gov.noaa.nmfs.inport:78511 eng UTF8 dataset Office for Coastal Management resourceProvider 2026-02-04T20:07:57 ISO 19115-2 Geographic Information - Metadata Part 2 Extensions for imagery and gridded data ISO 19115-2:2009(E) geometryOnly curve EPSG::4269 Estero Bay Benthic Cover 1999 2026-02-17 publication NOAA/NMFS/EDM 78511 https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inport/item/78511 WWW:LINK-1.0-http--link Full Metadata Record View the complete metadata record on InPort for more information about this dataset. information mapDigital These data detail the distribution of various bottom types, including seagrass, unvegetated areas, open water, algal beds, and oyster habitats, along with the apparent shoreline in the Southwest Florida Seagrass project area, which encompasses Pine Island Sound, Matlacha Pass, San Carlos Bay, the lower Caloosahatchee River, and Estero Bay. The data were produced for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's Marine Research Institute (now called the Fish and Wildlife Research Institute) in partnership with the South Florida Water Management District. Data were developed by stereoscopically photointerpreting and digitizing 1:24,000-scale natural color aerial photographs, which were accurately georeferenced using GPS ground control points and a Zeiss P3 analytical stereoplotter. Classification of seagrass and other categories followed the FDOT Florida Land Use, Cover and Forms Classification System, aided by a developed photointerpretation key. A minimum mapping unit of 0.25 acres was applied to all classes. Ground truthing was conducted during the photointerpretation phase to maintain classification accuracy and consistency. Separately, a cooperative mapping program involving the U.S. Geological Survey, NOAA's Office for Coastal Management, and the Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve focused on collecting marine geophysical data. The main goals were to create seafloor maps to better define the extent of oyster habitats and the bay's overall seafloor geology, providing updated information for resource management. This geophysical data is valuable for managing the bay's oyster resources and serves as a geologic framework for scientific research and public use. The layers available within the data download include biotic, geoform, and substrate. Partners: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, South Florida Water Management District, U.S. Geological Survey, and the Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve To support the inventory of benthic habitat classification, extent, and health pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act, the Rivers and Harbors Act, and the Coastal Zone Management Act. NOAA Office for Coastal Management completed NOAA Office for Coastal Management (843) 740-1202 2234 South Hobson Ave Charleston SC 29405-2413 coastal.info@noaa.gov https://coast.noaa.gov WWW:LINK-1.0-http--link NOAA Office for Coastal Management Website NOAA Office for Coastal Management Home Page information pointOfContact notPlanned EARTH SCIENCE > BIOSPHERE > ECOSYSTEMS > MARINE ECOSYSTEMS > BENTHIC EARTH SCIENCE > BIOSPHERE > ECOSYSTEMS > MARINE ECOSYSTEMS > COASTAL theme Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Science Keywords 17.0 benthic biotic coastal geoform seafloor substrate theme Florida United States of America place DOC/NOAA/NOS/OCM > Office of Coastal Management, National Ocean Service, NOAA, U.S. Department of Commerce dataCentre Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Data Center Keywords 2017-04-24 publication 8.5 Earth Science Data and Information System, Earth Science Projects Division, Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) https://forum.earthdata.nasa.gov/app.php/tag/GCMD%2BKeywords GCMD Keyword Forum Page Global Change Master Directory (GCMD). 2025. GCMD Keywords, Version 22. Greenbelt, MD: Earth Science Data and Information System, Earth Science Projects Division, Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). URL (GCMD Keyword Forum Page): https://forum.earthdata.nasa.gov/app.php/tag/GCMD+Keywords information custodian MarineCadastre project InPort otherRestrictions Cite As: Office for Coastal Management, [Date of Access]: Estero Bay Benthic Cover 1999 [Data Date Range], https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inport/item/78511. NOAA provides no warranty, nor accepts any liability occurring from any incomplete, incorrect, or misleading data, or from any incorrect, incomplete, or misleading use of the data. It is the responsibility of the user to determine whether or not the data is suitable for the intended purpose. otherRestrictions Use Constraints: These data were created for planning and management. Users should be aware of temporal changes that may have occurred since the collection of original source data sets. otherRestrictions Distribution Liability: Any conclusions drawn from the analysis of this information are not the responsibility of NOAA, the Office for Coastal Management or its partners. All content is licensed under the CC0 1.0 Universal public domain dedication. unclassified NOAA Data Management Plan (DMP) NOAA/NMFS/EDM 78511 https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inportserve/waf/noaa/nos/ocm/dmp/pdf/78511.pdf WWW:LINK-1.0-http--link NOAA Data Management Plan (DMP) NOAA Data Management Plan for this record on InPort. information crossReference vector eng; US biota environment -82.37394 -81.794711 26.247 26.705917 | Currentness: Publication Date 1999-12-09 1999-12-26 Bureau Code: 006:48, Program Code: 006:055 https://marinecadastre.gov/downloads/data/benthic/estero_bay_1999.zip WWW:LINK-1.0-http--link https://marinecadastre.gov/downloads/data/benthic/estero_bay_1999.zip download https://benthic-data-noaa.hub.arcgis.com/ WWW:LINK-1.0-http--link https://benthic-data-noaa.hub.arcgis.com/ NOAA Benthic Data Hub Registry download dataset Accuracy Experienced quality control photointerpreters performed a 100 percent quality control check, in stereo, of all delineations produced during the photointerpretation process to check for accuracy of delineations and classifications. The first photointerpretation quality control review was an in-process review performed on the analytical stereoplotter. A quality control photointerpreter reviewed the seagrass delineations interpreted on the aerial photographs. These data existed as a .dgn file at that stage of production. A Zeiss analytical stereoplotter with dual optics, typically used for quality assurance reviews, allowed two photointerpreters to view the images simultaneously. Suggested corrections were made to the original photointerpreter during the in-process quality control review. Some suggested corrections warranted further investigation in the field so