Benthic Cover
Data Specifications
- Area of Coverage: Varies by project. Normally range from mean high water to the limit of state jurisdictional waters (usually three miles). Project extents range from individual bay systems to entire state coastlines throughout the East and Gulf coasts plus selected bays in Washington and California.
- Date(s) Available: Vary by location, ranging from 1995 to 2007
- Format: ESRI polygon shapefile
- Resolution: Variable, generally between 0.25 and 4.0 meters
- Accuracy: Overall thematic accuracy of 85 percent
Overview
Shallow-water benthic habitats of Redfish Bay, Texas. Greens illustrate seagrass meadows, reds are mangrove areas, and yellow are unconsolidated sediments.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Coastal Services Center's benthic cover data provide an inventory of nearshore aquatic habitats with a focus on living resources. Benthic-cover vector data sets capture the location, extent, general character, and spatial relationships of biological communities in shallow nearshore areas. These data were developed to support resource inventory activities and change detection efforts. They are useful for conservation planning, marine protected-area siting, and environmental monitoring.