NOAA Coastal Services Center US Army Corps of Engineers NY District 20000531 One Map Charleston, South Carolina, USA NOAA Coastal Services Center NOAA Coastal Services Center 20000531 Charleston, South Carolina, USA NOAA Coastal Services Center <http://www.csc.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/crs/BouncePage.cgi?Bounce2=ftp://www.csc.noaa.gov/pub/lcr/nyharbor/lbj95ben.zip&product=217> Benthic grab samples were collected using a Shipek grab at pre-determined locations in the harbor. Taxonomic enumerations and biological community parameters were estimated from grab samples and used to assess habitat conditions in conjunction with sediment profile images taken at the same stations. All data were entered into a database, and habitat classes were defined for each station. The database was then used in a Geographic Information System (GIS) to characterize benthic habitat types for New York/New Jersey Harbor. The US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) had a need to develop benthic habitat maps in NY/NJ Harbor. This was critical for developing a plan for dredged material management that was both economically feasible and environmentally sound. The overall objective was to provide background information to plan cost-effective, spatially focused studies for siting dredge material disposal and habitat restoration within the Harbor. These benthic grab data were useful in supplementing sediment profile data taken concurrently, and they are useful for evaluating abundance and biomass for species of interest and comparing community parameters over time. 199506 199506 ground condition Complete None planned -74.25050 -73.96850 40.60167 40.45117 ISO 19115 Topic Category Biota 002 Boundaries 003 Environment 007 GeoscientificInformation 008 Inland Waters 012 Location 013 Oceans 014 PlanningCadastre 015 None benthic grab benthic habitat benthic mapping geographic information system GIS None New York Northeastern U. S. New York Harbor Lower Bay Raritan Bay Sandy Hook Bay New Jersey none It is the responsibility of the user to determine the appropriate use of the data product. NOAA Coastal Services Center Landscape Characterization Restoration (LCR) Program Manager mailing and physical address

2234 South Hobson Avenue

Charleston South Carolina 29405-2413 USA (843) 740-1200 (843) 740-1224 csc@csc.noaa.gov Monday-Friday, 8am-5pm, Eastern Standard Time Database Exchange Format (DBF) lbj95ben.dbf Quality assurance and control measures included randomly selecting 10% of the samples, reconstituting them with the original debris and repeating the entire separation, identification, and enumeration process. The quality assurance plan followed by Barry A. Vittor & Associates, Inc., called for all samples processed by a particular technician to be redone if more than 10% of that technician's work showed any samples to differ by more than 5% from the original results. For this project, all discrepancies were within 5%. The taxonomists previously worked on several projects for the NY/NJ area and verified each other's identifications. When differences of opinion occurred or when significant doubt remained, outside specialists examined the specimens. Identifications were to the lowest practical identification level (LPIL) when not to the species level. All data are believed to be logically consistent. All grab data were not included in this data layer. Abundances for species of interest (usually the ten most abundant species plus commercially important species) were included in this data layer. Data on less frequently occurring species were not included, but these data can be found in the NY/NJ Harbor project database tables. Stations were located in the field using a differential Global Positioning System (GPS), and station coordinates, date and time of day were recorded upon arrival at each station. Not relevant to the dataset. Barry Vittor and Associates, Inc. 20000531 tabular digital data Charleston, South Carolina NOAA Coastal Services Center spreadsheet 199506 199506 ground condition BVA grab data Taxonomic counts and community parameter estimates for benthic grabs collected for the NY/NJ Harbor project. A Shipek grab (0.04 m2) was used to collect benthic and sediment samples from one-third of the stations, and the grab was operated concurrently with deployment of a sediment profile camera from a different area of the RV Onrust. Two grabs were taken at each of the grab-sampled stations. All sediments collected in the first grab were prepared for benthic analyses by gently washing the material through a 0.5-mm mesh sieve and washing the contents into a labeled cloth bag that was immersed and stored in 10% buffered formaldehyde and seawater. In the laboratory at Barry A. Vittor & Associates, Inc., Mobile, AL, organisms were separated from the remaining debris by flotation and handpicking, identified by experienced taxonomists, and enumerated. Identification and counts were entered into a spreadsheet file and community parameter estimates were calculated. These data were then entered as a table into a database including the associated sediment profile data, sediment data and navigation records. BVA grab data 20000307 NOAA Coastal Services Center Landscape Characterization and Restoration (LCR) Program Manager mailing and physical address

2234 South Hobson Avenue

Charleston SC 29405-2413 USA (843) 740-1200 (843) 740-1224 csc@csc.noaa.gov Monday-Friday, 8am-5pm, Eastern Standard Time Point Point 184 Decimal Degrees North American Datum of 1983 Geodetic Reference System 80 6,378,137 298.257 lbj95ben.dbf DBF Table Skey Unique identifier for each station 20 954 Station Unique number assigned to sample sites 20.0 954.0 Latitude Latitude in decimal degrees 40.45117 40.60167 Longitude Longitude in decimal degrees -74.25050 -73.96850 Latutm Latitude in UTM Zone 18 coordinates 4478143 4494990 Longutm Longitude in UTM Zone 18 coordinates 563538 587332 Dupe Indicates visits to individual stations 1 single sampling visit to station 2 multiple sampling visits to station Datatype Indicates the type of sampling that occurred at a station 11 SPI and benthic grab 110 Sediment and benthic grab 111 SPI, sediment and benthic grab Taxa Number of taxa (species richness) 2 47 Total Number of organisms (total abundance) 3 3329 H_ Shannon-Weiner Diversity index 0.07 2.88 J_ Pielou's Evenness index 0.03 1.00 D Simpson's Diversity index 0.79 7.07 Mediomastu Abundance of Mediomastus spp. (polychaete) 0 1791 S_benedict Abundance of Streblospio benedicti (polychaete) 0 762 M_edulis Abundance of Mytilus edulis (mussel) 0 1461 T_agilis Abundance of Tellina agilis (clam) 0 40 M_mercenar Abundance of Mercenaria mercenaria (clam) 0 8 G_gemma Abundance of Gemma gemma (clam) 0 2201 M_laterali Abundance of Mulinia lateralis (clam) 0 587 S_solidiss Abundance of Spisula solidissima (clam) 0 9 M_arenaria Abundance of Mya arenaria (clam). 0 102 A_abdita Abundance of Ampelisca abdita (amphipod) 0 2499 Amphipods Abundance of amphipod species 0 2613 NOAA Coastal Services Center Clearinghouse Manager mailing and physical address

2234 South Hobson Avenue

Charleston South Carolina 29405 USA 843-740-1210 843-740-1224 csc@csc.noaa.gov Monday-Friday, 8am-5pm, Eastern Standard Time Benthic grab data from Lower Bay in New York/New Jersey Harbor, June 1995 While every effort has been made to ensure that these data are accurate and reliable within limits of the state of the art, NOAA will not assume any liability for damages caused by any inaccuracies in these data, or failure in their use. For information about obtaining these data, please visit the project home page at <http://www.csc.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/crs/BouncePage.cgi?Bounce2=ftp://www.csc.noaa.gov/pub/lcr/nyharbor/lbj95ben.zip&product=217> 20000412 20000522 NOAA Coastal Services Center Metadata Specialist Mailing and physical address

2234 South Hobson Avenue

Charleston South Carolina 29405 USA 843-740-1200 843-740-1224 csc@csc.noaa.gov Monday-Friday, 8am-5pm, Eastern Standard Time FGDC CSDGM FGDC-STD-001-1998 Generated by mp version 2.2.4 on Mon May 22 14:35:07 2000