NCBO develops benthic habitat characterizations by acoustic mapping, benthic infaunal and sediment sampling, and data integration and analysis within a GIS. NCBO provides high-resolution benthic habitat characterizations, which are useful tools for identifying the spatial extents of targeted habitats and supporting the management of coastal living resources in the mid-Atlantic region.

Acoustic mapping and sediment/benthic sampling drive NCBO's ability to associate particular sediment types with benthic organism abundance, a first step in evaluating the relationship between habitat distribution and community composition. Spatial and temporal variability in community composition, coupled with trophic interactions and anthropogenic influences, provides the basis for informed living resource management.

IEA Support

NCBO's work on Integrated Ecosystem Assessments (IEA), ecosystem-based management, and ecological modeling highlight the importance of spatial reference. NOAA Biogeographic Assessments and Ecosystem Health Assessments are examples of IEAs that require spatial reference in general and use benthic habitat characterizations in particular.

Native Oyster Restoration Support

NCBO's Maryland and Virginia Native Oyster Restoration Programs benefit from benthic characterizations. Acoustic mapping and ground-truthed data are collected to describe the existing distribution of oyster habitat. Evolving acoustic mapping technologies can add more detailed characterizations of growth patterns and damage assessments associated with restoration activities and harvest pressure.

Go to: Benthic Habitat Characterization Projects