Seafloor Mapping Program

The Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management (CZM) and United States Geological Survey (USGS) Woods Hole Science Center initiated the Seafloor Mapping Cooperative in 2003 to address the need for acquiring datasets on the spatial distribution of benthic resources to help resource management. The goal of the cooperative is to comprehensively map the bathymetry and surficial geology of the seafloor in Massachusetts. The program is a success story in partnership, funded by a combination of state, federal (USGS and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration), and private sector contributions, while effectively leveraging expertise and technology within state and federal agencies.

Seafloor mapping efforts are revealing the complexity of the seafloor landscape and are a large step toward a greater understanding of seafloor habitats. Furthermore, seafloor maps are widely used by government agencies, researchers, and others to better understand and manage ocean resources. Maps are used to identify habitats and shipwrecks, guide scientific research and monitoring, track distribution of invasive species, mark navigation routes and potential hazards, site seafloor construction projects, and design dredging and dredged material disposal plans-to name a few uses of these valuable data. Seafloor mapping is also inspiring a greater appreciation of the diversity of marine habitat and life in Massachusetts.

The seabed in Massachusetts is a mosaic of interconnected seafloor habitats. Acoustic mapping technologies provide a critical information base to better understand the ecology of the seafloor. Targeted research accompanies mapping results to identify seafloor habitats.

Visit the USGS Massachusetts Mapping Program website for brief descriptions of the mapping projects, links to online version of Open-File Reports & GIS data for completed areas, and printable PDF maps and additional reference information, including lists of paper maps and other data available on DVD or CD-ROM.

The completed and ongoing work has been done in collaboration with the following partners:

• Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management
• U.S. Geological Survey - Woods Hole Science Center
• Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries
• National Ocean Service - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
• University of New Hampshire - Center for Coastal & Ocean Mapping/Joint Hydrographic Center
• University of New Brunswick - Ocean Mapping Group
• Boston University - Department of Earth Sciences
  
  

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Seafloor Mapping
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Massachusetts Seafloor Maps (USGS) Seafloor Mapping Technology (USGS)