FGDC-STD-018-2012 Coastal and Marine Ecological Classification Standard Marine and Coastal Spatial Data Subcommittee Federal Geographic Data Committee June, 2012 Federal Geographic Data Committee FGDC-STD-018-2012 Coastal and Marine Ecological Classification Standard, June 2012 ______________________________________________________________________________________ CONTENTS PAGE 1. Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Objectives ................................................................................................................ 1 1.2 Need ......................................................................................................................... 2 1.3 Scope ........................................................................................................................ 2 1.4 Application ............................................................................................................... 3 1.5 Relationship to Previous FGDC Standards .............................................................. 4 1.6 Development Procedures ......................................................................................... 5 1.7 Guiding Principles ................................................................................................... 7 1.7.1 Build a Scientifically Sound Ecological Classification .................................... 7 1.7.2 Meet the Needs of a Wide Range of Users ....................................................... 7 1.7.3 Create a Comprehensive Internally Consistent Classification .......................... 8 1.7.4 Meet Mapping Needs ........................................................................................ 9 1.7.5 Create a Flexible Classification ........................................................................ 9 1.8 Maintenance Authority .......................................................................................... 10 2. Overall Structure ........................................................................................................... 11 2.1 Settings ................................................................................................................... 11 2.1.1 Biogeographic Setting (BS) ............................................................................ 12 2.1.2 Aquatic Setting (AS) ....................................................................................... 12 2.2 Components ........................................................................................................... 12 2.2.1 Water Column Component (WC) ................................................................... 13 2.2.2 Geoform Component (GC) ............................................................................. 13 2.2.3 Substrate Component (SC) ............................................................................. 13 2.2.4 Biotic Component (BC) .................................................................................. 14 2.3 Biotopes .................................................................................................................. 14 2.4 Modifiers ................................................................................................................ 14 2.5 Using the Components ........................................................................................... 15 2.6 Ecological Foundation ........................................................................................... 16 2.6.1 Temporal and Spatial Variation ...................................................................... 17 2.6.2 Nature of CMECS Units ................................................................................. 17 3. Biogeographic Setting .................................................................................................. 19 3.1 Biogeographic Units--Estuarine System and Marine Nearshore and Offshore Subsystems ............................................................................................................ 19 3.2 Biogeographic Units--Marine Oceanic Subsystem ................................................ 20 3.3 Biogeographic Units--Lacustrine System (Great Lakes) ....................................... 23 4. Aquatic Setting............................................................................................................. 24 4.1 Aquatic Setting Hierarchical Structure ................................................................... 24 4.1.1 System ............................................................................................................. 24 4.1.2 Subsystem ........................................................................................................ 24 4.1.3 Tidal Zone ........................................................................................................ 25 4.2 Aquatic Setting Units .............................................................................................. 25 4.2.1 Lacustrine System ............................................................................................ 25 4.2.2 Estuarine System .............................................................................................. 26 4.2.3 Marine System ................................................................................................. 30 Federal Geographic Data Committee FGDC-STD-018-2012 Coastal and Marine Ecological Classification Standard, June 2012 ______________________________________________________________________________________ 5. Water Column Component .......................................................................................... 32 5.1 Water Column Layers ............................................................................................. 34 5.2 Salinity Subcomponent ........................................................................................... 39 5.3 Temperature Subcomponent ................................................................................... 40 5.4 Application of Water Column Layer (L), Salinity (S) and Temperature (T) Subcomponent Units .............................................................................................. 41 5.5 Hydroform Subcomponent Hierarchical Structure ................................................ 42 5.5.1 Hydroform Classes........................................................................................... 43 5.5.2 Hydroforms and Hydroform Types ................................................................. 43 5.6 Hydroform Subcomponent Units ............................................................................ 43 5.7 Biogeochemical Feature Subcomponent................................................................. 55 5.7.1 Biogeochemical Feature Subcomponent Units ................................................ 55 5.8 Water Column Component Modifiers .................................................................... 58 6. Geoform Component ................................................................................................... 60 6.1 Tectonic Setting Subcomponent ............................................................................ 61 6.2 Physiographic Setting Subcomponent ................................................................... 62 6.3 Level 1 and Level 2 Geoform Subcomponent Hierarchical Structure ................... 65 6.3.1 Level 1 and Level 2 Geoforms........................................................................ 66 6.3.2 Geoform Types ............................................................................................... 66 6.4 Level 1 and Level 2 Geoform Units ...................................................................... 67 6.5 Status of Geoform Component Units ..................................................................... 96 6.6 Geoform Component Modifiers ............................................................................. 97 7. Substrate Component ................................................................................................... 98 7.1 Commonly Used Methods for Classifying Substrate Geology .............................. 98 7.2 Application of the Substrate Component ............................................................. 102 7.3 Hierarchical Structure .......................................................................................... 103 7.3.1 Substrate Origin ............................................................................................ 104 7.3.2 Substrate Classes and Subclasses.................................................................. 104 7.3.3 Substrate Groups and Subgroups .................................................................. 104 7.4 Substrate Component Units ................................................................................. 104 7.4.1 Substrate Origin: Geologic Substrate............................................................. 104 7.4.2 Substrate Origin: Biogenic Substrate ............................................................. 108 7.4.3 Substrate Origin: Anthropogenic Substrate ................................................... 115 7.5 Status of Substrate Component Units .................................................................. 118 7.6 Substrate Component Modifiers .......................................................................... 118 8. Biotic Component .....................................................................................................