ShoreZone

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ShoreZone Imagery and Data Applicability to
Coastal Processes
Seminar on Coastal Processes and Ocean Observing
Workshop Oct. 7, 2009 Presented by Laura
Baker, The Nature Conservancy
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Outline
ShoreZone Coastal Habitat Mapping Partners
(Alaska, BC, Washington) Methodology for image
collection and mapping
Relevance and Applications Resource Planning and
Management Oil Spill Response Marine Debris
Detection Habitat Modeling
Coastal Processes 101 for Site Evaluation
Substrate Types Wave Energy Sediment Transport
Accessibility and Website Use
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Partners
Alaska State DNR, DFG Archipelago Marine
Research Ltd Coastal and Ocean Resources Inc Cook
Inlet Regional Citizens Advisory Council Exxon
Valdez Oil Spill Trustee Council Kenai Peninsula
Borough Minerals Management Services National
Park Service NOAA National Marine Fisheries
Service North Pacific Research Board Ocean
Fund Parks Canada Prince William Sound Regional
Citizens Advisory Council Prince William Sound
Science Center Province of British Columbia Sitka
Tribe of Alaska Southeast Alaska Petroleum
Resources Organization The Nature
Conservancy U.S. Fish Wildlife Service U.S.D.A.
Forest Service University of Washington Sea Grant
Program Washington State DNR
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ShoreZone Goals

• Map Entire Shoreline of Alaska
• Classify and inventory geological biological
  attributes

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Goals cont

• A tool for marine spatial planning incorporating
  research, permitting, cultural studies, oil spill
  response, marine debris removal, climate change
  baseline data
• Publicly available imagery and data

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ShoreZone Basics

• Two phases
• 1. Low-altitude (300 ft) aerial videography
  collected at zero tide and lower (field)
• 2. Mapping of georeferenced biological and
  physical attributes (lab)

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ShoreZone Coastal Habitat Mapping
sediment texture
geomorphology
wave exposure
anthropogenic features
subtidal algae
intertidal biota
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Mapping across-shore physical (geomorphic)
attributes and BioBands
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ShoreZone Applications
Habitat modelling
Permitting
Oil Spill Response
Cultural Sites
Photos courtesy of SEAPRO, NOAA AKR
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Coastal Processes 101 for Site Evaluation
Three primary concepts 1. Substrate Types 2.
Wave Energy 3. Sediment Transport
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• Substrate Types Bedrock shores
• Stable with little to no erosion
• Supports Epibenthos

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• Sediment Shorelines
• Often mobile (but not always)
• Erosional or accretional
• Dominant biota are infauna living within
  sediments
• Most sensitive to oil spill retention or other
  pollution

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Kenai Peninsula
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• Wave Energy is really Important!
• Affects sediment mobility
• Affects biota and in SZ, biota is used for
  identifying wave exposure class
• Important for habitat capability modeling
• Important for oil spill response fundamental for
  Environmental Sensitivity Index (ESI) and oil
  residency index

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Exposed coast of Kruzof Island, Sitka Sound
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Southern Prince of Whales Island
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Large eelgrass beds Craig, Prince of Wales
Island
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Marsh with ponds and tidal creeks
Minx Island, Thorne Arm, Revillagigedo
Island
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• Sediment Transport
• Longshore transport
• Erosion and accretional processes

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Palma Bay
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ShoreZone Data Distribution

• Current Availability
• Web-posting of imagery
• Shoreline attribute data
• Queries
• By NOAA National Marine Fisheries
• http//alaskafisheries.noaa.gov/maps/szintro.htm
• Others
• National Park Service
• DNR Alaska Mapper

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ShoreZone Summary

• Georeferenced, spatial dataset
• Approaches a continental scale, but with features
  from 10s to 100s of meters

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ShoreZone Summary

• Ease of availability to the public
• Vast potential for applications in research,
  cultural, education, and resource management in
  the intertidal and nearshore environment

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Questions? ShoreZone Partnership Meeting Oct.
20-21, 2009 in Juneau Video and teleconference
available
CONTACT Laura Baker The Nature
Conservancy lbaker_at_tnc.org 907.586.8623 Presentat
ion compiled by Dr. Jodi Harney Dr. John Harper,
Coastal and Ocean Resources Inc. Dr. Mandy
Lindeberg, NOAA, Alaska Science Center