why care about mapping the shoreline?
Prince William Sound has more than 6,000 km of shoreline, all of which has been flown and mapped by ShoreZone. Mapped shorelines can then be examined to predict the distribution of habitats that would support a particular species, or to see how nearshore habitat is used by other organisms, such as spawning forage fish.
ShoreZone Mapping
The land-sea interface is a crucial realm for terrestrial and marine organisms, human activities, and dynamic processes.
About ShoreZone
ShoreZone is a coastal habitat mapping and classification system in which low-altitude, georeferenced aerial imagery is collected specifically for the interpretation and integration of geological and biological features of the intertidal zone and nearshore environment
Left: the extent of ShoreZone mapping in Alaska. See larger image
How we map shorelines
ShoreZone Coastal Habitat Mapping is accomplished through the interpretation of oblique aerial video and digital still imagery of the coastal zone collected during summer low tides, usually from a helicopter flying at <100 m altitude. The flight trackline is recorded at one-second intervals using electronic navigation software, and time-synchronization provides images with latitude and longitude position. Video imagery is accompanied by continuous commentary by a geologist and a biologist aboard the aircraft.
Low-tide-oblique aerial imagery sets this system apart from other mapping efforts. Users can "fly the coastline" (video), view still photos, and access biophysical data.
What’s already mapped?
Mapped regions include 21,000 km of coastline in the Gulf of Alaska and 45,000 km of coastline in British Columbia and Washington. Imagery exists for nearly 40,000 km of shoreline in Alaska.
View Alaskan shorelines and "fly the coastlines":
The Alaska Ocean Observing System is building a network of observation platforms and forecast models. The goal of this network is to provide information products and tools to improve our understanding of Alaska’s ocean ecosystem and allow us to make better decisions about our use of the marine environment. AOOS is affiliated with the Integrated Ocean Observing System and the University of Alaska Fairbanks School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences. UAF is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer and educational institution. Home | Education and Outreach | Metadata Search | About AOOS |
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