Gulf of Maine Mapping Initiative: A Regional Collaboration

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Gulf of Maine Mapping InitiativeA Regional
Collaboration
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Seafloor Mapping Basics
How deep is the water?
What are the seafloors characteristics?
-topography, geology, biology
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Direct Depth Measurements
Lead line
.
1800 B.C.
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Indirect Measurements using Sound
Discrete points
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Traditional Nautical Charting
1860
Lead lines
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Charting
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Higher resolution gives greater detail and
clarity
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Suite of Acoustic Techniquesto Characterize
Seafloor
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Data Integration
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Four Main Map Products
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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
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Applications of Seafloor Mapping

• Important tools for
• Managers
• Scientists
• Industry (oil gas, shipping, mining, etc.)
• Fishermen
• Other stakeholders

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Management Success Story Routing a Fiber-Optic
Cable
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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.
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After Mapping
By using seafloor maps to plan their tracks,
scallopers avoided rocky outcrops, reducing
damage to fishing gear and bottom habitat.
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Gulf of Maine

• One of the worlds most productive and important
  ocean systems
• Bi-national jurisdiction
• Diverse topography
• Supports a wide range of human uses

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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

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However

• Only 20 of the Gulf of Maine has been mapped
  using multibeam
• Benthic habitat mapping much lower percentage

GOMMI
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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

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GOMMIs Mission

• To promote mapping of the entire Gulf of Maine
  basin

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GOMMIs Objectives

• Facilitate communication and collaboration within
  the mapping community
• Build logistical and financial support for new
  projects
• Make maps and data widely available

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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

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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
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• 2005 survey
• built on existing coverage of
• Western GOM

2005
NEXT needs groundtruthing geological and
biological data
Also Surveyed In 2005
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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

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Online multibeam coverage map
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(No Transcript)
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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

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GOMMIs Next Big Step

• Raise financial and logistical support to set up
  and run a significant regional ocean mapping
  program in the Gulf of Maine

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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 USGSs
  Coastal and Marine Geology Program
• much of the infrastructure already exists

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GoM Mapping Program at UNH

• Why?
• more formal association with UNHs CCOM would
  provide sound infrastructure including
• technical expertise
• administrative support
• strategically located headquarters

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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

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But Wait, Theres 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

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GOMMIs Success Will Require

• creative collaborations between researchers
  and managers representing
• Government
• Academia, and
• Private sector

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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

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Gulf of Maine Mapping Initiative
www.gulfofmaine.org/gommi