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CZM Seafloor and Habitat Mapping Publications

Find summaries of and links to these publications developed by the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management (CZM).

CZM has published and/or funded the following materials on seafloor and habitat mapping, which are listed alphabetically (unless otherwise noted) under the following categories:

Table of Contents

See the Seafloor and Habitat Mapping Program for details on CZM efforts to analyze and map the diverse habitats of the seafloor and CZM Publications for the full list of materials published by CZM.

(Note: Any views or opinions presented in publications prepared for CZM are solely those of the author[s] and do not necessarily represent those of the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management, the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, or the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Please see our website policies.)

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Open-File Reports in Massachusetts Waters

Listed in reverse chronological order.

Seafloor Survey Reports

Listed in reverse chronological order.

  • Preliminary Characterization of Offshore Sand Resources in Selected Study Areas (PDF, 50 MB) - This 2018 report contains a preliminary characterization of five offshore sand resource areas off the coast of Massachusetts. The five study areas were surveyed with vibracores, sediment grab samples, and video. In this report, the field data were used in conjunction with historic maps and acoustic data to estimate the depth and extent of the five offshore sand resource areas. The results estimate that there may be more than 400 million cubic yards of sand resources within state waters at these five locations.
  • ENV13 CZM 01 Benthic Infaunal Analysis Report (PDF, 3 MB) - This 2013 report prepared for CZM by AECOM Environment presents the results of an August 2012 seafloor sediment survey between Boston Harbor and the New Hampshire border. The report presents the results of the analysis of the 207 benthic infaunal grabs.
  • ENV12 CZM 01 Benthic Infaunal Analysis Report (PDF, 15 MB) - This 2012 report prepared for CZM by AECOM Environment presents the results of the analysis of 214 seafloor grab samples collected in 2011 during a seafloor sediment survey of southern Cape Cod Bay, south of the Islands (including Vineyard Sound), and in Buzzards Bay. The survey was conducted by CZM and the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries (MarineFisheries) on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)’s OSV Bold. Sediment type and infauna (small, sediment-dwelling animals) were sampled.
  • Sediment Grain Size and Benthic Infaunal Analysis in Support of CZM's Survey on the OSV Bold: Validation of Seafloor Sediment Maps in Massachusetts Bay and Cape Cod Bay (PDF, 6 MB) - This 2010 report, prepared for CZM by Normandeau Associates, Inc., presents the results of a seafloor sediment survey conducted by CZM and MarineFisheries in Massachusetts Bay and Cape Cod Bay during the summer of 2010. Samples were collected to analyze sediment grain size and infauna (small, sediment-dwelling animals).

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