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Benthic Habitat Mapping off St. John, U.S. Virgin ...

We developed benthic habitat maps for shallow areas (< 30 m) around St. John and moderate-depth areas (30–60 m) south of St. John in the U.S. Virgin Islands. These maps ...

Coral, Habitat Mapping, Marine Spatial Ecology, U.S. States and Territories, U.S. Virgin Islands, bryan.costa@noaa.gov, tim.battista@noaa.gov

Characterizing and Mapping Essential Fish Habitats...

The purpose of this project was to collect, integrate and map available information on the features of essential fish habitats in protected and non-protected marine areas around the islands of ...

Assessing Human Use, Habitat Mapping, Marine Spatial Ecology, , Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, Puerto Rico, U.S. States and Territories, Waterbodies, chris.jeffrey@noaa.gov, john.christensen@noaa.gov

Characterizing Benthic Habitats Around Saipan, CNM...

In 2019, NOAA launched the Pacific Mapping Cooperative: RICHARD (Rainier Integrates Charting Hydrography and Reef Demographics) Marianas Campaign to develop a plan to conduct much-needed mapping in the Marianas Archipelago ...

Coral, Habitat Mapping, Marine Spatial Ecology, CNMI, U.S. States and Territories, bryan.costa@noaa.gov, jennifer.kraus@noaa.gov, tim.battista@noaa.gov

Characterizing Benthic Habitats in Haputo Ecologic...

In 2012, the US Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Marianas developed an Integrated Natural Resource Management Plan (INRMP) for the Joint Region Marianas (JRM). The purpose of this plan is ...

Coral, Habitat Mapping, Marine Spatial Ecology, bryan.costa@noaa.gov, ed.sweeney@noaa.gov, tim.battista@noaa.gov

Characterizing Potential Distributions of Deep-Sea...

We developed spatial predictive models for deep-sea corals, sponges, and benthic macrofauna offshore of the continental U.S. West Coast. Maps and geospatial data depicting the predicted spatial distributions of these ...

Coral, Ecological and Biogeographic Assessments, Habitat Mapping, Marine Spatial Ecology, Protected Species, Regional Ecosystem Science, California, Oregon, U.S. States and Territories, Washington, matthew.poti@noaa.gov

Characterizing Spatial Distributions of Deep-sea C...

We compiled observations of deep-sea corals and chemosynthetic communities from field surveys and developed spatial predictive models for these organisms and habitats in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico. Maps and ...

Ecological and Biogeographic Assessments, Habitat Mapping, Marine Spatial Ecology, Regional Ecosystem Science, Alabama, Florida, Gulf of Mexico, Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas, U.S. States and Territories, Waterbodies, matthew.poti@noaa.gov

Characterizing Spatial Distributions of Deep-sea C...

We are compiling observations of deep-sea corals and hardbottom habitats from field surveys and developing spatial predictive models for these organisms and habitats in the U.S. Southeast Atlantic. Maps and ...

Ecological and Biogeographic Assessments, Habitat Mapping, Marine Spatial Ecology, Regional Ecosystem Science, matthew.poti@noaa.gov

Characterizing Submerged Lands around Navy Base Gu...

In 2012, the U.S. Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Marianas developed a resource plan for the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). The purpose of this plan is to ...

Coral, Habitat Mapping, Marine Spatial Ecology, CNMI, Pacific Ocean, U.S. States and Territories, Waterbodies, bryan.costa@noaa.gov, tim.battista@noaa.gov

Collaborative Development of Uncrewed Aerial Syste...

NCCOS field team conducting UAS flights on an intertidal oyster reef near Beaufort, North Carolina. From left to right: Ryan Giannelli, Camille Steenrod, Clayton Glasgow, and Brandon Puckett. Credit: NOAA ...

Climate Impacts on Ecosystems, Coastal Change, Ecological and Biogeographic Assessments, Habitat Mapping, Marine Spatial Ecology, Natural and Nature-based Features, Restoration, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, U.S. States and Territories, brandon.puckett@noaa.gov

Collaborative Lakebed Mapping Off Apostle Islands ...

We are part of a collaborative, multi-agency effort that is developing habitat maps and modeling tools to address emerging littoral management issues in the Great Lakes. Why We Care The ...

Habitat Mapping, Marine Spatial Ecology, Great Lakes, U.S. States and Territories, Waterbodies, Wisconsin

News

Scientists, Managers Identify Mapping Priorities f...

A sanctuary archaeologist explores the wreck of the wooden steam barge Shamrock, lost in Thunder Bay in 1905. Credit: Jennifer Idol. NOAA’s National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) and ...

August 5, 2020 Assessing Human Use, Habitat Mapping, Marine Spatial Ecology, , Great Lakes, Michigan, U.S. States and Territories, Waterbodies, charles.menza@noaa.gov, matt.kendall@noaa.gov

NOAA Study Finds Artificial Reefs Enhance Fish Com...