that selected classification problems (particularly algae versus seagrass) could be positively resolved. Fieldwork was also performed in order to assess and maintain the quality of all photointerpretation. The trips accomplished several photointerpretation tasks in unison, including 1) signature identification in advance of photointerpretation; 2) resolution of problems encountered during photointerpretation; and 3) groundtruthing of existing delineations by comparing those delineations to the conditions in the field. In addition, hard copy photo scale plots of all quality control delineations were sent to Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's Florida Marine Research Institute (FMRI) for further review comments. These review comments were inspected and responded to by the quality control team. Horizontal Positional Accuracy Compiled to meet 10 meters horizontal accuracy at 95% confidence level Completeness Report Quality control was performed by visually superimposing the draft linework and labels onto the aerial photography using the analytical stereoplotter's superimposition capability (VIDEOMAP). This process ensured that 100 percent of all linework was accurately captured. Conceptual Consistency These data are logically consistent For aerial photography data collection, conventional color film was flown under conditions conducive to mapping submerged habitats. This included consideration of tidal stage, sun glint, cloud cover, water clarity, and phenology of submersed vegetation. The photography was reviewed for suitability and accepted as the primary data source for the benthic mapping. 1999-12-01T00:00:00 Data were developed by stereoscopically photointerpreting and digitizing 1:24,000 scale natural color aerial photographs, which were accurately georeferenced using GPS ground control points and a Zeiss P3 analytical stereoplotter. Classification of seagrass and other categories followed the FDOT Florida Land Use, Cover and Forms Classification System (FLUCCS), aided by a developed Photointerpretation Key. A minimum mapping unit of 0.25 acres was applied to all classes. Ground truthing was conducted during the photointerpretation phase to maintain classification accuracy and consistency. 2000-05-01T00:00:00 Microstation .dgn files were used to perform automated validation routines. Quality control checks for digital data consisted of unlabeled, multi-labeled, and contiguous polygon errors as well as dangles and sliver polygons. Polygon topology was created and label errors and node errors were run. Coverage characteristics were adhered to, such as tolerances, projection definition, and PAT items. 2000-05-01T00:00:00 Following completion of the final benthic habitat map, staff from NOAA's Office for Coastal Management, Florida Marine Research Institute, and the Southwest Florida Water Management District conducted a field thematic validation trip to the area to test the accuracy of the data. A set of random points were generated for field evaluation in ERDAS Imagine. The vector coverage was converted into a classified raster based on thematic polygon values. Fifty stratified random points were generated from each class (continuous SAV, patchy SAV, Oyster, and bare bottom). These points were used to guide the field team. However, conditions in the field, including winds over 20mph and extremely shallow water depths, prevented the team from visiting the majority of the randomly selected points. Only ten percent of the field points (15 of 166) were from the random point set. Field points were navigated to using a live GPS link through a field computer. The study area was segmented into three zones based on water bodies and access. The zones were Matlacha Sound, Pine Island Sound, and Estero Bay. The team observed sites along one side and then exited the area observing sites on the opposite side. Wind direction and exposure also influenced this process. In addition to navigating to pre-selected points whenever possible, the team would add field points. An effort was made to add these points in areas where many polygons were located together. This was done to maximize the number of polygons that could be visited and also address the most complex areas. Upon arriving at a point, or polygon in the case of an added point, the team would deploy the Towed Underwater Video camera and cross into the polygon in a transect manner. This transect was started such that some video observation of the area outside the polygon boundary could be made. As the transect was traveled, several observations were made along track to confirm the presence or absence of a given habitat. Once a determination could be made about the accuracy of the polygon in that area, the transect was stopped. Agreement between map observations and field observations exceeded 70 percent. Part of the difference between the two observations was the time elapsed between the time of the aerial photography and the seasonality differences between the two dates. 2001-11-01T00:00:00 The FLUCCS classes were cross-walked into the Florida System for Classifying Habitats in Estuarine and Marine Environments (SCHEME). All surficial geology classes translated smoothly into SCHEME. No information or data records were lost during this process. Geoform attributes not captured in the SCHEME hierarchy were added as modifiers (e.g. tidal inlet). 2012-03-28T00:00:00 The data were converted from a single ESRI polygon data set classified according to the System for Classifying Habitats in Estuarine and Marine Environments (SCHEME) to the Coastal and Marine Ecological Classification Standard (CMECS) 2012 format. This produced separate biotic, geoform, and substrate feature layers from the original input benthic habitat dataset. Each of the three feature layers contain respective CMECS biotic, geoform, and substrate component attributes where an "Equal" or "Nearly Equal" SCHEME value was present in the original data. Polygons for which no biotic, geoform, or substrate information was present have been removed. No other changes to the original polygon boundaries or any other alterations of the original SCHEME data were made during this process. 2015-01-01T00:00:00 Standardized common design elements, cleaned up field content, repaired geometry, and projected to NAD83. 2025-08-01T00:00:00 Source Contribution: Digital Natural color aerial photography. Conventional color film was flown under conditions conducive to mapping submerged habitats. This includes consideration of tidal stage, sun glint, cloud cover, water clarity, and phenology of submersed vegetation. The photography was reviewed for suitability and accepted as the primary data source for the benthic mapping. 1999 Benthic Habitat Aerial Photography 1999-01-01 publication U.S. Imaging originator 1999-12-09 1999-12-26