Laser line scanner works exceptionally well from a towed or moving platform for underwater search and/or surveys. The laser line scanner, in its simplest form, is a sensor that takes advantage of a laser to concentrate intense light over a small area in order to illuminate distant targets and extend underwater imagery beyond that offered by more conventional means. It builds up an optical image from a rapidly acquired series of spots on the seafloor, each sequentially illuminated by a pencil sized diameter laser beam that scans the bottom perpendicular to the direction of the sensor support platform. This technique minimizes the effects of forward scattered and back-scattered light.