INTERACTIVE MAP OF SANCTUARY
Layered Look at Northwestern Gulf of Mexico
June 29, 2009--Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary (FGBNMS) is very pleased to announce the development of a new online GIS-based mapping tool of the sanctuary. It's a Google-based map, so you can zoom in and out, and turn layers on or off.
http://www.ncddc.noaa.gov/website/google_maps/FGB/mapsFGB.htm
In addition to East Flower Garden, West Flower Garden and Stetson Banks, this interactive page includes information about a number of other reefs and banks of the northwestern Gulf of Mexico. Many of these other banks are currently under consideration for potential sanctuary boundary expansion.
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Map Features
While this interactive map is, and will always be, a work in progress, there are many interesting layers to check out already.
Along the top of the map is feature where you can Select a Bank using a pulldown menu. The Find It button alongside will jump you directly to the selected bank. A dialog window associated with the bank will then give you an image and, eventually, additional information or links.
Also along the top of the map are options to view the Bathymetry of Banks and Shaded Relief of Banks. Turning these options on will add contour lines and dimension to the bank being viewed.
On the right side of the map are a series of other viewing options. You can turn these features on or off by clicking on the boxes alongside. Keep in mind that some of the datasets associated with these features are quite large, so it may take a little while for the images to appear on the map.
Current options include regional bathymetry, boundaries, buoy locations, oil and gas platforms and pipelines, shipping fairways, and cruise tracks for the sanctuary research vessel R/V Manta.
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ROV Tracks and Images
One other notable feature will be the incorporation of ROV (Remotely Operated Vehicle) tracks with associated photos. So far, only one dive track has been loaded (at McGrail Bank), but we are working on adding representative data for all of our ROV cruises since 2004 (over 200 ROV tracks).
To check out this feature:
* Select McGrail Bank from the "Select a Bank" pulldown menu. Turn on the "Shaded Relief" button. Click "Find it".
* The map will zoom to McGrail Bank and open a window with two tabs. Click on the "Dives" tab, and select "Add".
* The dive track will be shown on the relief map. Clicking on the dots along the track will pull up a photo from that exact location.
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Partners Make it All Possible
This site is the product of a partnership between FGBNMS and NOAA's National Coastal Data Development Center (NCDDC), located at Stennis Space Center, MS.
The underlying information including bathymetry, ROV tracks and images, and biological information, is the result of an enormous effort by many partners, including USGS, University of New Hampshire, Minerals Management Service, NOAA’s Office of Ocean Exploration, National Undersea Research Center – University of North Carolina at Wilmington, Smithsonian Institution, Long-Term Monitoring contractors, students, volunteers and interns, and dozens of marine scientists who assisted in the identification process.
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Check it Out!
Please visit this website and spend some time exploring it. You'll be amazed at all of the detail we've already included! But, keep in mind that we will be updating it with new layers on a regular basis, so check back with us every so often and see what's new.
http://www.ncddc.noaa.gov/website/google_maps/FGB/mapsFGB.htm
If you have any suggestions or comments about this new map, we'd love to hear from you. Please email us at flowergarden@noaa.gov.
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