Fugro leads large-scale seafloor mapping project to protect Florida’s coast

Building on its previous award of 14,000 square kilometres of airborne lidar data for the FSMI, Fugro is now conducting vessel-based surveys across 42,000 square kilometres offshore Florida.

This ambitious new data acquisition campaign covers five of the six Florida DEP programme regions, including the entire Atlantic Coast, the Florida Keys and portions of the Gulf Coast. Initially launched in Q4 2024 with a single survey vessel, the project has rapidly scaled to a multivessel operation. Field activities are being efficiently managed using Fugro’s innovative VirGeo® platform, which provides real-time project tracking and quality control information to both Fugro and Florida DEP.

The devastating impacts of the 2024 hurricane season highlight the critical need for proactive coastal planning in the state. By collaborating with partners like Fugro who have large-scale mapping capabilities, the FSMI is set to deliver essential data to adapt to Florida’s evolving coastline and safeguard its communities and economy.