“…Objects in this category include shipwrecks, debris dumped at sea, and undersea activities ranging from economic pursuits to the laying of mines. In the past the most common means of sensing the undersea environment has been point .measurements of water depth using echo soundings or diver inspection, but the advantages of improved resolution and superior mapping rates inherent in underwater imagery is motivating the development of several imaging systems for gathering bathymetric data [7] Economic pursuits such as offshore petroleum production provide further motivation for imaging underwater scenes [13] . These physical systems are subject to damage and deterio-ration over time and require periodic inspection to ensure continuous operation.…”