33 U.S.C. § 3407 - U.S. Code - Unannotated Title 33. Navigation and Navigable Waters § 3407. Definitions

(1)Characterization

The terms “characterization”, “characterize”, and “characterizing” mean activities that provide comprehensive data and interpretations for a specific area of interest of the sea floor, sub-bottom, water column, or hydrologic features, such as water masses and currents, in direct support of specific research, environmental protection, resource management, policymaking, or applied mission objectives.

(2)Exploration

The term  1 “exploration”, “explore”, and “exploring” means activities that provide--

(3)Mapping

The terms “map” and “mapping” mean activities that provide comprehensive data and information needed to understand sea floor characteristics, including depth, topography, bottom type, sediment composition and distribution, underlying geologic structure, and benthic flora and fauna.