Pacific Coastal & Marine Science Center
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National Seafloor Mapping and Benthic Habitat Studies: PacificOverviewThe health of offshore marine and lacustrine ecosystems, fish stocks, and the fishing industry is of major national importance. The issue is complex and involves many environmental parameters, including geologic aspects of the sea floor such as the nature and stability of seabed sediment and the distribution and character of rock exposures. A 2001 workshop identified the following national goals:
The project addresses habitat issues in areas identified as high priority through discussions with DOI (BRD, MMS, FWS, NPS) and collaboratively with by NOAA (NMFS, NMS) and the nation's regional Fishery Management Councils. By linking geologic studies with fisheries and benthic biology research to allow for better fisheries and environmental management with an emphasis on MPAs. Large scale benthic habitat maps for the EEZ from California to Washington State are being developed at this time. These maps are being compiled using a subset of available geophysical and geologic information some of which has been shown to lack the quality required to resolve habitat features essential to fish (Cochrane and Lafferty, 2002) This project is collaborating with other agencies to procure funding and is collecting high resolution geophysical data, imagery, geological samples, and mining existing databases to improve the habitat classification in high priority areas such as proposed MPA's.
ObjectivesThe National Seafloor Mapping and Benthic Habitat Studies Project: Pacific strives to produce maps and geologic information that are useful for marine resource management. The project utilizes traditional data collected by the Program including sampling, bottom video, sidescan sonar, and multibeam sonar data. The project develops new methods of combining these data to produce habitat and surficial geology maps. The project maintains collaborations with in partnership with NOAA, NPS, MMS, EPA, DOE, DOD, other national and state agencies, and the Biology and Water disciplines of the USGS to obtain funding for multibeam mapping operations. Methods of classification and display of sonar, video, and possibly lidar data will be developed. Existing sampling data are compiled in usSEABED, a relational database, of integrated quantitative and verbal data on seabed texture, composition, and geophysical properties for the continental shelves of the US in conjunction with additional funding from the Marine Aggregates project. These data can then be accessed for each area being mapped by the project as well as by outside searchers. ApproachWe plan to cooperate with other DOI agencies, NOAA/NMS and NOAA Fisheries using existing MOU's to collect seafloor mapping data and groundtruthing information to expand our mapping of the Western Region nearshore waters. NOAA plans to provide ship time and other logistical support (2-4 weeks of ship time and approximately $10K a year since 1999). We will pursue other funding initiatives with NOAA. Opportunities to share costs with other agencies such as NPS, MMS, EPA, DOE, DOD, and state agencies are also pursued. We plan to provide mapping and geologic expertise, collaborate with Moss Landing Marine Lab to standardize the Essential Fish Habitat Map Series. We will share salary costs for a joint USGS/NOAA Fisheries postdoctoral researcher to facilitate standardization for seafloor mapping. We plan to study surficial processes that cause change effecting essential fish habitat. In 2010 we propose groundtruthing and interpretation efforts for new data from NOAA that will be acquired in the West Arm of Glacier Bay National Park. This is a previously unmapped area within the Park. The data will be acquired in FY 2009 and the NOAA estimate of when the data processing will be complete is Spring 2010. Groundtruthing would be in the Fall. In 2010 we will be receiving some reimbursable money from MMS to hire a post-doctoral term to analyze habitat-fish science. The MMS will need to make decisions in future years about the fate of decommissioned platforms offshore Southern California. In order to make knowledgeable evaluations and prepare NEPA documents, an understanding of the ecological consequences of different decommissioning options (e.g. complete removal or a reefing option) must be obtained. To this end, this study proposes to assess the relative importance of shallow water platform habitat as nurseries to commercially-important rockfish species by integrating large-scale physical and biological databases. The knowledge gained from this study will allow MMS to address critical concerns raised in the University of California Blue Ribbon Science Panel on Decommissioning about the contribution of oil and gas platforms to regional marine populations. Since this study is regionwide, the cumulative effects of multiple decommissioning events on fish stocks can also be ascertained from this effort. We will also collaborate with the Urban Ocean project in mapping activities if they are near National Parks in Southern California. Publication of Maps for the California Seafloor Mapping Program will continue with funding from reimbursable accounts. USGS funding will be used for a cooperative mapping effort in Puget Sound, WA. NOAA is acquiring new multibeam sonar data every year. The USGS will continue to follow this mapping with video groundtruthing field operations, interpretation, and publication of geology/habitat maps and GIS as Scientific Investigation Maps. Three species of rockrfish may be listed under the ESA, critical habitat maps are needed before the close of FY 2011). Analysis will continue on USGS swath sonar and sub-bottom profile data in OR state waters. This is a cooperative with OSU and ODFW. Tasks and SubTasks
Products & Publications
Cooperators
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U.S. Department of the Interior | U.S. Geological Survey
URL: http://walrus.wr.usgs.gov/research/projects/benthic_hab.html
Page Contact Information: PCMSC Web Team
Page Last Modified: 1 October 2012 (lzt)
