Coastal Services Center

The Seafloor Mapping Lab at California State University, Monterey, and the NOAA Coastal Services Center completed a cooperative agreement to develop high-resolution, digital seafloor bathymetry data suitable for classification and delineation of benthic habitats and to help the navigation of Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) sampling platforms at a series of reference sites along the California coast. The Lab and the NOAA Coastal Services Center collaborated to develop accurate, high-resolution, 3-D habitat maps that can be used by California environmental agencies and other groups to assess habitat quality and to implement effective ROV and diver sampling strategies. The outcomes of this agreement included the development and launch of a Web site populated with marine mapping products and bathymetric data and the delivery of geographic information system (GIS) themes to the California Department of Fish and Game and to other public groups.

NOAA Coastal Services Center's Role

The NOAA Coastal Services Center helped the university’s Seafloor Mapping Lab and the Marine Mapping Users Group develop and populate a Web-based GIS server capability for sharing geospatial data and products derived from and related to hydrographic surveys of California proposed Marine Protected Area sites. NOAA Coastal Services Center employees worked with staff at the Sea Floor Mapping Lab to develop, launch, and populate a Web-based GIS capability suitable for Internet delivery of bathymetric survey products generated. Center staff assisted university staff as they located and established the new GIS service that allows public access to all marine mapping products created through the cooperative agreement. Hydrographic products are on-line at http://www.dfg.ca.gov/mrd/channel_islands/index.html.

Grantee Overview

Founded in 1994, the California State University, Monterey Bay (CSUMB) is envisioned as a comprehensive state university which values service through high quality education. The campus serves the diverse people of California, especially the working class and historically undereducated and low-income populations. It features an enriched living and learning environment and year-round operation. The identity of the university is framed by substantive commitment to multilingual, multicultural, gender-equitable learning. The university is a collaborative, intellectual community distinguished by partnerships with existing institutions both public and private, cooperative agreements which enable students, faculty, and staff to cross institutional boundaries for innovative instruction, broadly defined scholarly and creative activity, and coordinated community service.

The Seafloor Mapping Lab (SFML), within the Division of Science and Environmental Policy at California State University Monterey Bay, specializes in high-resolution acoustic remote sensing for coastal habitats. Combining research and education with state-of-the-art geospatial technology, the SFML offers unique hands-on, field-to-finish experience to students while conducting professional habitat mapping surveys for resource management, and basic research along the continental margins.

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