The Florida Coastal Mapping Program

Media

Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details

The Florida Coastal Mapping Program

For more information about this program, please visit the Florida Coastal Mapping Program website.

Vision Statement 

"Accessible, high resolution seafloor data of Florida’s coastal waters to support infrastructure, habitat mapping, restoration projects, resource management, emergency response, and coastal resiliency and hazard studies for the citizens of Florida."

Regional Coordination

"It is the intention of FCMaP and the STAC to coordinate and collaborate with Gulf and U.S. East Coast state, regional and federal partners with the goal to provide a consistent perspective on coastal mapping efforts and needs beyond Florida. We welcome opportunities for our efforts to serve as examples for regional approaches.
Sediment erodes from the marsh shoreline
is suspended in the water nearshore
and delivered onto the marsh platform."

Background

The State of Florida has the longest coastline in the contiguous United States (2,170 km). The coastal zone is heavily populated (76% of the state population lives in coastal counties) and contains 1,900 km of sandy beaches that support economically important recreation and tourism. Florida’s coastal waters are among the most valuable coastal zones in the nation generating over $30 billion in revenue per year, host the largest number of recreational boats and saltwater fishermen in the country, as well as important marine mineral resources and unique ecosystems. There is continual need for high resolution data of the coast and adjacent seafloor for resource and habitat mapping, understanding coastal vulnerability, evaluating performance of restoration projects, and many other coastal and marine spatial planning efforts.

To address the increasing need for coastal seafloor data, the USGS and the Florida Institute of Oceanography (FIO), in 2017, spearheaded the Florida Coastal Mapping Program (FCMaP), which is an initiative between Federal and Florida State agencies and institutions to assess existing data, and develop a prioritization and strategy for filling gaps with high resolution data for all of Florida’s coastal waters from the shore to the shelf edge. To accomplish this goal, a steering committee composed of four Federal and four State agencies are working together closely to coordinate ongoing and future planned mapping efforts, and engage with stakeholders through workshops and other communications to prioritize new data collection and set consistent mapping standards. The goal is to implement a strategy to have complete, consistent, high resolution data for all of Florida’s coastal waters by 2028.

Why Map Florida’s Coastal Waters?

Media

Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details

• The coast is highly vulnerable (and experiences rapid change due) to hurricanes and sea level rise impacts
• Many areas of the Florida coastal waters have not been mapped, or existing maps are old and of low resolution
• Up to date characterization of coastal systems helps managers develop effective strategies to protect human health and infrastructure
• New high resolution maps of the seabed are a necessary investment if Florida is going to continue to grow its blue economy and facilitate sustainable aquaculture & alternative energy
• New high resolution coastal topographic and bathymetric maps will dramatically increase scientific baseline characterization of coastal resources (sand availability and habitats) and processes that drive changes 
• The Florida coast has the highest density of human population and infrastructure, an accurate physical characterization is necessary for effective coastal management

Completed maps of the seafloor would support numerous applications that require high resolution data including:

• Baseline management and restoration data
• Baseline habitat mapping data
• Baseline monitoring data
• Quantify change
• Siting instruments
• Sediment budgets
• Modeling
• Coastal processes
• Coral processes
• Geologic history

Rather than piecemeal data collection with varying resolution and mapping standards as has been done traditionally, a comprehensive and coordinated approach will increase efficiency, reduce cost, and benefit multiple stakeholders.