world-wide efforts in mapping using MBES. The recent publication of a regional multibeam bathymetric dataset from the Saudi Arabian Red Sea can serve as an excellent comparison, since it is similar to the dataset described in this paper in many ways. The data cover almost 860 km of the coast of the Red Sea, ranging from very shallow areas (~2 m) up to the abyss (more than 2,400 m). Gridded bathymetry with resolutions from 5 m (shallow area) to 40 m (abyssal plain) has been produced, covering almost 50,000 km2 of seafloor. Importantly, this dataset is a unified product, acquired from various platforms and processed with a consistent approach.
Furthermore, it may be also useful to refer to the study by Picard et al., 2018, who used MBES data collected during search operations to investigate seabed morphology of the remote southeast Indian Ocean. This research may prove highly useful, because on the one hand, it shows how the operational data obtained from the search for MH370 plane could be successfully transformed into valuable scientific resource; on the other hand, it describes modern methods for interpretation of MBES data.
As one can see, the above-mentioned references do not require any additional interpretational efforts on behalf of the author. Nevertheless, they are important for positioning the manuscript in the global scientific context.
Finally, although extensive interpretation is not required, the author should explain relations between the datasets more clearly, namely their possible combination. Although bathymetry, sonar imagery, grain size measurements and photographic observations are provided separately, their combined analytical value is unclear. Thus, a brief explanation of how the datasets complement each other and can be used together in future research is highly recommended.
To sum up, the manuscript provides a valuable set of data, which can be used for various applications. However, the manuscript requires significant improvements. Specifically, the author should improve descriptions of acquisition and processing, as well as validation, and refer to other similar scientific works, especially at the regional, European and worldwide scales.
High resolution bathymetry and side-scan sonar images of the southern part of the Baltic Sea in the vicinity of the Coastal Research Station (CRS) in Lubiatowo, 2023Magdalena Stella-Bogusz https://doi.org/10.17632/tzjdm2c338.1
Bathymetry of the southern part of the Baltic Sea in the vicinity of the Coastal Research Station (CRS) in Lubiatowo - April, 2023Magdalena Stella-Bogusz https://doi.org/10.17632/d3thy28yc2.1
Bathymetry of the southern part of the Baltic Sea in the vicinity of the Coastal Research Station (CRS) in Lubiatowo - year 2017 and 2018Magdalena Stella-Bogusz https://doi.org/10.17632/cfss48v9gx.1
Video supplement
Underwater video footage of seabed type in the vicinity of CRS Lubiatowo, southern Baltic SeaMagdalena Stella-Bogusz https://doi.org/10.17632/yrccjfcjwd.1
Magdalena Stella-Bogusz
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This paper presents a long-term, high-resolution dataset showing how the sea floor changes over time in the southern Baltic Sea near Lubiatowo. Based on five surveys carried out between 2017 and 2023, it shows that the sea floor remains active even in deeper water, with elevation differences reaching 1.35 metres, and records a wide range of sea floor patterns. The dataset supports future coastal monitoring, environmental studies, and offshore planning.
This paper presents a long-term, high-resolution dataset showing how the sea floor changes over...
The present manuscript presents a unique set of repeated multi-annual bathymetric and sonar surveys in the southern Baltic Sea off Lubiatowo. The attempt to collect such data in the Baltic Sea, as well as to provide their open access and combine with visual observations, deserves great praise and is quite consistent with the aims of a data-focused journal.
However, despite the valuable character of data provided, the manuscript still lacks some improvements to fully comply with the requirements for a high-quality data descriptor. The reason why lies, first of all, not in the lack of geomorphological interpretations, which is natural for a dataset paper, but in methodological, validation and scientific aspects of data collection.
First of all, let us point out that the main goal of a data paper is to provide a dataset that is transparent, reproducible and reliable. Therefore, even a general description of acquisition and processing of the data requires certain improvement to allow other researchers to reuse it for different purposes. The acquisition section should be developed with regard to all the parameters of both MBES surveys (e.g., swath width, beam angle configurations, overlap between adjacent lines, vessel speed and movement correction procedure) and side-scan sonar surveys (frequency, range, altitude and distance between lines).
The same goes for the processing part, since currently, the manuscript lacks the structured and explicit description of processing. The author mentions several software packages that were used to process datasets. However, a clear algorithm and description of every step of processing, from cleaning data to creating gridded bathymetric data and side-scan sonar mosaic are necessary to claim the reproducibility of the data.
An especially important issue here is data validation. Currently, only the qualitative comparison with side-scan imagery and bathymetric maps based on overlapping lines is provided. This is a good basis for validation, but, to ensure maximum quality of data and its reproducibility, more rigorous validation should be conducted. In particular, statistical methods of comparison between repeated surveys may be used, as well as calculation of cross-track error and other measures of spatial uncertainty. In case there are no independent datasets available, this fact should be explicitly mentioned and discussed.
Another major disadvantage of the manuscript concerns scientific contextualization of the provided dataset. The manuscript uses mostly internal citations, which seriously limits its scope. The author should consider the positioning of their data within the wider context of mapping using MBES.
Specifically, at the Baltic Sea level, it would be interesting to refer to relevant papers about other highly-investigated parts of the sea, such as Puck Lagoon and the Słupsk Bank, or large-scale investigations in the Southern Baltic Sea, since they provide a necessary reference to understand the contribution of the current data.
It would be equally important to refer to studies carried out in other similar regions of Europe, where high-resolution MBES datasets have been created. For instance, Venice Lagoon and Bay of Naples are known for the use of MBES datasets to monitor seabed changes over time.
Moreover, the manuscript would need to be positioned within the framework of world-wide efforts in mapping using MBES. The recent publication of a regional multibeam bathymetric dataset from the Saudi Arabian Red Sea can serve as an excellent comparison, since it is similar to the dataset described in this paper in many ways. The data cover almost 860 km of the coast of the Red Sea, ranging from very shallow areas (~2 m) up to the abyss (more than 2,400 m). Gridded bathymetry with resolutions from 5 m (shallow area) to 40 m (abyssal plain) has been produced, covering almost 50,000 km2 of seafloor. Importantly, this dataset is a unified product, acquired from various platforms and processed with a consistent approach.
Furthermore, it may be also useful to refer to the study by Picard et al., 2018, who used MBES data collected during search operations to investigate seabed morphology of the remote southeast Indian Ocean. This research may prove highly useful, because on the one hand, it shows how the operational data obtained from the search for MH370 plane could be successfully transformed into valuable scientific resource; on the other hand, it describes modern methods for interpretation of MBES data.
As one can see, the above-mentioned references do not require any additional interpretational efforts on behalf of the author. Nevertheless, they are important for positioning the manuscript in the global scientific context.
Finally, although extensive interpretation is not required, the author should explain relations between the datasets more clearly, namely their possible combination. Although bathymetry, sonar imagery, grain size measurements and photographic observations are provided separately, their combined analytical value is unclear. Thus, a brief explanation of how the datasets complement each other and can be used together in future research is highly recommended.
To sum up, the manuscript provides a valuable set of data, which can be used for various applications. However, the manuscript requires significant improvements. Specifically, the author should improve descriptions of acquisition and processing, as well as validation, and refer to other similar scientific works, especially at the regional, European and worldwide scales.