1. Cristina Carollo & Dave Reed Project Coordinators David Palandro, Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute John Ogden, Florida Institute of Oceanography GCOOS-RA DMAC, Products and Services, and Observing Systems Committees New Orleans, LA November 27-29, 2007 Gulf GAME Implementation of a Spatial Catalog to Characterize and Identify Habitats in the Gulf of Mexico

2. What do these species all have in common?

3. Goals The aim of the project is to develop an inventory of habitat-related data within the Gulf of Mexico. This will serve as a foundation to develop a spatial framework for Ecosystem-Based Management associated with regulatory and planning programs and areas of government coordination. The data inventory will have both a regional and local scope and will focus on gathering data and mapping coastal habitats from the estuaries onshore to the edge of the continental shelf offshore to a depth of 200 m.

4. How do we get there?

5. Process Steps PHASE I - Identify and Assess Gulf Habitat Data Sources: List of preliminary data sources List of critical data Data and information survey form and results New Catalog entries Deployment/Upload to Internet Application (PHINS or other TBD) PHASE II - Create spatial footprints in a GIS environment: Maps depicting spatial footprints PHASE III - Provide public access and link to current and historic state, federal, and local Gulf of Mexico habitat data

6. Habitat-related Data Benthic habitats: hard bottom submerged aquatic vegetation coral reefs Physical marine: circulation patterns salinity temperature Geomorphology bathymetry and coastal elevation LiDAR bottom structure sediment characteristics

7. Long-term Partnership Goal: Identify, inventory and assess the current state of and trends in priority coastal, estuarine, nearshore and off shore Gulf of Mexico habitats to inform resource management decisions. Gulf of Mexico Alliance Call for increased integration of resources, knowledge and expertise Serve as a forum for bi-national regional collaboration with the Mexican Gulf States 13 Federal Agencies committed to Gulf of Mexico Alliance GAME Project is taking steps towards this goal

8. How many players are there in the Gulf of Mexico?

9. GAME, PHINS and GoMRC MERMAid Gulf? PHINS Yes No GAME Catalog Florida GAMEGulf GAME GoMRC

10. Gulf GAME Web Site http://research.myfwc.com/gulfgame

11. What one piece of information can answer all of these questions? Who? What? Where? When? Why? METADATA

12. Interactive Web page From this page users are directed to The GAME survey to create metadata lite, The PHINS Digital Library, MERMAid to upload existing and/or create new FGDC compliant metadata records http://ocean.floridamarine.org/MetaGAME/GulfGAME_diagram.htm

13. GAME Survey http://research.myfwc.com/game/survey.asp

14. GAME Survey http://research.myfwc.com/game/survey.asp

15. GAME Survey http://research.myfwc.com/game/survey.asp

16. GAME Survey http://research.myfwc.com/game/survey.asp

17. GAME Survey http://research.myfwc.com/game/survey.asp

18. GAME Catalog A relational database describing key features (metadata-lite) for each data set Highly compatible database for multiple applications Broad definition of each class; detailed information can be found in associated metadata Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) compliant The utility of the catalog is that it will point to data sets of interest

19. MERMAid Web Site

20. The Priority Habitat Information System (PHINS), a state/federal partnership, is intended to provide users with habitat information and geospatial data supporting implementation of the GoMA Governors' Action Plan. The PHINS system is a distributed web-based portal that provides the user access to Gulf-wide habitat data and information via a linked system. PHINS Digital Library & Map Viewer

21. Identify ecoregions to support management decisions concerning coastal waters, commercial and recreational uses, resource conservation areas, and monitoring programs, all based on and guiding scientific research Florida GAME’s ultimate goal

22. Florida GAME Ecoregion Definition An area constituting a natural ecological community with characteristic flora, fauna and environmental conditions and bounded by natural rather than artificial borders

23. Why is this important? Ecosystem Based Management (EBM) Overcome the fragmentation in ocean governance overcome the mismatches of temporal and geographic scales between biophysical ocean system and policies

24. Highest-resolution bathymetric maps Habitat Identification Land-sea linkages. Maps of offshore data gaps Estuary bathymetric and benthic-habitat mapping FOCRC General charge to the Council …assist the state in identifying new management strategies to achieve the goal of maximizing protection and conservation of ocean and coastal resources…

25. Florida GAME - Phase I Data discovery: identify and catalog geological, physical, biological, chemical, and human use data pertaining to the coastal ocean of Florida and the adjacent waters of the Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean Sea and South Atlantic Bight –Develop a comprehensive data management strategy –Develop a GIS-based map of collected information and subsequent gap maps Develop an ecoregion definition

26. Gap Maps

27. What can you do? Tell all your friends to contribute!

28. Cristina Carollo Dave Reed Cristina.Carollo@myFWC.comDave.Reed@myFWC.com Thank you Questions and Comments ?