NCCOS Project Explorer (NPE)

Assessment of Existing Information on Atlantic Coastal Fish Habitats(2010)

Project Description:
The overarching goal of this project is to assist the Atlantic Coastal Fish Habitat Partnership (ACFHP) to develop a strategy to conserve, protect, restore, and enhance aquatic habitats along the U.S. Atlantic Coast from Maine to Florida. This strategy will only succeed if it is built upon the best available information. Therefore, the specific goal of this project is to develop and deliver a comprehensive Assessment Database of Atlantic coastal habitats, species, stressors, and regulations to inform and enable ACFHP’s conservation planning. Several objectives that must be met in order to achieve this project’s goal include: * With guidance from the ACFHP Steering Committee, craft a work plan with specific tasks and “deliverables” that can be feasibly completed within the proposed timeline. * Using the best available search methods, assemble a comprehensive bibliography of existing information on Atlantic Coast habitats and species. * Using the best available bibliographic methods, design and create a useable database to capture all of the compiled information. * Develop the database as a “spatial bibliography” by linking the spatial footprint of each entry with a suitable framework in ArcGIS. * Through close coordination with ACFHP, develop a set of topics and questions which can be analyzed using the database. * Communicate results in a timely manner to ACFHP and NFHAP through written reporting, oral presentation, and live demonstration. * To the extent possible, collect publicly-available versions of the entries (.pdf, database, GIS, and metadata files) to develop an electronic library. * Explore the feasibility of future work such as deploying the Assessment Database with web-based platforms such as ArcIMS or SQL Server.

Expected Outcome:
The National Fish Habitat Action Plan (NFHAP) was launched in 2006 with the overall mission to protect, restore, and enhance the nation’s fish and aquatic communities through partnerships that foster fish habitat conservation. On the regional scale, several partnerships have been launched, with participation from federal and state agencies, non-governmental organizations, and local citizens, including the Atlantic Coastal Fish Habitat Partnership launched in 2007. Synthesis of existing information into a comprehensive and useable database and synoptic document has been identified as a crucial need at both the National and Regional levels. To meet this need, this project will provide to ACFHP an Assessment of Existing Information on Atlantic Coastal Fish Habitats, with three interrelated components: 1. Bibliographic Database - a comprehensive, searchable, bibliographic database of selected documents, data sets, and analyses – including spatial and tabular data – relevant to the ACFHP priority habitats. This will most likely be developed within Microsoft Access. Example database fields include relevant species and associated habitats, identified threats, recommendations, and partners. 2. Spatial Framework – an ArcGIS digital map identifying the “spatial footprint” of each entry in the Bibliographic Database. This framework will be based on NOAA’s Coastal Assessment Framework and other marine spatial classifications. 3. Final Report - a final report with analysis of assessment criteria, key threats and conservation strategies, trends and data gaps found in the assessment of existing information. The Bibliographic Database, GIS Spatial Framework, and Summary Report will be used by ACFHP to develop a strategy to conserve, protect, restore, and enhance aquatic habitats along the U.S. Atlantic Coast from Maine to Florida.