Seafloor Mapping in Massachusetts CZM – USGS Seafloor Mapping Cooperative & Gulf of Maine Mapping Initiative Anthony R. Wilbur Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management Boston, Massachusetts OCM Strategic Action Plan Workshop February 26 – 28, 2008 Dania Beach, Florida

Outline I.History of CZM’s Role in Seafloor Mapping II.CZM-USGS Seafloor Mapping Cooperative III.Gulf of Maine Mapping Initiative (GoMMI) IV.Challenges

Seafloor Mapping of Stellwagen Bank & Massachusetts Bay completed by scientists at USGS, Woods Hole Mapping Begins & Continues

‘Marine Habitat Characterization and Mapping Workshop’ in Sebasco, ME  Gulf of Maine Mapping Initiative (GOMMI) Mapping Begins & Continues

NOAA’s CSC Fellowship Drafted ‘Strategic Plan for Mapping Massachusetts’ Benthic Marine Habitats’ and Published guide on types and functions of marine habitats in Massachusetts Mapping Begins & Continues

Delay in gas pipeline construction resulted in monetary mitigation – $1.5 million. Fines used to create the Massachusetts Seafloor Mapping Trust Mapping Begins & Continues

CZM-USGS Seafloor Mapping Cooperative Mapping Begins & Continues Mapping begins in northern Massachusetts Bay in 2004

Massachusetts Ocean Management Initiative ‘In support of comprehensive management and monitoring of ocean resources, the Commonwealth should acquire high-resolution seafloor habitat maps.’ Mapping Begins & Continues

Massachusetts invests $1 million to mapping cooperative 1 st two seafloor mapping reports published Mapping Begins & Continues North Shore – Gloucester to Nahant Boston Harbor

Mapping Begins & Continues $$$ Massachusetts Seafloor Mapping Trust receives additional $3 million in mitigation funding

Massachusetts Coastal Zone Management & US Geological Survey Seafloor Mapping Cooperative

CZM-USGS Seafloor Mapping Cooperative Established Partnership Identified Goal Produce high-resolution maps and geospatial data of seafloor geology and topography Determined Effective Methods Prioritized Mapping Needs Implement Mapping Publish Results and Advertise Availability

Seafloor Mapping Methods USGS

Seafloor Mapping Priorities existing mapping data of Stellwagen Bank and Massachusetts Bay Buzzards Bay Vineyard Sound Completed – Ongoing Mapping 1.Nahant to Gloucester 2.Boston Harbor 3.Cape Ann to Salisbury 4.Hull to Duxbury 5.Northern Cape Cod Bay 6.Eastern Cape Cod Next Mapping Areas Buzzards Bay and Vineyard Sound

Area mapped 134 km 2 Water depths 5-40 m Data collected –bathymetry –backscatter –subbottom profiles –grabs and photography Area 1 Nahant to Gloucester

Area 2 Boston Harbor Area mapped 173 km 2 Water depths 0-32 m NOAA data re-processed -multibeam/single-beam bathymetry -backscatter New data collection -bottom samples / photography

Area 3 - Cape Ann to Salisbury Beach Area mapped 340 km 2 Water depths 5-90 m Data collected –bathymetry –backscatter –subbottom profiles –samples, photography Cape Ann Publication imminent

Area 4 - Hull to Duxbury Area mapped 190 km 2 Data collected –bathymetry (preliminary) –backscatter –subbottom profiles –samples, photography Data collection complete ( ) Publication due in 2009

Area 5 - Northern Cape Cod Bay Area mapped 460 km 2 Data collected –bathymetry (preliminary) –backscatter –subbottom profiles –samples, photography Data collection completed in Spring 2008 Publication by 2009

Area 6 Eastern Cape Cod Bay Area mapped 153 km 2 Data collected –bathymetry –samples, photography

CZM-USGS Seafloor Mapping Cooperative Summary Strategic plan was valuable education publication, along with organizational exercise Funding was key to start, maintain and expand the cooperative Partnership with USGS – including a 1:1 cost-share – critical for all aspects of cooperative Objectives identified and schedule maintained Early decision to collect geospatial data of seafloor topography and geology in waters ≥10m using established acoustic technologies Strong agency leadership

To date, ~560 square miles of the ocean bottom from the New Hampshire border to northern Cape Cod Bay are mapped Currently developing 5+ year plan to continue cooperative Communicating and sharing results key to maintaining support and initiating new partnerships Mapping results are stimulating new research and management strategies, while improving the understanding of the ocean environment in Massachusetts CZM-USGS Seafloor Mapping Cooperative Summary

Subcommittee of the Gulf of Maine Council on the Marine Environment - a US and Canadian partnership Volunteer Steering Committee & Coordinator U.S. Federal NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service NOAA's Office of Coast Survey U.S. Geological Survey Canada Federal Geological Survey of Canada State ME Department of Marine Resources NH Department of Environmental Services MA Office of Coastal Zone Management Academia Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping & NOAA/UNH Joint Hydrographic Center

Mission: To promote mapping of the entire Gulf of Maine basin

Objectives: Facilitate communication and collaboration within the mapping community Build logistical and financial support Make maps and data widely available

Published a number of outreach and planning documents: - Overview of mapping technologies - User needs assessment - Strategic plan for mapping - Website Hired a GOMMI coordinator Coordinated a 2005 geophysical survey Groundwork established for GOMMI coordinator at UNH- NOAA CCOM 2005 Also Surveyed In 2005 Accomplishments

Challenges & Priorities Funding Long-term, secured funding required for full-time staffing and to complete mapping Coordination Who is responsible for coordinating mapping? Recommendations 8 & 9 Coordination among federal agencies, especially for mapping in state waters (e.g., NOAA, ACOE and USGS) Coordination, communication and data sharing between federal and state agencies Increasing partnership for furthering the applicability of mapping data

Challenges & Priorities Data Understanding and Availability Providing resource managers with knowledge and tools for appropriate application of seafloor mapping data Recommendations 6 & 7 Technology and Standards Develop and test shallow water mapping techniques Recommendation 11 Standards/tools for combining datasets (e.g., Geocoder) Establish protocols for seafloor mapping, groundtruthing and benthic habitat mapping (CMECS, Greene et al., etc.) Recommendations 4 & 6  Academic-government partnership (possible private)