Saipan Lagoon plays a crucial role in the economy, tourism, and culture of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). Understanding the spatial distribution and extent of Lagoon habitats is needed for planning sustainable economic development, evaluating zoning scenarios, minimizing user conflicts, ensuring public safety, and preventing environmental degradation in the Lagoon. To meet this need, NOAA’s National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) collaborated with CNMI’s Bureau of Environmental and Coastal Quality (BECQ), and NOAA’s Pacific Islands Regional Office (PIRO), to develop detailed maps of the distribution of seafloor habitats within the Lagoon and to assess changes that have occurred since the last maps were created based on 2001 satellite imagery.
DATA/REPORT DETAILS
Benthic habitat maps of Saipan Lagoon
- Published on:
- Science Area(s): Coral, Habitat Mapping, Marine Spatial Ecology
- Region(s) of Study: CNMI, Pacific Ocean, U.S. States and Territories, Waterbodies
- Primary Contact(s): bryan.costa@noaa.gov, matt.kendall@noaa.gov
Citation:
Kendall, M.S., B. Costa, S. McKagan, L. Johnston, and D. Okano
Kendall, M.S., B. Costa, S. McKagan, L. Johnston, and D. Okano
Data/Report Type:
NOAA Technical Memorandum
NOAA Technical Memorandum
Related Project(s):
Description
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