Feasibility of mapping benthic biotopes in the Hudson River

Authors

Nicole P. Maher, School of Marine and Atmosperic Sciences, Stony Brook University
Robert M. Cerrato, School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook UniversityFollow

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

3-2004

Keywords

Benthic Community Structure

Abstract

Successful management of aquatic resources requires comprehensive maps that identify the spatial distribution and extent of potentially vulnerable habitats and their resident biota (e.g., essential fish habitat). We illustrate a technique that describes submerged landscapes not only in terms of geophysical properties, but also in terms of the resident biotic communities. Biological community distribution was highly correlated with the geophysical provinces initially identified by Bell et al. (2000). However, fewer groups of stations (created mainly by combining provinces) explained almost as much of the variation in benthic community structure and was a better description of the major biotopes in this stretch of the Hudson River Estuary. The findings of this pilot study can lead to sampling design criteria for the rest of the Hudson River Estuary.

Recommended Citation

Maher, N.P. and R.M. Cerrato (2004) Feasibility of mapping benthic biotopes in the Hudson River. Final Report to Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Columbia University. 48 pp.