Marine Sanctuaries Conservation Series NMSP-06-11 Habitat Mapping Effort at the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary – Current Status and Future Needs U.S. Department of Commerce National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration National Ocean Service Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management National Marine Sanctuary Program December 2006 About the Marine Sanctuaries Conservation Series The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Ocean Service (NOS) administers the National Marine Sanctuary Program (NMSP). Its mission is to identify, designate, protect and manage the ecological, recreational, research, educational, historical, and aesthetic resources and qualities of nationally significant coastal and marine areas. The existing marine sanctuaries differ widely in their natural and historical resources and include nearshore and open ocean areas ranging in size from less than one to over 5,000 square miles. Protected habitats include rocky coasts, kelp forests, coral reefs, sea grass beds, estuarine habitats, hard and soft bottom habitats, segments of whale migration routes, and shipwrecks. Because of considerable differences in settings, resources, and threats, each marine sanctuary has a tailored management plan. Conservation, education, research, monitoring and enforcement programs vary accordingly. The integration of these programs is fundamental to marine protected area management. The Marine Sanctuaries Conservation Series reflects and supports this integration by providing a forum for publication and discussion of the complex issues currently facing the National Marine Sanctuary Program. Topics of published reports vary substantially and may include descriptions of educational programs, discussions on resource management issues, and results of scientific research and monitoring projects. The series facilitates integration of natural sciences, socioeconomic and cultural sciences, education, and policy development to accomplish the diverse needs of NOAA’s resource protection mandate. Habitat Mapping Effort at the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary – Current Status and Future Needs Steven S. Intelmann Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary, NOAA U.S. Department of Commerce Carlos M. Gutierrez, Secretary National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration VADM Conrad C. Lautenbacher, Jr. (USN-ret.) Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere National Ocean Service John H. Dunnigan, Assistant Administrator Silver Spring, Maryland National Marine Sanctuary Program December 2006 Daniel J. Basta, Director DISCLAIMER Report content does not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the National Marine Sanctuary Program or the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, nor does the mention of trade names or commercial products constitute endorsement or recommendation for use. REPORT AVAILABILITY Electronic copies of this report are available from the National Marine Sanctuary Program web site at www.sanctuaries.nos.noaa.gov. Hard copies may be available from the following address: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration National Marine Sanctuary Program SSMC4, N/ORM62 1305 East-West Highway Silver Spring, MD 20910 COVER Cover image shows a sample of survey line planning for a multibeam bathymetry survey. Note the tighter line spacing required for surveying in shallower waters. SUGGESTED CITATION Intelmann, S.S. 2006. Habitat Mapping Effort at the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary – Current Status and Future Needs. Marine Sanctuaries Conservation Series NMSP-06-11. U.S. Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Marine Sanctuary Program, Silver Spring, MD. 29 pp. CONTACT Steven S. Intelmann Habitat Mapping Specialist NOAA/National Marine Sanctuary Program N/ORM 6X26 115 E. Railroad Avenue, Suite 301 Port Angeles, WA 98362 (360) 457-6622 X22 [email protected] ABSTRACT With elevating interest to establish conservation efforts for groundfish stocks and continued scrutiny over the value of marine protected areas along the west coast, the importance of enhancing our knowledge of seabed characteristics through mapping activities is becoming increasingly more important, especially in a timely manner. Shortly after the inception of the Seabed Mapping Initiative instituted with the US Geological Survey (USGS), the National Marine Sanctuary Program (NMSP) assembled a panel of habitat mapping experts. They determined that the status of existing data sets and future data acquisition needs varied widely among the individual sanctuaries and that more detailed site assessments were needed to better prioritize mapping efforts and outline an overall joint strategy. To assist with that specific effort and provide pertinent information for the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary’s (OCNMS) Management Plan Review, this report summarizes the mapping efforts that have taken place at the site to date; calculates a timeframe for completion of baseline mapping efforts when operating under current data acquisition limitations; describes an optimized survey strategy to dramatically reduce the required time to complete baseline surveying; and provides estimates for the needed vessel sea-days (DAS) to accomplish baseline survey completion within a 2, 5 and 10 year timeframe. KEY WORDS Benthic, habitat mapping, side scan sonar, multibeam echosounder, multibeam side scan sonar, interferometric side scan and bathymetry, Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary, essential fish habitat i TABLE OF CONTENTS Topic Page Abstract and Key Words......................................................................................... i Table of Contents.................................................................................................... ii List of Figures and Tables....................................................................................... iii Introduction............................................................................................................. 1 Current Data Holdings ............................................................................................ 2 Time Estimates to Complete Data Acquisition Assuming Current Rate Of Annual Vessel Time .......................................................................................... 8 Vessel Days-At-Sea Needed to Complete Acquisition Efforts Assuming 2, 5, and 10-Year Schedules ....................................................................................... 24 Summary................................................................................................................. 27 Acknowledgments................................................................................................... 28 References............................................................................................................... 28 ii LIST OF FIGURES AND TABLES Figure/Table Number and Title Page Table 1. Multibeam data acquisition statistics from the NOAA SHIP RAINIER hydrographic surveys in OCNMS (2001-2004)...................................................... 2 Figure 1. Graphical representation of NOAA SHIP RAINIER hydrographic survey effort (2001-2004) by specific area in OCNMS. .................................................... 3 Figure 2. OCNMS sheet locations from NOAA SHIP RAINIER multibeam surveys (2001-2004)............................................................................................................. 4 Figure 3. Cape Flattery LIDAR flight track lines, Koitlah Point to Cape Alava, shown with existing area of multibeam sounding data........................................... 5 Table 2. Details of side scan sonar and multibeam backscatter acquisition within OCNMS since 1999.. .............................................................................................. 6 Figure 4. Side scan sonar and multibeam backscatter acquisition effort by year at OCNMS. ................................................................................................................. 7 Table 3. Range scale and line spacing schemes used for various depth ranges..... 8 Figure 5. Illustration of current side scan sonar data coverage shown with regions of the sanctuary to be surveyed by small vessel such as the Research Vessel TATOOSH and by larger vessel such as the NOAA SHIP McARTHURII .............. 10 Table 4. Estimated effort required to complete 100 percent single beam side scan sonar coverage at OCNMS ............................................................................. 12 Figure 6. Shallow-water side scan sonar line plans designed for surveying from the Research Vessel TATOOSH. ........................................................................... 13 Figure 7. Deep-water side scan sonar line plans designed for surveying from the NOAA SHIP McARTHURII.. .................................................................................. 14 Table 5. Estimated effort required to complete 100 percent multibeam echosounder coverage at OCNMS............................................................................................... 16 Figure 8. Shallow-water multibeam echosounder line plans designed for surveying from NOAA SHIP RAINIER survey launch. ........................................................... 17 iii Figure 9. Deep-water multibeam echosounder line plans designed for surveying from NOAA SHIP RAINIER or similar vessel.. ...................................................... 18 Figure 10. Representation of an optimized survey