| Benthic habitat map of the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force Watershed Partnership Initiative Kaanapali priority study area and the State of Hawaii Kahekili Herbivore Fisheries Management Area, west-central Maui, Hawaii |
Underwatervideo |
A benthic habitat polygon coverage has been created of the coral reef ecosystem within the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force Watershed Partnership Initiative Kaanapali priority study area and the State of Hawaii Kahekili Herbivore Fisheries Management Area, West-Central Maui, Hawaii. Polygons were hand-digitized from visual interpretation of QuickBird-2 satellite imagery (2005), and SHOALS bathymetry data. We also utilized in situ knowledge from underwater photography and videography (2002-2011), side-scan sonar data, and diver and snorkeler observations. The polygons have attributes for Main Structure/Substrate, Dominant Structure/Substrate, Major Biological Cover, Percent of Major Biological Cover, Reef Zone, Unique ID, and measurements of Area (in square meters) of each polygon. |
Susan Cochran |
| Benthic habitat map of the geomorphological structure, biological cover, and geologic zonation of Olowalu reef, Maui |
Underwatervideo |
This shapefile contains habitat polygons identifying the dominant and major geomorphological structure, biological type and percent cover, and geologic zone for 11 square kilometers of Olowalu reef off west-central Maui at a minimum mapping unit of 100 square meters. Habitats were mapped with heads-up digitization using the NOAA Habitat Digitizer Extension in ArcMap (Esri, v.10.8.2). Seafloor characteristics were based on visual interpretation of 3-band (red, green, blue) 0.5m satellite orthoimagery, 1-m-resolution acoustic backscatter imagery, lidar-derived digital bathymetric models (DBM) at 1-, 4-, and 8-m resolutions, and various surface morphometric layers derived from the three DBMs (relative position, aspect, rugosity, slope). Ground reference (n=870) and accuracy assessment (n=216) images of the seafloor were extracted from live video taken by a vessel-towed camera sled surveying shore-normal transects in waters 10-40 m depth. |
Curt Storlazzi |
