Knowledgebase: Mapping the undersea landscape: Using seafloor maps to improve management of the Gulf of Maine

Case study 2 - Jeffreys Ledge
Assessing ecosystem effects of an area closed to fishing

In September 2002, scientists from the University of New Hampshire began an ecosystem-level assessment of biological, ecological, and social effects of the Western Gulf of Maine Closure Area, where fishing has been excluded since 1997. The 150-square-mile study encompasses portions of Jeffreys Ledge, a rich fishing ground off New Hampshire and Massachusetts. The scientists will produce GIS-based maps of geological and biological characteristics using satellite remote sensing, multibeam sonar, video, core sampling, fish tagging, studies of trophic interactions, and genetic analysis of fish tissues. They will also incorporate information from fishermen and other sources. By providing more detailed and comprehensive information than existing seafloor maps, such as the example above, the forthcoming maps will improve understanding of the ecosystem and help guide resource management.

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1. An increasing need for seafloor mapping
2. Only 15 percent of Gulf is adequately mapped
3. New technology allows unprecedented mapping
4. Introduction to applications
5. Case study 1: Routing a fiber-optic cable
6. Case study 2: Assessing effects of a fishery closure
7. Case study 3: Improving management of a lobster fishery
8. Case study 4: Identifying low-impact sites for aquaculture
9. Case study 5: Reducing impacts & improving efficiency of scallopers
10. Mapping the future: Gulf of Maine Mapping Initiative

Acknowledgements

Links: More information about seafloor mapping

Download a 4-page, printer-friendly PDF version of "Mapping the undersea landscape: Using seafloor maps to improve management of the Gulf of Maine."

To obtain printed copies of the publication, contact Susan Snow-Cotter.

This publication was produced by the Gulf of Maine Council's Science Translation Project.

Image credit: Jamie Adams