NOAA NCCOS Assessment: Priority Areas Recommended for Shallow Coral Reef Management in the South Florida Coast from 2021-04-26 to 2021-05-21

• Main Authors: Kraus, Jennifer, Buckel, Christine, Williams, Bethany, Ames, Cory, Dorfman, Dan, Pagan, Francisco, Towle, Erica
• Other Authors: Kraus, Jen, NCCOS Data Manager, Battista, Tim
• Format: Dataset
• Language: unknown
• Published: 2022
• Subjects: United States Department of Commerce (DOC); US DOC; National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA); NOAA; National Ocean Service (NOS); NOS; National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS); United States Florida; NCCOS Research Priority > Marine Spatial Ecology; NCCOS Research Topic > Ecological and Biogeographic Assessments; NCCOS Research Topic > Habitat Mapping; NCCOS Research Location > Region > Atlantic Ocean; NCCOS Research Location > U.S. States and Territories > Florida; NCCOS Research Data Type > Geospatial; NCCOS Research Data Type > Derived Data Product; Geographic Information > Socioeconomic; Geographic Information > Marine Managed Areas; Numeric Data Sets > Bathymetry; Documents > Observational Report; EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef Monitoring and Assessment > Mapping; COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > Florida; COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > Florida > Florida Reef Tract (26N080W0007); OCEAN BASIN > Atlantic Ocean > North Atlantic Ocean > Florida; OCEAN BASIN > Atlantic Ocean > North Atlantic Ocean > Florida Reef Tract (26N080W0007); Christensen; North Atlantic
• Online Access: https://zenodo.org/record/6914685; https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6914685

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) developed a spatial framework, process, and online application (Buja and Christensen 2019) to identify mapping needs along the south Florida coast to support shallow coral reef management by NOAA’s Coral Reef Conservation Program (CRCP). Eighteen participants from local federal, state, academic, and other institutions entered their priorities in an online participatory Geographic Information System (pGIS). Participants used virtual coins to denote their priorities in 10.4 km2 hexagonal grid cells overlaid on the study area. Grid cells with more coins were higher priorities than cells with fewer coins. Participants also reported why these locations were important, what data types were needed, and data collection methodologies using a pre-set list of options. Results were compiled, summarized, and mapped to identify high priority areas, reasons for those priorities, and information needs. Identifying these high priority areas provide a critical spatial framework for prioritizing mapping efforts in shallow coral reef ecosystems in south Florida. The overall goal of the project was to systematically gather and quantify suggestions for mapping needs to support management of shallow coral reef ecosystems along the coast of south Florida. This dataset supports these goals by compiling input from a diversity of regional experts on their recommended priorities for mapping data collection. An advisory group was established which included individuals from NOAA CRCP and NOAA Fisheries. This advisory team customized the pGIS process specifically to meet the needs of CRCP and local coral reef manager priorities. In the online pGIS, the study area was divided into 1761 hexagonal grid cells 10.4 km2 in size. Existing relevant spatial datasets (e.g., bathymetry, Sanctuary Protection Areas, etc.) were provided as a digital atlas to help participants understand information and data gaps within the project area and to ...