Florida Coastal Mapping Program January Workshop

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FCMaP Workshop - Goals and Accomplishments

The FCMaP steering committee and technical team worked for over a year compiling an inventory of existing seafloor data footprints, with a focus on high resolution elevation data (multibeam bathymetry and topobathy lidar). The workshop, held January 9-11, 2018, had four primary meeting goals:

1. Review inventory and identify missing data
2. Reach consensus on minimum mapping resolutions for 0-20 m water depth and 20 m to shelf break water depth.
3. Discuss the approach and strategy for prioritization
4. Determine the role for FCMaP going forward

Prior to the first workshop, a preliminary gap analysis was conducted by the Florida Fish & Wildlife Research Institute, who also hosted the web map of the data footprints as well as the workshop at their facility in St Petersburg. The inventory and gap analysis were presented and reviewed as one of the main objectives of the workshop.

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Over 75 people attended the workshop with representation from Federal and State agencies and institutions, academia, NGOs and the private industry. After welcome and introductions, there were presentations from each of the steering committee members describing the importance of seafloor mapping to their agency. The group then reviewed and discussed the data inventory. The second day focused on learning about mapping successes in other areas (i.e. the CA Seafloor Mapping Program; https://walrus.wr.usgs.gov/mapping/csmp/), overview of processes for prioritizing data collection, and ongoing initiatives for mapping (3D Nation; https://communities.geoplatform.gov/ngda-elevation/ and Seabed 2030; https://www.gebco.net/about_us/seabed2030_project/). After a working lunch discussing legacy data, the afternoon was spent in break out groups for the 2 depth categories: 0 – 20m and 20m to the shelf edge. One of the charges was to reach consensus on minimum mapping standards for each category:

• 0 – 10m: Topobathymetry lidar or multibeam bathymetry capable of supporting a 1m DEM.
• 10-20m: Topobathymetry lidar or multibeam bathymetry capable of minimally supporting a 3m DEM (1m preferred).
• 20m +: IHO standards, Special Order 1 – capable of supporting a 10m DEM.

The final morning of the workshop focused on discussions of how the FCMaP will move forward with regional prioritization and development of a funding strategy.