1 1.10 Application of estuarine and coastal classifications in marine ...

To support plan development, best available spatial data were reviewed and compiled by
working groups under six major themes including habitat; fisheries; transportation, navigation
and infrastructure; sediment; recreation and cultural services and renewable energy. The data
layers used are catalogued in MORIS, the Massachusetts Ocean Resource Information System
(available at www.mass.gov/czm/mapping/index.htm). The working groups compiled a baseline
assessment to inventory and spatially describe the physical characteristics, natural communities,
and human interactions within the planning area. Special, sensitive or unique areas (SSU) were
delineated based on endangered species of cetacean and seabirds, areas of topographically
complex seafloor, important areas for commercial and recreational fisheries, intertidal flats and
seagrass beds. For large cetaceans, core habitat was classified for North Atlantic right whale, fin
whale and humpback whale. Areas of core whale habitat were represented as concentrations in
abundance based on sightings datasets compiled and analyzed by NOAA’s National Centers for
Coastal Ocean Science report for the years 1970-2005 in the southern Gulf of Maine (NCCOS
2006, Pittman and Costa 2010). Bias from uneven allocation of survey effort (temporally or
spatially) was corrected using a sighting-per-unit-effort (SPUE) algorithm. SPUE values for each
5 x 5 minute grid cell were then interpolated spatially and classified into five relative abundance
classes, and the top two classes were extracted by the Massachusetts Ocean Management Plan
team to represent “core” habitat for each of these three species. The core areas where then used
to determine potential conflicts (via spatial overlap) with other uses such as pipelines, cables,
renewable energy, sand and gravel extraction, boating and shipping and recreational and
commercial fisheries.
1.10.5 ECOSYSTEM-BASED FISHERIES MANAGEMENT
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