Abstract:

The continental shelf off Florida’s west coast is a mosaic of fish habitats including seagrass beds and carbonate reef outcroppings (hard bottom) classified by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) as Essential Fish Habitat. Habitat maps and community baseline data, however, are nonexistent for a majority of the region. This collaborative effort between Nova Southeastern University, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, NMFS and other scientists will characterize and map continental shelf seagrass and hard bottom habitats in nearshore areas fished by many recreational fishermen. Objectives include: 1) map hard bottom and seagrass beds using various data types including sonar and satellite imagery; 2) Conduct underwater remote and SCUBA diver surveys to validate the map and associate community information to habitat classifications; 3) Compare and integrate sonar and satellite maps; and 4) Develop recommendations as to how satellite data can best be utilized to improve survey scope and efficiency. Outputs provide the first hard bottom habitat map and baseline community characterization for 1,600 square kilometers of the West Florida continental shelf adjacent to Tampa Bay. Data were collected from December 2011 to June 2016.

Suggested Citation:

Brian Walker, Rene Baumstark, Sean Keenan, Cory Ames. 2018. Hardbottom Mapping and Community Characterization of the West-Central Florida Gulf Coast, December 2011 - June 2016. Distributed by: Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative Information and Data Cooperative (GRIIDC), Harte Research Institute, Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi. doi:10.7266/N7MC8XFT

Purpose:

Using a combination of data types to delineate habitats is a more effective means of creating maps where conditions differ in the area of interest. On Florida’s east coast from Miami-Dade through Martin counties, accurate mapping has been conducted using a combination of aerial photography, LiDAR bathymetry, side-scan bathymetry, acoustic ground discrimination, and subbottom profiling. Visual interpretation of various data types has provided accurate mapping results of 955 km² shallow (<40 m) seafloor where quantitative community data support the delineations. Here we use similar techniques using all available data to create benthic habitat maps along West Florida’s Gulf coast. Florida’s Fish and Wildlife Research Institute provided WorldView-2 (WV2) and QuickBird (QB) source imagery for visual interpretation using similar methods as the current Florida Reef Tract maps. The best imagery for each part of the scene was used for the interpretation with other scenes used as a reference. Study area covers depths to 15 m and range as far as 45 km offshore.

Data Parameters and Units:

Detailed habitat mapping of the imagery was accomplished by visual interpretation at a 1:3000 scale with a minimum mapping unit of 0.4 ha (1 acre). Features were classified using the Federal Coastal and Marine Ecological Classification Standard (CMECS). Draft map was groundtruthed by a combination of underwater drop camera video with WAAS-enabled GPS overlay. Draft habitat digitizing has been completed. Groundtruthing data indicated most of the area was actually sand covered with algae and pavement. There are certain areas, particularly in the SW portion that were difficult to classify. Field/Attribute - Definition South - The study area located off the coast of Sarasota North - The study area located off the coast of Clearwater ImageDate - The date the image was collected (ex. May 08, 2015) Subsystem - Coastal and Marine Ecological Classification Standard (Subsystem Classification) [Marine Nearshore Lower Water Column] Geoform - Coastal and Marine Ecological Classification Standard (Geoform Classification) [Unconsolidated sediment = all habitats associated with various sediment types; Coral reef and Hardbottom = all habitats associated with coral reef or hardbottom type habitats] BioCover - Main type of biological organism inhabiting the polygon [Algae = various algae species; Live coral = various live stony coral species; Seagrass = various seagrass species; Macroalgae = various macroalgae species] BioCoverDe - Biological cover description [Cyanobacteria = Cyanobacteria species; High Cover = High cover of benthic organisms; Continuous = unbroken expanse, not patchy, majority of observed benthic cover in situ and via remote video; Caulerpa prolifera; Discontinuous = broken expanse, patchy, minority of observed benthic cover in situ and via remote video] GeoFormDiet - Coastal and Marine Ecological Classification Standard (Geoform Classification) [Sand = all habitats associated with various sediment types; Pavement = all habitats associated with coral reef or hardbottom type habitats ClassLv2 - Final defined habitat type [Sand-Cyanobacteria = areas of sand largely covered by cyanobacteria; Pavement-High Cover = areas of pavement with extensive scleractinia and octocoral cover; Pavement = areas of pavement with some scleractinia and octocoral cover, mostly covered in sediment or largely absent of corals; Sand = areas of exposed sand; Sand-Continuous Seagrass = areas of sand largely covered in continuous seagrass beds; Sand-Caulerpa prolifera = areas of sand largely covered in Caulerpa prolifera; Sand-Discontinuous Seagrass = areas of sand largely covered in discontinuous seagrass beds]

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