Benthic grab data from October 1994 in the Lower Bay of New York/New Jersey Harbor

Benthic grab samples were collected using a Shipek grab at pre-determined locations in the harbor. Taxonomic enumerations and biological community parameters were estimated from grab samples and used to assess habitat conditions in conjunction with sediment profile images taken at the same stations. All data were entered into a database, and habitat classes were defined for each station. The database was then used in a Geographic Information System (GIS) to characterize benthic habitat types for New York/New Jersey Harbor.

Original contact information:

Contact Org: NOAA Office for Coastal Management

Phone: 843-740-1202

Email: coastal.info@noaa.gov

The US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) had a need to develop benthic habitat maps in NY/NJ Harbor. This was critical for developing a plan for dredged material management that was both economically feasible and environmentally sound. The overall objective was to provide background information to plan cost-effective, spatially focused studies for siting dredge material disposal and habitat restoration within the Harbor. These benthic grab data were useful in supplementing sediment profile data taken concurrently, and they are useful for evaluating abundance and biomass for species of interest and comparing community parameters over time.

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While every effort has been made to ensure that these data are accurate and reliable within limits of the state of the art, NOAA will not assume any liability for damages caused by any inaccuracies in these data, or failure in their use.

Benthic grab data from Lower Bay in New York/New Jersey Harbor, October 1994. For information about obtaining these data, please visit the project home page at http://www.coast.noaa.gov/benthic/data/northeast/nynj.htm;

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It is the responsibility of the user to determine the appropriate use of the data product.

Database Exchange Format (DBF)

Quality assurance and control measures included randomly selecting 10% of the samples, reconstituting them with the original debris and repeating the entire separation, identification, and enumeration process. The quality assurance plan followed by Barry A. Vittor and Associates,Inc., called for all samples processed by a particular technician to be redone if more than 10% of that technician's work showed any samples to differ by more than 5% from the original results. For this project, all discrepancies were within 5%. The taxonomists previously worked on several projects for the NY/NJ area and verified each other's identifications. When differences of opinion occurred or when significant doubt remained, outside specialists examined the specimens. Identifications were to the lowest practical identification level (LPIL) when not to the species level.

Stations were located in the field using a Global Positioning System (GPS), and station coordinates, date and time of day were recorded upon arrival at each station.

Not relevant to the dataset.

All grab data were not included in this data layer. Abundances for species of interest (usually the ten most abundant species plus commercially important species) were included in this data layer. Data on less frequently occurring species were not included, but these data can be found in the NY/NJ Harbor project database tables.

All data are believed to be logically consistent.