Abstract
Characterizing Suitable Mesophotic Coral Reef Habitats in U.S. Coastal Waters
Track: Ocean, Coastal, and Marine Resources
Author(s): Bryan Costa, Tim Battista
Mesophotic coral reef ecosystems are biologically and economically important because they provide recruitment habitats for shallow reef fish populations and foraging habitats for large, commercially exploited reef fish populations. These reef ecosystems are typically found at depths between 30 and 100 m, where levels of photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) range from 1 to 10%. Individual mesophotic reefs have been well documented off the coasts of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Little is known, however, about the broad-scale geographic distribution of these vital marine resources. This study seeks to fill this knowledge gap by characterizing the location, size and geomorphology of potential mesophotic coral reef habitats in the U.S. coastal waters. Spatially explicit habitat suitability maps were developed in ArcGIS using GEODAS bathymetry. Mapping the location and size of these areas will help scientists and resource managers delineate marine protected area (MPA) boundaries that are ecologically meaningful.
Bryan Costa
NOAA Biogeography Branch
1305 East West Highway
N-SCI-1, SSMC 4, 9th floor
Silver Spring , Maryland 20910
United States
Phone: 301-713-3028
Fax: 301-713-4384
E-mail: bryan.costa@noaa.gov
Tim Battista
NOAA Biogeography Branch
1305 East West Highway
N-SCI-1, SSMC 4, 9th floor
Silver Spring , Maryland 20910
United States
Phone: 301-713-3028
E-mail: tim.battista@noaa.gov