Developing a geographic information system for Florida's aquatic preserves final report

[From the U.S. Government Printing Office, www.gpo.gov]

C-L-7-

Developing a Geographic Information System
for Florida's Aquatic Preserves

Final Report
DER Contract No. CM - 198
11 November 1988

Prepared by
Kris W. Thoemke, Ph.D and Kenneth P. Gyorkos
Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve
10 Shell Island Road
Naples, Florida 33962

Funds for this project were provided by the
Department of Environmental Regulation, Office of
Coastal Management using funds made available through the
National Oceanic and Atmosphieric Administration under the
Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972, as amended.

QH
87.3
T56
1988

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Executive Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . i

List of Figures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iii

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Setting Up a GIS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Hardware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Data Aquistion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Data Entry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

The Rookery Bay GIS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... 9

GIS Applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Applications of the Rookery Bay GIS . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Literature Cited . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Appendix 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

US Department of Commerce
TgMU Coastal Services Center Library
2234 South Hobson Avenue
Cl-tarleston, SC 29405-2413

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

A geographic information system (GIS) is a computer based

technology composed of hardware, software and data used to

capture, edit, display and, most important, analyze geographic

information (Lang 1988). The Rookery Bay National Estuarine

Research Reserve first became involved in GIS technology in 1985

when the Reserve was chosen as a site for a Department of Natural

Resources demonstration project using Earth Resources Data

Analysis Systems (ERDAS) software and LANDSAT satellite images.

This report describes how to establish a GIS that can be used to

help manage the natural resources of.Florida's Aquatic Preserves.

The recommended hardware for aquatic preserve,GISes includes

a 386 generation computer, RGB high resolution graphics monitor,

standard color or black and white monitor, dot matrix printer and

color ink jet printer. Their are numerous software systems

available. Some controversy exits over which system is most

preferred.

The Rookery Bay GIS consists of a base image, overlays and

database files. Sixteen overlays have been created for the GIS.

Each represents a different piece of information concerning the

study area.' A database link that allows digital data from dbase

files to be displayed in the GIS accesses data from the

parameters sampling dates and stations of the Reserve's

environmental monitoring program.

Applying GIS information to management problems has provided

a link between scientific and land use information that is

revolutionizing our ability to manage coastal areas. The ability

to combine different data sets within the GIS allows the user to

look at the affects of activities on the land or water, assess

the present status of an area and, with sufficient information in

the GIS, conduct a basic modeling to simulate conditions that

would occur if a change or series of changes is made in an

area.

Nine applications of information using the Rookery Bay GIS

have been conducted in the past year as part of cooperative

efforts between DNR and other governmental agencies. These

demonstration projects for other sites have provided management

information to the agencies and have served as a valuable

learning tool for developing (GIS) applications.

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1. Generalized illustration of the differences
by which an area can be drawn using polygon and
raster data processing systems . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Figure 2. Study area for Rookery Bay GIS. Heavy Black
lines are watershed boundaries . . . . . . . . . . . 10

INTRODUCTION

A geographic information system (GIS) is a computer based

technology composed of hardware, software and data used to

capture, edit, display and, most important, analyze geographic

information (Lang 1988). The first GISes were developed about 20

years ago to manage large collections of natural resource and

environmental information (Dangermond 1986). Since their

development they have been used in other areas such as utilities

mapping, inventory management and land use planning. However, one

of their most important functions continues to be in the area of

natural resource management.

The Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve first

became involved in Geographic Information System technology in

1985 when the Reserve was chosen as a site for a Department of

Natural Resources (DNR) demonstration project using Earth

Resources Data Analysis System (ERDAS) software and LANDSAT

satellite images. In the first year hardware and software were

installed at the Reserve and staff was trained in the handling

and ground truthing of LANDSAT images. In year two, the Reserve

developed an environmental monitoring program for use in other

aquatic preserve sites (Thoemke and Gyorkos 1988). The work from

this year's study links the satellite imaging information with

the data collected from monitoring activities, other maps and

images and additional land use information to create a Geographic

Information System for Rookery Bay.

The need for a system to manage and interpret geographic and

land use information and scientific data is of crucial importance

to aquatic preserve and other natural resource managers in

Florida. Informed and proper managemnet of our coastal resources

is mandatory due to the pressures man has exerted on the land.

The fact that Floridals population is growing at nearly 800

people per day; 78% of Florida's 12,000,000 residents live in the

states coastal zone; 60,000 acres of estuarine habitat have been

lost in Florida to dredge and fill activities; and at least 70%

of the commercially and recreationally important fish and

shellfish in Florida depend on estuaries illustrates the

importance of carefully managing these natural resources.

