gov.noaa.nmfs.inport:78512 eng UTF8 dataset Office for Coastal Management resourceProvider 2026-02-04T20:08:41 ISO 19115-2 Geographic Information - Metadata Part 2 Extensions for imagery and gridded data ISO 19115-2:2009(E) geometryOnly curve EPSG::4269 Massachusetts Seagrass 1996 2026-02-17 publication NOAA/NMFS/EDM 78512 https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inport/item/78512 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 represent submerged aquatic vegetation, primarily eelgrass (Zostera marina), along the Atlantic coast of Massachusetts. This data collection was a partnership between the Coastal Change Analysis Program (C-CAP) at NOAA's Office for Coastal Management, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection's Wetlands Conservancy Program, and the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management. Conventional color metric aerial photography was acquired from 1994 to 1996 at a scale of 1:20,000, according to stringent parameters detailed in the C-CAP protocol. The photography was photointerpreted using a biocular stereoscope, and eelgrass was then delineated onto acetate overlays affixed to each photograph. In addition, a point file was generated based on field-verified sites as well as all occurrences of widgeon grass (Ruppia maritima) and algae. Extensive fieldwork, including underwater video, was conducted to develop signatures and gather surface-level data where the presence or extent of habitat was not apparent from the photography. The layers available within the data download include biotic and substrate. Partners: Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection’s Wetlands Conservancy Program and the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management 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 eelgrass seafloor seagrass substrate theme Massachusetts 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]: Massachusetts Seagrass 1996 [Data Date Range], https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inport/item/78512. 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 78512 https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inportserve/waf/noaa/nos/ocm/dmp/pdf/78512.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 -71.1545 -69.9244 41.2596 42.683 | Currentness: Publication Date 1994 1996 Bureau Code: 006:48, Program Code: 006:055 https://marinecadastre.gov/downloads/data/benthic/massachusetts_1996.zip WWW:LINK-1.0-http--link https://marinecadastre.gov/downloads/data/benthic/massachusetts_1996.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 The benthic data is classified according to the System for Classification of Habitats in Estuarine and Marine Environments (SCHEME). The polygon vector coverage was accuracy assessed by C-CAP and DEP-WCP in July 1997 and September 1998. The assessment was based on random points generated within the polygon boundaries. Navigation to each point in the field was accomplished using real time differential GPS. The underwater video camera was used to verify the presence of the mapped feature at the random point. The accuracy of the mapped grass was 85.4% (175 of 205 sites mapped correct). Horizontal Positional Accuracy Overall accuracy of 8 meters for line work. Completeness Report Where stereo photography coverage ended, straight lines were drawn to close polygons, possibly excluding areas of eelgrass habitat. Conceptual Consistency These data are logically consistent Conventional color metric aerial photography was acquired from 1994 to 1996 at a scale of 1:20,000 1996-01-01T00:00:00 The photography was photointerpreted by DEP-WCP using a biocular stereoscope (Cartographic Engineering Modular Stereoscope Model SB 190). The rectification and digitization was completed utilizing the ERDAS Imagine software package. 1996-01-01T00:00:00 The aerial photos, with the interpreted acetates attached, were scanned using a photogrammetric quality scanner (AGFA Horizon Plus) at a resolution of 600 dpi resulting in a pixel resolution of .85 meters. The resulting image file was rectified (bilinear 2nd order) by C-CAP to 1 meter black and white and color digital orthophotos supplied by CZM. 1996-01-01T00:00:00 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 and substrate feature layers from the original input benthic habitat dataset. Each of the two feature layers contain respective CMECS biotic and substrate component attributes where an "Equal" or "Nearly Equal" SCHEME value was present in the original data. Polygons for which no biotic 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: Conventional color metric aerial photography. Acetate overlays containing submerged aquatic bed(eelgrass) polygons, field-verified points, and other relevant data. Aerial photography was interpreted for submerged aquatic bed presence. Extensive field work was conducted in conjunction with the interpretation to develop signatures and address areas of concern. Coastal Massachusetts Submerged Aquatic Bed 1998-01-01 publication Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection originator 1994 1996