From 1996 to 2001, scientists from government agencies, non-profit organizations, and research institutions collaborated with fishermen to investigate the status and ecology of the lobster population in Penobscot Bay. The goal was to improve management of the resource. One question was whether the amount of shallow, cobble-and-boulder habitat, which young lobsters favor, limited their numbers. Using sidescan sonar, video surveys, and sediment samples, researchers mapped sediments and rock types in a geographic information system (GIS). By adding data on water depth, researchers found that favored habitat of juvenile lobsters (indicated in dark blue on the map) is widespread enough in Penobscot Bay to not limit the population. Therefore, management activities can target other factors.