Transcript Document

Gulf of Maine
Mapping Initiative:
A Regional Collaboration
Seafloor Mapping Basics:
How deep is the water?
What are the seafloor’s characteristics?
-topography, geology, biology
Direct Depth Measurements
Lead line
1800 B.C.
.
1930s A.D.
Indirect Measurements using Sound
1920s
1950s
Echo sounder
(single beam)
Multibeam sonar systems
Discrete points
Full coverage
Traditional Nautical Charting
1860
Lead lines
1960
Echo sounders (with supplementary
sounding poles and lead line)
Charting and Modern Mapping Combined
2001
Higher resolution gives
greater detail and clarity
Suite of Acoustic Techniques
to Characterize Seafloor
Data Integration
Four Main Map Products
Benthic Habitat Maps
Habitat maps
interpret biological
and geological
data to show types
of sediment and
animals in a
particular area
Geological Survey of Canada
Applications of Seafloor Mapping
Important tools for
 Managers
 Scientists
 Industry (oil & gas, shipping,
mining, etc.)
 Fishermen
 Other stakeholders
Management Success Story:
Routing a Fiber-Optic Cable
US Geological Survey
Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary
Using seafloor maps, cable was
routed through soft sediment
Fisheries Success Story
Before Mapping
This image shows some tracks of
scallop vessel A.F. Pierce. These
tracks were planned using only a
traditional nautical chart.
Superimposing A.F. Pierce’s tracks
on a seafloor map reveals that the
vessel had dragged its fishing gear
through mixed habitat: sand, gravel,
and rocky outcrops.
After Mapping
By using seafloor maps to plan their
tracks, scallopers avoided rocky
outcrops, reducing damage to
fishing gear and bottom habitat.
They caught just as many scallops by
dragging over only 25% as much area.
Savings in towing time and distance
led to lower costs for fuel and crew.
Gulf of Maine
•One of the world’s most
productive and important
ocean systems
•Bi-national jurisdiction
•Diverse topography
•Supports a wide range
of human uses
Gulf of Maine activities that could
benefit from mapping
• LNG terminals
• Electric power cables
• Offshore wind farms
• Sand and gravel mining
• Petroleum exploration and production
• National security
• Aquaculture leases
However…
 Only ~20% of the
Gulf of Maine has
been mapped
using multibeam
GOMMI
 Benthic habitat
mapping: much
lower percentage
Gulf of Maine Mapping Initiative
What is GOMMI?
•
A partnership of governmental and NGOs in the
US and Canada
•
Subcommittee of
•
Led by 11-member Steering Committee (volunteers)
– Federal:
US & Canada
– State:
MA, NH, ME
– Academia:
UNH CCOM/JHC
GOMMI’s Mission
• To promote mapping of the entire
Gulf of Maine basin
GOMMI’s Objectives
• Facilitate communication and
collaboration within the mapping
community
• Build logistical and financial
support for new projects
• Make maps and data widely
available
Four-phased strategic approach
 Phase 1: Assess the need for GOM seafloor
mapping
 Phase 2: Strategic Plan
 Phase 3: User Needs Assessment
• Phase 4:
– Secure partnerships and funding
– Implement:
– Fieldwork
– Data management and interpretation, and
– Product distribution
50 Nmi
In 2005 GOMMI
helped direct
$1.5 M NOAA
funds to an
acoustic survey
in the Western
Gulf of Maine
Platts
Bank
N Jeffreys
Ledge
71 Nmi
Area Surveyed by
The NOAA Ship
Thomas Jefferson
Provincetown, MA
2005 survey
built on existing
coverage of
Western GOM
NEXT: needs
groundtruthing;
geological and
biological data
2005
Also Surveyed
In 2005
2006 GOMMI ACTIVITIES
• Two-year work plan
• Interactive multibeam coverage map
• Pilot groundtruthing project on
Cashes Ledge: GOM Research
Institute and University of Ulster
• Outreach and education:
– Semi-annual e-newsletter
– Seafloor mapping kiosk
Online multibeam coverage map
Challenges Ahead
• Mapping in Canadian GOM is progressing
well (Geological Survey of Canada)
– National Priority, Oceans Action Plan;
• Line item in federal budget
• No similar investment in US GOM
– No single US entity mandated to map US
seafloor
– No dedicated federal funds
GOMMI’s Next Big Step
• Raise financial and logistical
support to set up and run a
significant regional ocean mapping
program in the Gulf of Maine
GoM Mapping Program
• Where? University of New Hampshire
• Why there? Center for Coastal and Ocean
Mapping /Joint Hydrographic Center
– national center of ocean mapping expertise
– located in the GOM
– employs and collaborates many mapping experts
– excellent student training program
– largely NOAA-supported
– already gathered and processed data for GOMMI
– long-term Cooperative Agreement with USGS’s
Coastal and Marine Geology Program
– much of the infrastructure already exists
GoM Mapping Program at UNH
Why?
more formal association with UNH’s
CCOM would provide sound
infrastructure including:
• technical expertise
• administrative support
• strategically located headquarters
What Next?
• Identify and secure funding
– legislative outreach
– inter-agency partnerships
– private/public partnerships
• Work with UNH/CCOM to
establish program requirements
“to hit the ground running”
But Wait, There’s More…
• Continue benthic habitat
mapping on Cashes Ledge
– proof of concept of regional
mapping collaboration
• Continue outreach and education
efforts via web site, newsletters,
public presentations, workshops
GOMMI’s Success Will Require
creative collaborations between
researchers and managers
representing
• Government
• Academia, and
• Private sector
Take Home Message
• Benthic habitat maps are vital tools to
help managers visualize
– distribution
– diversity, and
– extent of marine communities under
their jurisdiction
• By establishing a Gulf of Maine
habitat mapping program, GOMMI will
contribute to the comprehensive
planning and management of ocean
resources
Gulf of Maine Mapping Initiative
www.gulfofmaine.org/gommi