| Popis: |
An estuary wide survey of the Barnegat Bay-Little Egg Harbor (BB-LEH) was conducted in the summer of 2009 to measure the current extant of seagrass habitat across the BB-LEH system. Aerial imagery collected during the months of July and August 2009 was interpreted and mapped using an object oriented image analysis techniques, similar to techniques used in the 2003 mapping survey. A boat-based in situ dataset was collected concurrently. Results of this work indicate that the overall amount of seagrass beds were similar in 2009 as compared to 2003 (5,122 ha in 2003 vs. 5,260 ha in 2009). While the overall area of seagrass was similar, seagrass beds are dynamic features with beds expanding in some locations while declining or shifting in others. The study shows that boat scarring, docks and dredging can have a direct and negative effect on seagrass beds. However, in terms of the area of direct impact in comparison to the overall area of seagrass, these disturbance factors are relatively minor and localized. |
