Information used to reference the data.
Title: Potential Eelgrass Beds
Originators: Dr. Charles Yarish, University of Connecticut Dept. of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology (compiler)
Mary DiGiacomo-Cohen, Long Island Sound Resource Center (editor)
State of Connecticut, Department of Environmental Protection (publisher)
Publisher: State of Connecticut, Department of Environmental Protection
Publication place: Hartford, Connecticut, USA
Publication date: 1997
Data type: vector digital data
Other citation details: This layer is not updated and does not represent current conditions.
A characterization of the data, including its intended use and limitations.
Abstract: Potential Eelgrass Beds is a 1:24,000 scale, polygon feature-based layer that depicts the locations of potential eelgrass beds in Long Island Sound, in major rivers, and within bays, harbors and other waterbodies along Connecticut's coast. The layer is based on information from the Observed Eelgrass Beds and Eelgrass Sample Points layers. It represents conditions at a particular point in time (1993 to 1995). During the 1993-95 field seasons a team of researchers from the University of Connecticut Dept. of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology led by Charles Yarish, equipped with a Global Positioning System (GPS), SCUBA, and a 20' boat surveyed over 800 potential eelgrass locations. Their GPS coordinates and field notes were used to create a point coverage entitled Eelgrass Sample Points, which was plotted and checked on a 1:24000 scale base map of the Connecticut shore. These point locations, observations, and the nearshore bathymetry were then used to delineate areas representing both observed and potential eelgrass beds. Eelgrass beds were initially digitized at 1:24,000 scale, but have been edited and revised on screen at higher resolution. Potential beds, where not individually delineated, were created by buffering observed beds a distance of 33 feet (10 meters). These buffered polygons were intersected with buffered (distance of 5 ft.) shoreline arcs to keep potential polygons a minimum distance off the shoreline. These potential beds are considered to be areas where eelgrass is likely to spread to under ideal conditions, where eelgrass may exist in small isolated patches, where eelgrass may exhibit high temporal variability, or perhaps where restoration projects could be undertaken.
Feature locations may not always be exact due to equipment failure or lack of satellite reception. In those cases, points were estimated from field notes. It should be noted that the Potential Eelgrass Beds layer is not a complete dataset of all potential eelgrass sites in Connecticut and/or Long Island Sound. This layer was published in 1997 and is not updated. It does not represent current conditions.
There are 67 polygon features representing potential eelgrass beds in this layer. Geographic locations are as follows: westernmost areas: Clinton Harbor; easternmost areas: Little Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island waters. Potential beds range in size from .179 acre (318 sq. ft.) to 471 acres (20,551,582 sq. ft.). Potential beds contain 0 to 9 observed beds, and from 0 to 88.1% area covered by observed beds. The total area of potential beds is 2,196 acres.
Purpose: Potential Eelgrass Beds is 1:24,000-scale data. The purpose of this datalayer is to depict the locations of potential eelgrass growth along Connecticut's coast. The polygons in this layer were created from two source layers: Eelgrass Sample Points and Observed Eelgrass Beds. This layer is not intended for maps printed at map scales greater or more detailed than 1:24,000 scale (1 inch = 2,000 feet.)
Supplemental information: For more information, refer to the Eelgrass Sample Points and Observed Eelgrass Beds layers.
Language of dataset: en
Contact information for the individual or organization that is knowledgeable about the data.
Organization: State of Connecticut, Department of Environmental Protection
Person: Kevin O'Brien
Phone: 860-424-3034
Fax: 860-424-4054
Email: dep.gisdata@ct.gov
Hours of service: Monday to Friday, 08:30 to 16:30 Eastern Standard Time
Address type: mailing and physical address
Address: 79 Elm Street
City: Hartford
State or Province: Connecticut
Postal code: 06106-5127
Country: USA
How the data are represented, formatted and maintained by the data producing organization.
File or table name: depgis.DEP.EELGRASS_POTENTIAL_1993_95
Data type: vector digital data
Data format: SDE Feature Class
Native dataset environment: These data are maintained by the State of Connecticut using ArcGIS software developed by Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI) in a Microsoft Windows operating system environment.
Time period(s) for which the data corresponds to the currentness reference.
Beginning date: 1993
Ending date: 1995
Currentness reference: ground condition
The state of and maintenance information for the data.
Data status: Complete
Update frequency: None planned
Words or phrases that summarize certain aspects of the data.
Theme:
Keywords: Eelgrass, Potential Eelgrass, Submerged aquatic vegetation
Keyword thesaurus: None
Place:
Keywords: Long Island Sound, Connecticut River, Connecticut Coast, Little Narrangansett Bay
Keyword thesaurus: None
Place:
Keywords: Connecticut, CT, Rhode Island, RI
Keyword thesaurus: U.S. Department of Commerce, 1987, Codes for the Identification of the States, the District of Columbia and the Outlying Areas of The United States, and Associated Areas (Federal Information Processing Standard 5-2): Washington, DC, National Institute of Standards and Technology.
Place:
Keywords: United States of America, USA
Keyword thesaurus: U.S. Department of Commerce, 1995, Countries, Dependencies, Areas of Special Sovereignty, and Their Principal Administrative Divisions (Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) 10-4): Washington, D.C., National Institute of Standards and Technology.
Restrictions and legal prerequisites for accessing or using the data after access is granted.
Access constraints: None. The data is in the public domain and may be redistributed.
Use constraints: None. No restrictions or legal prerequisites for using the data. Note, the data is not intended for maps printed at map scales greater or more detailed than 1:24,000 scale (1 inch = 2,000 feet.) Once acquired, any modification made to the data must be noted in the metadata. When printing this information on a map or using it in a software application, analysis, or report, please acknowledge the State of Connecticut, Department of Environmental Protection as the source for this information.