Nasby et al., 1999, Groundfish Abstract

Integration of Historical Groundfish Habitat Data with New High-Resolution, Remotely-Sensed Data on Heceta Bank, Oregon

11th Western Groundfish Conference
Sitka, Alaska

Nicole Nasby¹, Bob Embley², Brian Tissot³, Mark Hixon⁴, Dawn Wright⁵, Susan Merle², and Waldo Wakefield⁶

¹College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Science, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331
²NOAA PMEL, Hatfield Marine Science Center, Newport, OR 97365
³Department of Environmental Science, Washington State University, Vancouver, WA 98686
⁴Department of Zoology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331
⁵Department of Geosciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331
⁶NOAA NMFS, Hatfield Marine Science Center, Newport, OR 97365

This project evaluates the use of high- resolution sonar imagery for groundfish habitat assessmentsGIS techniques for the integration of seafloor transect data with high-resolution sonar imagery to produce a habitat classification system for groundfish. . The initial data sets are derived from 52 submersible dives made in 1988-1990 and an EM300 bathymetry/backscatter survey of Heceta Bank (Oregon). The submersible habitat survey investigated seafloor morphology and groundfish abundance along 30-minute transects over six predetermined stations along the bank and found a statistical relationship between habitat variability and groundfish distribution. These transects have been analyzed in a GIS using dynamic segmentation, which has elucidated changes in habitat along the transects. This involves integrating historical manned submersible observation data on Heceta Bank with state-of-the-art sonar imagery. The integration of these two comprehensive data sets will help determine how the original submersible direct habitat observations compare to the new remotely sensed sonar backscatter data. The use of GIS and application of dynamic segmentation provides a methodology for rapid superposition and comparison of the two disparate data sets.allows the positioning of the detailed habitat observations as ground- truthing for the sonar data. Establishing a correlation between these two data sets will allow the capacity to make predictions for larger portions of the bank. The initial phase of the project uses the submersible data in an attempt to extrapolate habitats over broader areas of the bank using a classification based on the imagery. Future plans are to apply the methodology using seafloor transects that sample the entire range of seafloor types defined by the imagery. Ultimately, such approaches will allow researchers to characterize marine communities over large areas of the seafloor - a major methodological breakthrough for fisheries management and conservation. This could be beneficial not only for local fisheries habitat assessment and management strategies, but could be developed as a tool for general habitat assessments for management and conservation of marine reserves and protected areas.

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Integration of Historical Groundfish Habitat Data with New High-Resolution, Remotely-Sensed Data on Heceta Bank, Oregon

11th Western Groundfish Conference Sitka, Alaska

11th Western Groundfish Conference
Sitka, Alaska