Identification of Delaware's Atlantic Coast Fisheries Habitats and Beach Nourishment Sand Stock Areas: An Application of NOAA's Habitat Suitability Modeling (HSM) ArcView GIS Extension

Author: David Moe Nelson
Organization: NOAA/NOS Center for Coastal Monitoring and Assessment

1305 East-West Hwy. 9th Floor
Silver Springs, MD 20910
USA

Phone: 301-713-3028
Fax: 301-713-4384
david.moe.nelson@noaa.gov

Using Habitat Suitability Modeling (HSM), a custom ArcView GIS application, Delaware's Coastal Program Section (DCPS) is identifying and assessing important fisheries habitats along Delaware's Atlantic coast cooperatively with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). DCPS and NOAA are integrating biological, physical, economic, and logistical criteria into a model to identify optimum sand burrow sites and predict potential biological impacts of beach and renourishment activities. Preliminary results for key fishery species have been developed. Resulting model results are mapped using ArcView GIS to visualize the spatial distribution of sand and fishery resources and further refine site selection.