Structures, such as vessels, concrete pipes, and bridge pieces, are intentionally placed on the seafloor as artificial reefs. These artificial reefs can be effective tools for enhancing fish communities, but ...

May 11, 2020 Ecological and Biogeographic Assessments, Habitat Mapping, Marine Spatial Ecology, Regional Ecosystem Science, Atlantic Ocean, North Carolina, U.S. States and Territories, Waterbodies, avery.paxton@noaa.gov, chris.taylor@noaa.gov

NOAA, BOEM Develop New Tool to Reduce Dredging Imp...

As part of a recently completed two-year study funded by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), NOAA’s National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS), NOAA's Office for Coastal Management ...

April 30, 2020 Ecological and Biogeographic Assessments, Habitat Mapping, Marine Spatial Ecology, Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, Waterbodies, brad.pickens@noaa.gov, chris.taylor@noaa.gov

NCCOS Science Supports Creation of New Maps for Al...

Scientists from the National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) contributed data to the Allen Coral Atlas project to support development of new, sea bottom maps for western Micronesia, as ...

April 7, 2020 Coral, Habitat Mapping, Marine Spatial Ecology, Foreign Countries, Marshall Islands, Pacific Ocean, Palau, Waterbodies, tim.battista@noaa.gov

Guidelines Published for Mapping Nearshore Coastal...

DJI Mavic Pro flying east of Buck Island, St. Croix, USVI. Photo Credit: Oregon State University. NOAA and its partners have published guidelines for using aerial drones to map the ...

January 30, 2020 Climate Impacts on Ecosystems, Coastal Change, Habitat Mapping, Marine Spatial Ecology, Natural and Nature-based Features, Regional Ecosystem Science, Vulnerability and Risk Assessment, Atlantic Ocean, California, Caribbean Sea, Pacific Ocean, U.S. States and Territories, U.S. Virgin Islands, Waterbodies, bryan.costa@noaa.gov, tim.battista@noaa.gov

NOAA and USGS Release Follow-up Report on the Deve...

NOAA's National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS), NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), U. S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the RESTORE Council have released the second of seven reports ...

January 29, 2020 Coastal Change, Ecological and Biogeographic Assessments, Habitat Mapping, Marine Spatial Ecology, Other Topics, Restoration, Stressor Impacts and Mitigation, Technology Transfer, Water Quality, Alabama, Florida, Gulf of Mexico, Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas, U.S. States and Territories, Waterbodies, randy.clark@noaa.gov

Spatial Analysis Completed to Prioritize U.S. Cari...

NCCOS recently completed the spatial analysis that will guide the prioritization of future seafloor mapping, research, and exploration in the U.S. Caribbean. With input from regional stakeholders, the research team ...

January 15, 2020 Habitat Mapping, Marine Spatial Ecology, Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, Puerto Rico, U.S. States and Territories, U.S. Virgin Islands, Waterbodies, jennifer.kraus@noaa.gov, tim.battista@noaa.gov

NCCOS Supports 20-year Plan to Restore Seven Coral...

In collaboration with state and local partners, NOAA has announced a bold strategy to restore and preserve seven coral reef sites in the Florida Keys, part of an unprecedented, decades-long ...

January 2, 2020 Coastal Change, Coral, Habitat Mapping, Marine Spatial Ecology, Restoration, Atlantic Ocean, Florida, Gulf of Mexico, U.S. States and Territories, Waterbodies, shay.viehman@noaa.gov

Researchers Study Ecological Role of North Carolin...

Shipwrecks and rocky reefs off the coast of North Carolina are home to commercially and recreationally important fish. Scientists with NOAA’s National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science are researching how ...

December 3, 2019 Climate Impacts on Ecosystems, Coastal Change, Ecological and Biogeographic Assessments, Habitat Mapping, Marine Spatial Ecology, North Carolina, U.S. States and Territories, avery.paxton@noaa.gov, chris.taylor@noaa.gov

Underwater Robots Help Scientists Understand How F...

During the ROV dive on the shipwreck W.E. Hutton, the remotely-operated vehicle encountered large predators, such as the sand tiger shark pictured here, as well as other smaller reef fish ...

