## 4 The Conveyor to Data Acquisition  
The steps taken to acquire baseline data was made through a project co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund entitled Developing _National Environmental Monitoring Infrastructure and Capacity_ (ERDF156) [18], which project involved the monitoring of air, water, soil, radiation and noise, and 3D terrestrial and bathymetric surveys. This project ensured that a new set of baseline data capturing exercises across the different themes was developed. Terrestrial and bathymetric data were made available at higher resolutions suitable for environmental modeling and EU reporting purposes. As the non-availability of high quality 3D spatial data hinders comprehensive land use planning and environmental monitoring, the project delivered a series of scans using different technologies in order to provide a comprehensive seamless dataset. The delivery included: High resolution 3D terrestrial data coverage for the Maltese Islands using a combination of oblique aerial imagery and Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) data; and a bathymetric survey of coastal waters within one nautical mile (nm) radius off the baseline coastline, using a combination of aerial LIDAR surveys, acoustic scans and a physical grab sampling survey as well as GIS-based noise maps. Furthermore, the foundation for the future examination of the multi-thematic analysis was laid through the acquisition of tools and the delivery of outputs as follows:  
1. LIDAR Scan: Terrestrial (Topographic Light Detection and Ranging [LIDAR]) Digital Surface Model (DSM) and Digital Terrain Model (DTM) (316 km\({}^{2}\));2 Bathymetric LIDAR aerial survey-depths of 0 m to 15 m within 1 nautical mile from the Maltese coastline (38 km\({}^{2}\));
3 Bathymetric Scan: Acoustic (side scan sonar) Digital Surface Model and an acoustic information map of sea bed (361 km\({}^{2}\));
4 High resolution oblique aerial imagery and derived orthophoto mosaic and tiled imagery of the Maltese Islands (316 km\({}^{2}\));
5 Satellite imagery (GeoEye, RapidEye, Quickbird) (316 km\({}^{2}\));
6 Remote GPS Cameras (Remote capture GPS receiver);
7 3D scanner and 3D printer;
8 GIS Handhelds for field surveys; and
9 Global Navigation Satellite System Station. This is the first time in recent history that a LIDAR scan, as well as a full bathymetric survey was carried out for all the Maltese terrestrial areas and coastal waters. Whilst various terrestrial exercises were carried out for development planning purposes, bathymetric surveys were only carried out for specific projects and research work, such that they were _ad hoc_, highly localized and with no adherence to any standard methodologies. Following a review of the emerging technologies, the mapping of the seabed topography at high resolutions for such a large area was deemed essential and the results provided the Maltese Islands with a comprehensive and updated database on sea depths. Furthermore, mapping the terrestrial and seabed topography has various applications. It provides a basemap from which various environmental studies can be carried out. These include studies as required by the Corine Landcover Initiative, the Water Framework Directive and the Marine Strategy Framework Directive. It also serves as a tool for impact analysis of development planning, pollution and chemical prediction modeling, climate change monitoring as well as render recognition of features. In addition, it allows thematic experts to study, monitor, analyze, and protect those areas that are vulnerable to degradation and exposure. Useful information that can also be extracted from the results includes updated nautical charts, viewshed analysis and cross-thematic studies in the physical, social and environmental domains. Terrestrial and seabed topography mapping also provides the required baseline for pushing data to the lost generations through the provision of this data in a real-time scenario.