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Seafloor Mapping Program Updates

This webpage contains periodic news and updates on the status of the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management (CZM)/U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) seafloor mapping projects, with the latest news and updates appearing at the top of the page. Program updates include the publication of mapping related products, status of ongoing projects and surveys, announcement of where and when products from this program are being presented (i.e., regional and national meetings, conferences, and workshops), as well as any other news-worthy information about this or other seafloor mapping projects.

September 2008 Update:
CZM and USGS signed a funding agreement to conduct high-resolution mapping of the seafloor in Buzzards Bay and Vineyard Sound. Mapping will begin in Buzzards Bay in 2009, followed by mapping in Vineyard Sound in 2010.

July 2008 Update:
The Cape Ann to Salisbury Beach Open File Report is currently in review and will be available online and as DVD-ROMs in late 2008. Data processing is underway for the South Shore and Northern Cape Cod Bay survey areas. An Open File Report for the South Shore will be available in 2009.

June 2008 Update:
Two Open File Reports were recently released with seabed information from areas south of Cape Cod using National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) survey data and USGS ground-truth and sampling data. The reports, including GIS data layers, can be accessed online at:

April 2008 Update:
The CZM-USGS Mapping Program was the topic of two presentations at the 2008 Association of American Geographers (AAG) Annual Meeting in Boston. Dan Sampson (CZM) presented on Mapping Seafloor Surficial Geologic Habitat in Massachusetts State Waters and Brian Andrews (USGS) presented a paper on The Role of Marine Geophysical Mapping in Characterizing and Managing Marine Ecosystems: A Federal/State Partnership for Massachusetts Coastal Waters. The full abstracts along with additional information about the special session, "Marine Geomorphology as a Determinant for Essential Life Habitat: An Ecosystem Management Approach to Planning for Marine Reserve Networks," can be found at http://marinecoastalgis.net/aag08.

January 2008 Update:
CZM and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) continue the successful cooperative started in 2003 to map the seafloor throughout Massachusetts. From 2003-2007, this project has mapped more than 463 square miles (1,200 square kilometers) of seafloor, with additional mapping planned for spring 2008. Reports containing geographic information system (GIS) data, maps, and technical explanations of data collection, processing, and geologic interpretation were published in 2006 for the North Shore, Boston Harbor, and eastern Cape Cod; and in 2007 for Quicks Hole and Great Round Shoal. A report on the project from Cape Ann to Salisbury Beach is currently in the publication process. Data from two additional areas—Hull to Duxbury and Northern Cape Cod Bay—are currently being processed. For additional information and preliminary results from current mapping, see the project website or contact Seth Ackerman at seth.ackerman@state.ma.us.


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