Florida Marine Mapping

1. Florida Marine Mapping Ft. Lauderdale, FLFeb 26, 2008 Steve Wolfe – Florida DEP

2. Florida Marine Mapping • There is a concentration of marine and coastal mapping activity in Florida. • A joint USGS/FDEP/SERPPAS workshop in February 2007: • provided insight on the status and trends of these efforts; • sought means for better coordination; • prioritized Florida agency mapping needs by region, and; • identified obstacles to mapping efforts.

3. Workshop Goals: • Present the state-of-the-art of technology for collecting mapping data. • Present the mapping programs active in the waters off-lying Florida. • Present the mapping needs and priorities of the agencies and entities operating in Florida.

4. Workshop Goals: • Establish the State of Florida’s overall priority for areas needing mapping (as identified by those state agencies with coastal and ocean resource-management responsibilities). • Examine the need to standardize terminology and data collection/storage so that data, especially that concerning habitats, can be shared.

5. Workshop Goals: • Identify opportunities for partnering and leveraging mapping efforts among agencies/entities. • Identify impediments and organizational gaps that hinder collection of data for mapping. • Seek innovative solutions to the primary obstacles identified.

6. Workshop Goals: • Identify the steps needed to move mapping of Florida’s oceans and coasts forward, in preparation for a better coordinated, more cost-effective mapping program to allow state and federal agencies to make better decisions on coastal resource issues.

7. Workshop Results: • There were 86 registered attendees (plus unregistered from local agencies). Presentations and attendance had been capped because of the large response.

8. Workshop Results:Present the mapping programs active in the waters off-lying Florida. • Many attending were surprised at the amount of mapping of which they were unaware, even in locales where they were involved. New linkages among agency programs were obvious and common. • The most organized and active effort is the South Florida Shallow-Water Coral Ecosystems Mapping Project, a partnership between NOAA, FWC-FWRI, and SFWMD.

9. Florida Marine Mapping - Ongoing • Mapping underway by many state and federal agencies, NGOs, and some local agencies. • These efforts typically restricted in area and differing in types of data collected. • Lack of standard habitat-classification system hinders creation of maps using data from multiple sources. • Gained initial understanding of mapping needs of agencies and entities. • Florida Marine Mapping website established at: www.dep.state.fl.us/MarineMapping

10. Florida Marine Mapping – Needed • Improved linkage between mapping programs and agency needs. • Develop a common glossary of mapping terms. • Establish base map (w/projects and status). • Establish data portal/website • Establish mapping listserve/blog.

11. Florida Marine Mapping – Needed • Additional workshops to: • establish Baseline Mapping Data suite (breakout group only partly successful). • finalize bioregions mapping requirements (breakout group results excellent start). • Adopt habitat classification system.

12. Florida Marine Mapping – Planned • Workshop to standardize habitat classification in southeastern U.S. (via SERPPAS)

13. Workshop Results:Establish the State of Florida’s overall priority for areas needing mapping. • A State of Florida priority order for mapping Florida waters was created. 1 Big Bend 77 2 NW Florida 71 3 Indian River 59 4 Key/Tortugas 58 5* Charlotte Harbor 54 5* Springs Coast 54 7* NE Florida 46 7* 10,000 Islands 46 9 Florida Bay 40 10 SE Florida 35 11 Tampa 31 12 W Florida Shelf Break 30 13 Oculina Banks 19 * tie

14. Workshop Results:Establish the State of Florida’s overall priority for areas needing mapping.

15. Steve Wolfe Florida DEP More? Florida Shelf Bathymetry (courtesy USGS). Steven.Wolfe@dep.state.fl.us

16. Steve Wolfe Florida DEP Questions? Florida Shelf Bathymetry (courtesy USGS). Steven.Wolfe@dep.state.fl.us

17. Workshop Results:Present the mapping needs and priorities of the agencies and entities operating in Florida. • “Commonalities matrix” produced

18. Workshop Results:Examine the need to standardize terminology and data collection & storage so data can be shared. • Sharing of mapping data often a problem. • There was general consensus on the need to adopt a single habitat classification system. There was broad agreement at what this standard might be, but sufficient unresolved aspects remain that a separate workshop is needed to accomplish this goal.

19. Workshop Results:Identify impediments and organizational gaps that hinder collection of data for mapping. • Lack of central mapping coordination. • Poor linkage exists between some mapping programs and agency needs; suggests most funding not for applied science? • Need mapping data repository

20. Workshop Results:Seek innovative solutions to the primary obstacles identified. • Use GAME database to inventory mapping programs and help coordination and leveraging of funds. • Establish permanent organizing individual or group to maintain the communications established at workshop, serve as information clearinghouse, and maintain progress on the issues identified during the workshop.

21. Workshop Results:Present state of the art of technology for collecting mapping data. • “Best” choice depth and clarity dependent. • Aerial/satellite w/ground-truthing generally best to about 20m (limit of passive technologies) in S. Florida and ~ 10 m in north (at best time of year). • Acoustical best at deeper depths.

22. Workshop Results:Present state of the art of technology for collecting mapping data. • Technology “gap” in shallow, turbid waters. All methods less cost-effective than in other waters. • AUVs show promise for: • small areas • ground truthing • perhaps large areas in ‘solar fleets’. • potential to ground truth while mapping.

23. Steve Wolfe Florida DEP Questions? Florida Shelf Bathymetry (courtesy USGS). Steven.Wolfe@dep.state.fl.us