Benthic Habitat Mapping

Project Summary
Benthic habitats in the South Shore Estuary Reserve were mapped, in partnership, by the NYS Department of State Division of Coastal Resources (DOS) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Coastal Services Center, from 2002 aerial photography. Over 81 square kilometers (20,015 acres) of eel grass and 16 square kilometers (3,954 acres) of macroalgae are present in the Reserve. Algae predominates in the western bays with eelgrass more common to the east.

Coastal Management Applications
This data set will serve as a baseline inventory of submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV), one of the Reserve's most important living marine resources, and will form the basis of a long-term monitoring program that will be carried out by DOS and its partners. The ultimate goal is to help preserve this commercially and ecologically important estuarine species by sustaining existing healthy habitats and restoring degraded ones.

Accessing the Data
Benthic mapping data are available from:
The DOS data inventory page of the NYS GIS Clearinghouse
The Coastal Services Center Benthic Mapping Data

For more information:

Jeffrey L. Herter
GIS Unit Supervisor
Division of Coastal Resources
NYS Department of State
41 State Street
Albany, New York 12231-0001
Phone: (518) 846-7942
Email: jherter@dos.state.ny.us

Mark Finkbeiner
NOAA Coastal Services Center
2243 South Hobson Avenue
Charleston, South Carolina 29405-2413
Phone: (843) 701-1264 Fax:(843) 740-1289
E mail: Mark.Finkbeiner@noaa.gov