Description
These data represent eelgrass meadows in Maine, which form an important aquatic habitat for the state, provide shelter for juvenile fish and invertebrates, and help stabilize unconsolidated sediments and shorelines. The Maine Department of Marine Resources mapped the submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) habitat for the entire coast per Coastal Change Analysis Program protocol, using aerial photography acquired between 1993 and 1997. The unified coastal SAV dataset is a composite of these multiple-year data and classified according to the System for Classification of Habitats in Estuarine and Marine Environments. The state of Maine led this mapping and monitoring effort to assist in locating sensitive areas for protection in the event of an oil spill and to form a baseline to determine trends within this ecosystem.
The layers available within the data download include biotic and substrate.
Partners: Maine Department of Marine Resources
Resources
| Name | Format | Description | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| https://benthic-data-noaa.hub.arcgis.com/ | Unknown | NOAA Benthic Data Hub Registry | Open resource |
| NOAA Office for Coastal Management Website | Unknown | NOAA Office for Coastal Management Home Page | Open resource |
| GCMD Keyword Forum Page | Unknown | 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 | Open resource |
| https://marinecadastre.gov/downloads/data/benthic/maine_1997.zip | ZIP | maine_1997.zip | Open resource |
| Full Metadata Record | Unknown | View the complete metadata record on InPort for more information about this dataset. | Open resource |
| NOAA Data Management Plan (DMP) | NOAA Data Management Plan for this record on InPort. | Open resource |