Boston Harbor and Approaches

The Boston Harbor study area stretches from the mouth of the Charles River, a heavily urbanized estuary, to the "approaches" in western Massachusetts Bay about 6-km east of of Deer Island and Nantasket Beach. Multiple glaciations and relative sea-level changes have strongly influenced the geologic evolution of this region. Surveys of the sea floor were carried out by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) between 2000 and 2001 to improve nautical charts of the main shipping lanes and areas surrounding the numerous harbor islands. These charting data, originally collected by a variety of mapping systems, were provided to the USGS for reprocessing and integrated with new bottom sampling sample and bottom photography to characterize the geology of the area. Approximately 170 km² (66 mi²) of the inner shelf were mapped focusing on nearshore areas from the coast out to depths of about 32 m (105 ft).

The maps were prepared as part of a cooperative mapping program between the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the Massachusetts Coastal Zone Management Program (CZM) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The main objective of this program is to support marine resource managers charged with making decisions on the use and protection of ocean resources. Accurate depictions of surficial geology and associated biota on the seafloor are important first steps toward protecting fish habitat, delineating marine reserves, and assessing environmental changes due to natural or human impacts. A companion report contains descriptions of the data collection, processing, and analysis procedures used to create the maps, and GIS databases with all the geophysical and ground-validation data collected as part of this study.

Cooperators: Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management (CZM) and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)

Overview of the Boston Harbor and Approaches survey area showing shaded relief bathymetry colored by depth. Click on figure for larger image.

Project Status: Complete

Maps & Report published as:



Ackerman, S.D., Butman, B., Barnhardt, W.A., Danforth, W.W. and Crocker, J.M., 2006, High-resolution geologic mapping of the inner continental shelf; Boston Harbor and approaches, Massachusetts: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2006-1008. Available online at http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2006/1008/

News & Other related links:

• Sediments and Contaminants in Boston Harbor
  
  
• Soundwaves Dec 2003/Jan 2004, High_Resolution Geologic Mapping of the Shallow Sea Floor off Massachusetts
  
  
• CZ-mail October 2006- Boston Harbor Seafloor Mapping data published online
  
  
• NOAA's National Ocean Service - Hydrographic Surveying
  
  

For more information:

Seth Ackerman
Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management
U.S. Geological Survey
Woods Hole Science Center
384 Woods Hole Rd.
Woods Hole, MA 02543-1598
sackerman@usgs.gov

Brad Butman
U.S. Geological Survey
Woods Hole Science Center
384 Woods Hole Rd.
Woods Hole, MA 02543-1598
bbutman@usgs.gov