Center for Coastal Monitoring and Assessment (CCMA)

Maps

Map uses

Maps included in this atlas and the Shallow-water Benthic Habitats of the Main Hawaiian Islands (DVD) are tools with a wide variety of uses. One purpose of the maps was to provide a baseline inventory of the tropical shallow-water marine ecosystems of the U.S., specifically habitats that support coral reefs or are functionally connected to them, however, the resulting maps have applications beyond a baseline inventory.

As a stand-alone product, the maps themselves provide a wealth of information about the seascapes depicted in them. Attributes contained in the GIS shapefiles provide access to a broad range of spatial metrics and statistics. A few examples include: determining the spatial extent of each habitat (e.g., total area of dense macroalgae), determining the spatial extent of major classes (e.g., area of soft bottom habitats), and performing proximity analyses (e.g., finding sand within 20 m of a reef). They also provide a visual guide to the relative scarcity or abundance of particular habitat types. When used in conjunction with other data sets, the possibilities become much greater. Some potential applications are described below:

Scientific Applications

Maps and derived seascape metrics have been used extensively as a tool for monitoring tropical shallow-water marine ecosystems and the biological communities that exist there. The GIS maps enable researchers to design sampling strategies that support field operations (Figure 3; Friedlander and Brown 2003, Kendall et al. 2003). When combined with monitoring data such as fish censuses or water quality measurements, the maps allow for sophisticated spatially-explicit analyses (Monaco et al. 2001). Analysis of habitat maps in conjunction with information about biological community structure (derived from monitoring efforts) allows scientists to model and predict areas of biological importance (Figure 4; Christensen et al. 2003, Kendall et al. 2003). Some scientists use the habitat maps as proxies in defining the distribution of species or groups that have specific habitat requirements. When used in combination with time-series data, the maps provide a mechanism for change detection. If habitat maps are combined with other environmental data layers and known species affinities, they can be instrumental in Habitat Suitability Modeling.

Planning and Management Applications

Coastal zone managers are often required to balance multiple and conflicting uses of the nearshore environment. Habitat maps can help managers identify areas that may be especially susceptible to damage from spills, vessel groundings, and other accidents. The maps also can be used in response planning and evaluating restoration activities in the event that marine resources are damaged, and can contribute to natural resource damage assessment activities. Managers may also use the maps to identify areas of special concern, such as in the case of habitats that sustain rare or threatened species. When used in conjunction with other biological and environmental data, such map products can help determine optimal locations for establishing networks of marine protected areas. The maps and associated data help ensure that the selected sites encompass areas of high biological importance and are representative of biological conditions. With the inclusion of oceanographic information, managers can identify sites that are effectively linked by prevailing currents, thereby preserving important ecological linkages. Habitat maps can help identify areas that are more or less suitable for a particular purpose. For example, similar benthic habitat maps in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands are being used to support discussions on marine zoning throughout the Republic of Palau. They are also helpful in evaluating permit applications and identifying alternate locations for proposed marinas, dredging activities, sand mining and beach nourishment operations, and coastal access points. The maps may also contribute important contextual information about effects in the nearshore environment that stem from land use in adjacent coastal and upstream areas.

Other Applications

Members of the public have found the maps useful in a variety of ways as well. Recreational fishers benefit from knowing where particular habitat areas are located, especially if the target species has a particular habitat affinity. Commercial interests have used the habitat maps for siting aquaculture facilities in order to protect their equipment from damage and minimize the potential negative impacts associated with those operations. Other commercial ventures use habitat maps in conjunction with geologic maps to assess potential risk to proposed undersea cables or structures. Academics have used the digital map products in classes to teach students about the capabilities of Geographic Information Systems. Several graduate students have pursued projects or Ph.D. dissertations in the fields of fish biology or landscape ecology that utilize digital habitat maps developed by NOAA. One student project refined the habitat maps for marine protected areas along Hawaii's west coast to provide finer scale habitat information to managers.

It is important to note that these maps represent the best efforts of scientists, who are working within budget and time constraints, to communicate habitat information at a scale relevant to management. As such, we encourage map users to consider the current maps as a springboard for further development. We have provided all the necessary tools (IKONOS imagery, mosaics, the habitat digitizing extension to ArcGIS, a hierarchical classification scheme, shapefiles and legends that define areas by geomorphologic zone and habitat, etc.) to enable users to further refine the map products, such as by re-digitizing polygons from aerial photos viewed at a finer scale or by decreasing the size of the minimum mapping unit to capture even more detailed features. This has been accomplished by scientists working within National Park boundaries in the Caribbean and in Marine Life Conservation Districts in Hawaii, and resource managers in the U.S. Pacific Territories.