Methods and systems for controlling propulsion of a marine vessel to enhance proximity sensing in a marine environment

A method for controlling propulsion of a marine vessel powered by a marine propulsion system including a plurality of propulsion devices controllable to propel the marine vessel with respect to first, second, and third perpendicular axes defining six degrees of freedom, the method comprising:

• operating at least one proximity sensor to determine a relative position of the marine vessel with respect to an object, the at least one proximity sensor having a field of view (FOV);
• identifying a trigger condition for expanding the FOV of the at least one proximity sensor;
• determining whether the object will be sufficiently captured based on recent vessel angle data of the marine vessel;
• and
• upon determining that the object will not be sufficiently captured, controlling thrust and/or steering position of at least one of the plurality of propulsion devices to expand the FOV of the at least one proximity sensor by inducing a roll movement or a pitch movement of the marine vessel.