| Abstract: |
The Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management is currently investigating several GIS/remote sensing-driven semi-automated classification techniques to create a seafloor map showing surficial geological habitat (patches of uniform bottom type). Maps will be based on a combination of physiographic data (bathymetry and derivatives including slope; orientation; curvature and relative position including Bathymetric Position Index; and terrain variability including rugosity, Terrain Ruggedness Index, and fractal dimension) and lithologic data (sidescan sonar interpretations and derivatives). We will intersect these parameters using map algebra, multivariate statistical, and supervised classification routines, all common to landscape ecology and terrestrial image classification. Resultant geologic habitat maps will be compared to groundtruth data in an error matrix to quantify the accuracy of select elements. The final surficial geologic habitat map will serve as basemap that will guide future research, inform decision makers facing increased coastal zone development pressures, and serve as the basis for species-specific habitat suitability modeling. |