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This version of NSU News has been archived as of February 28, 2019. To search through archived articles, visit nova.edu/search. To access the new version of NSU News, visit news.nova.edu.
This version of SharkBytes has been archived as of February 28, 2019. To search through archived articles, visit nova.edu/search. To access the new version of SharkBytes, visit sharkbytes.nova.edu.
Researchers at Oceanographic Center Conduct Benthic Habitat Study in Florida Keys
Greg Foster conducting assessment of Florida Keys.
National Coral Reef Institute researchers Brian Walker, Ph.D., and Greg Foster at the Mote Marine Lab in Summerland Key.
Research scientist Brian Walker, Ph.D., and research assistant Greg Foster from the National Coral Reef Institute at NSU’s Oceanographic Center recently conducted an independent accuracy assessment of NOAA’s most recent Florida Keys benthic habitat maps.
Based out of Mote Marine Lab’s Tropical Research Laboratory in Summerland Key for eight days, Walker and Foster visited 500 targeted locations spanning 17 benthic cover habitat types in the lower Keys, taking video, images, and GPS data at each site via boating, kayaking, snorkeling, and hiking. The data will be analyzed in GIS via confusion matrix approach to estimate the accuracy of the NOAA benthic habitat maps.