Seafloor Elevation Change From 2016 to 2017 at Crocker Reef, Florida Keys-Impacts From Hurricane Irma

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center conducted research to quantify bathymetric changes at Crocker Reef near Islamorada, Florida, within a 33.6 square-kilometer area following Hurricane Irma in September 2017. USGS staff used light detection and ranging (lidar)-derived data acquired by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) between July 21 and November 21, 2016 and USGS multibeam data collected between October 10 and December 8, 2017 to assess changes in seafloor elevation and structure that occurred after the passage of Hurricane Irma. An elevation change analysis between the 2016 NOAA lidar data and the 2017 multibeam data was performed to quantify and map impacts to seafloor elevation and to determine elevation and volume change statistics for nine habitat types found at Crocker Reef. Data were collected under Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary permit FKNMS-2016-068.

For more information see: Fredericks, J.J., Reynolds, B.J., Farmer, A.S., Yates, K.K., and Zawada, D.G., 2019, Multibeam bathymetry data collected in October and December 2017 at Crocker Reef, the Florida Keys: U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/P9EASN2O

For more information see: OCM Partners, 2019, 2016 NOAA NGS Topobathy Lidar DEM-Florida Keys Outer Reef Block 02 from 2016-07-21 to 2016-11-21: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, https://inport.nmfs.noaa.gov/inport/item/49423.