Description: The Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD) is responsible for the protection and management of natural systems and water quality within its geographic boundaries. One component of evaluating the ecological health of coastal ecosystems is to map and monitor submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) communities. This project is a continuation of previous efforts to determine the status and trends (if any) of SAV resources in the coastal waters of the District. The results of this effort will be used to determine the performance of ongoing efforts to improve water quality and quantity in coastal waters of the District.The dataset serves as documentation of the seagrass habitat within St. Joseph Sound and Clearwater Harbor, Tampa Bay, Sarasota Bay, Lemon Bay and Charlotte Harbor as it existed in January 2010. Seagrass data were photointerpreted from 2010 1:24,000 scale natural color aerial photography and classified using the SWFWMD modified FLUCCS classification system. Horizontal accuracy of meets NMAS for 1:12,000 scale maps. The minimum mapping unit for classification was 0.5 acres.
Description: The Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD) is responsible for the protection and management of natural systems and water quality within its geographic boundaries. One component of evaluating the ecological health of coastal ecosystems is to map and monitor submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) communities. This project is a continuation of previous efforts to determine the status and trends (if any) of SAV resources in the coastal waters of the District. The results of this effort will be used to determine the performance of ongoing efforts to improve water quality and quantity in coastal waters of the District.The dataset serves as documentation of the seagrass habitat within St. Joseph Sound and Clearwater Harbor, Tampa Bay, Sarasota Bay, Lemon Bay and Charlotte Harbor as it existed in January 2010. Seagrass data were photointerpreted from 2010 1:24,000 scale natural color aerial photography and classified using the SWFWMD modified FLUCCS classification system. Horizontal accuracy of meets NMAS for 1:12,000 scale maps. The minimum mapping unit for classification was 0.5 acres.