1-m bathymetric contours derived from single-beam echosounder data collected within the New York Bight by the U.S. Geological Survey, 1995 - 1998 (Esri polyline shapefile, Geographic, WGS84, Esri binary grid UTM Zone 18N)

Beginning in 1995, the USGS, in cooperation with the U.S Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), New York District, began a program to generate reconnaissance maps of the sea floor offshore of the New York-New Jersey metropolitan area, one of the most populated coastal regions of the United States. The goal of this mapping program is to provide a regional synthesis of the sea-floor environment, including a description of sedimentary environments, sediment texture, seafloor morphology, and geologic history to aid in understanding the impacts of anthropogenic activities, such as ocean dumping. This mapping effort differs from previous studies of this area by obtaining digital, sidescan-sonar images that cover 100 percent of the sea floor. This investigation was motivated by the need to develop an environmentally acceptable solution for the disposal of dredged material from the New York- New Jersey Port, by the need to identify potential sources of sand for nourishment of the southern shore of Long island, and by the opportunity to develop a better understanding of the transport and long-term fate of contaminants by investigations of the present distribution of materials discharged into the New York Bight over the last 100+ years (Schwab and others, 1997).