November 22, 2019 Ecological and Biogeographic Assessments, Habitat Mapping, Marine Spatial Ecology, Regional Ecosystem Science, Atlantic Ocean, North Carolina, U.S. States and Territories, Waterbodies, avery.paxton@noaa.gov, chris.taylor@noaa.gov

Products

Maps, Tools & Applications

Palmyra BIOMapper

BIOMappers let you interactively view data, aerial imagery, dive photography, underwater video and related publications developed for the benthic habitat mapping of many U.S. coral reefs. In addition to viewing benthic habitat data, you can examine the attributes of the data and show different thematic representations. Photos and videos taken during dive missions are linked to the location of the dives.
Project Page View Product

Puerto Rico BIOMapper

Saipan BIOMappper

Sampling Design Tool for ArcGIS

The Sampling Design Tool for ArcGIS randomly selects people, animals, objects, or places in a GIS environment to infer status or change. The tool was developed to create and implement a sampling design based on randomized sampling and test different sampling designs to see which is most precise and least costly.
Project Page View Product

Southwestern Puerto Rico BIOMapper

Spatial Prioritization Widget: A Tool to Identify Mapping Priorities

The Spatial Prioritization Widget is a tool to gather mapping priorities from stakeholders in a study area. This customizable tool can be configured to identify not only the desired locations and the temporal priorities of the respondents, but also their rationales to justify these decisions or the type of mapping products they need. The data can be further analyzed to identify of patterns high priority mapping hotspots.
Project Page

St John BIOMapper

US Virgin Islands BIOMapper

Vieques (PR) BIOmapper

Wisconsin - Lake Michigan Digital Atlas

This digital atlas, supporting the proposed Wisconsin – Lake Michigan National Marine Sanctuary, shows the location of cultural resources, environmental research and monitoring, and human activities. It allows managers, stakeholders, and the general public to see the location of important lake resources and how these resources are distributed relative to one another. The atlas was created to identify data gaps, help prioritize future lakebed surveys, and support a better understanding of the Lake Michigan ecosystem.
Project Page View Product

Data & Publications

Boundary options for a research area within Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary

Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary (GRNMS) is exploring the concept of a research area (RA) within its boundaries. The idea of a research area was first suggested in public scoping meetings held prior to the review of the Gray's Reef ...

Characterization of deep coral and sponge communities in the Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary: Rittenburg Bank, Cochrane Bank and the Farallon Escarpment

The purpose of the surveys was to groundtruth mapping data collected in 2011, and to characterize the seafloor biota, particularly corals and sponges, in order to support Essential Fish Habitat designations under Magnuson-Stevens Act (MSA) and other conservation and management ...

Characterization of the Benthos, Marine Debris and Bottom Fish at Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary

Baseline characterization of resources is an essential part of marine protected area (MPA) management and is critical to inform adaptive management. Grays Reef National Marine Sanctuary (GRNMS) currently lacks adequate characterization of several key resources as identified in the 2006 ...

Characterization of the Mesophotic Benthic Habitat and Fish Assemblages from ROV Dives on Pulley Ridge and Tortugas during 2014 R/V Walton Smith Cruise

Three research cruises were conducted in 2012, 2013 and 2014 to the region of Pulley Ridge and Dry Tortugas to study and survey the mesophotic reef communities and fish populations. Pulley Ridge is the deepest known photosynthetic coral reef in ...

Community ecology of mesophotic coral reef ecosystems

Given the global degradation of shallow-water coral reef ecosystems resulting from anthropogenic activities, mesophotic coral reef ecosystems (MCEs) are gaining attention because they are generally considered a de facto refuge for shallow-water species. Despite their inferred importance, MCEs remain one ...

Compound-specific isotopic analysis of amino acids reveals dietary changes in mesophotic coral-reef fish

Shallow-water ( ...

Comprehensive Seafloor Substrate Mapping and Model Validation in the New York Bight

Prior to this study, NOAA NCCOS has conducted previous efforts to characterize the ocean floor offshore NY. For example, as part of the NY Department of State’s renewable energy planning efforts and its Offshore Atlantic Ocean Study, released in July ...

Council Monitoring and Assessment Program (CMAP) Compilation of Existing Habitat and Water Quality Monitoring, and Mapping Assessments for the Gulf of Mexico Region

The Resources and Ecosystems Sustainability, Tourist Opportunities, and Revived Economies of the Gulf Coast States Act (RESTORE Act) was signed into law on July 6, 2012. The RESTORE Act calls for a regional approach to restoring the long-term health of ...

Council Monitoring and Assessment Program (CMAP): Inventory of Existing Habitat and Water Quality Monitoring, and Mapping Metadata for the Gulf of Mexico Programs

Under the Resources and Ecosystem Sustainability, Tourist Opportunities, and Revived Economies of the Gulf Coast States Act of 2012 (RESTORE Act), the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council (RESTORE Council or Council ) is required to report on the progress of ...

Coupling ecology and GIS to evaluate efficacy of Marine Protected Areas in Hawaii

In order to properly determine the efficacy of marine protected areas (MPAs), a seascape perspective that integrates ecosystem elements at the appropriate ecological scale is necessary. Over the past four decades, Hawaii has developed a system of 11 Marine Life ...

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