| University of Delaware | College
of Arts and Science University of Delaware Newark, DE 19716 Tel: 302-831-2569 Fax: 302-831-4158 |
||
| Department of Geology | |||
|
|
John Madsen - Current Funded Research/Teaching Projects
Benthic and Sub-Benthic Mapping of Delaware’s Coastal Areas for
Natural Resource Management – Pilot Study
P.I. - John Madsen,
Geology
Funding Agencies - Delaware Department of Natural Resources and
Environmental Control (DNREC)
“This project was funded, in part, through a grant from the Delaware
Coastal Programs,
Delaware National Estuarine Research Reserve
with funding from the Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management,
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration under award number NA17OR1243.”
This project was a pilot study for a larger effort
that will be integrating the use of
grab samples, vibracores, RoxAnn acoustic, and chirp sonar data to identify
and map the
benthic habitat and sub-benthic stratigraphy of the Delaware Bay near shore
from Port
Mahon to Broadkill Beach, Delaware. The pilot study included the
use of RoxAnn
acoustical data, integrated with grab samples and amplitudes of chirp
sonar bay bottom
reflections, to characterize benthic habitat and identify areas of possible
Sabellaria sub-
tidal habitation and preferred habitat for other marine species.
Chirp sonar sub-bottom
data were used to identify and characterize the geological properties
of the area. Chirp
sub-bottom reflections were compared with sedimentological data that were
collected
using vibracoring technology.
The primary areas surveyed during this pilot study
were off shore of the Ted
Harvey Wildlife Area and Broadkill Beach with distances of from 3 ft.
MLW out to at
least 1 mile off the coast and extending laterally 0.5 miles past the
managed beach areas.
The distance ranges for the surveys were based on the practical pumping
range of dredges
used by the State. Additional areas surveyed included off
shore of Bowers Beach and
Slaughter Beach.
The data collected during this pilot study will be
used in the development of
detailed maps and GIS coverages revealing suitable sand deposits based
on location,
thickness, overburden, and grain size. In addition, maps and GIS
coverages will be made
of the bathymetry, bottom type and habitat potential. In this report,
examples of the
chirp, RoxAnn, grab sample, and vibracore data collected will be given
for selected areas
of the Ted Harvey Wildlife Area, Bowers Beach, and Broadkill Beach areas.
Complete
maps of these areas, integrated with additional data to be collected,
will be produced as
part of the larger mapping project for the region extending from Port Mahon
to Broadkill
Beach.
By identifying and mapping the benthic habitat and
sub-benthic stratigraphy of
the near shore region of Delaware Bay, and supplying this information in
a GIS-based,
public-friendly form, decision makers and stakeholders will have access
to critical
information that will aid them in their efforts to manage and conserve
this valuable
resource.
|
|
|