USBL (ultra-short baseline, also known as SSBL for super short base line) is a method of underwater acoustic positioning. A USBL system consists of a transceiver, which is mounted on a pole under a ship, and a transponder or responder on the seafloor, on a towfish, or on an ROV. A computer, or "topside unit", is used to calculate a position from the ranges and bearings measured by the transceiver.