Many of the state's aquatic preserves are located in the

coastal areas of Florida that are presently experiencing these

development pressures. Preservation of economically important

natural resources such as estuaries appears to be on a collision

course with development of these areas. One goal of the aquatic

preserve program is to balance the inevitable development with a

reasonable plan to preserve the natural functioning of these

systems. Managers of aquatic preserves need to know the present

status of the systems they manage and the history of the

alterations to the estuary and its watershed. They also need to

monitor changes in present conditions and be able to model the

effect of future impacts on the systems.

To accomplish the complex task of understanding and managing

an estuarine system managers need to have a variety of

information available in an easily usable form. Information such

as water quality data, land uses, drainage patterns and

vegetation maps are some of the types of information necessary to

understand and manage the coastal zone. The use of GISes is an

excellent means by which to organize, collect and interpret this

information in an easy to use fashion.

The results of this study show that a GIS can be developed

for aquatic preserve sites in Florida. This report will discuss

how to establish a GIS, what types of computer hardware and

software are needed and demonstrate, through examples from the

Rookery Bay and Ten Thousand Islands areas, how the staff at

Rookery Bay developed the GIS for this area.

It was originally intended to develop two separate reports

from this work, one to report on the Rookery Bay and Cape Romano

Ten Thousand Island Aquatic Preserve GIS and its implications to

coastal zone management and the other to describe how to create a

GIS. To prevent necessary repetition of information this final

report combines both of these tasks into one report.

Based on the information learned from this study we feel

that the present structure of regional aquatic preserve offices

should have the necessary computer hardware and software to

establish a GIS for each region. Presently this could be done

with a modest investment of money and staff. The result of

establishing GIS systems for aquatic preserves will, over the

long term, result in an improved ability to manage these systems

which will be reflected in increased efficient use of staff time

and resources. This should translate into a savings of money for

each regional office without sacrificing the quality of

information available. If anything it should enhance the amount

of information available to the staff and suggest improved ways

for managing these important coastal resources.

SETTING UP A GIS

HARDWARE

There is no industry standard hardware for a GIS. However,

certain considerations should be taken into account when setting

up a GIS. For applications that can be used in the field offices

of the aquatic preserve the best available computer at this time

appears to be a 386 generation computer such as the Compaq 386.

The computer should have a clock speed of 20-25 megahertz and

have a minimum 160 megabyte storage system. Establishing a GIS

on a less sophisticated computer will work. An AT generation

machine can be used. The major shortcoming is the increased

processing time due to the slower clock speed.

A GIS system requires two monitors. A standard color or

black and white monitor is necessary to display and enter

commands and data. An RGB high resolution graphics monitor is

necessary to display the'satellite images and overlays. A

graphics board such as Number Nine Revolution or Ventura 1024 is

necessary to drive the RGB monitor.

Two printers are necessary for the GIS system. The first is

a standard dot matrix, daisy wheel or laser printer. A color ink

jet printer that can produce the color maps that are part of any

GIS system is also required.

Total cost for the hardware ranges from $15,000-20,000

depending upon the type of computer, monitors and printers

purchased. This price is based on 1988 dollars and most likely

will change as the hardware changes and new equipment is

developed.

SOFTWARE

A critical choice in establishing a GIS is the type of

software chosen to operate the system. Their are at least 12

companies that produce true GIS software packages (Lang 1988).

New companies are forming every year. Regardless of the software

purchased, it must be capable of two functions in order to be

useful. First the software must be capable of producing

cartographic output (i.e. the ability to produce maps and

overlays). Second it must have the ability to access and display

data base files with the cartographic output.

Processing and display of images and overlays can be

accomplished in two ways. An area on a satellite image or map

can be described as the area within a polygon that is drawn by a

series of vectors or as a series of discrete units of specified

size that make up the area (Figure 1). The former is refered to

as polygon or vector data and the latter is known as raster data.

Among GIS users there is considerable debate as to which system

is superior.

The data base link allows digital data to be displayed with

the images, maps and overlays. Each software program has its own

way of displaying this information on the monitor screen. The

information is usually refered to as attributes. For example, the

data base link permits the user to integrate water quality data

with the drainage canal location overlay to examine the effect of

canals on water quality.

Polygon (vector) data

Raster data

T-1

Fig. 1 Generalized illustration of the differences by which
an area can be drawn using polygon and raster data processing
systems.
6

The Rookery Bay GIS is a raster data system. It uses ERDAS

software to work with the LANDSAT ima ges and to create the

overlays. The ability to link data base files is accomplished

with Earth Resource Laboratory Software (ELAS) modified for the

personal computer. ELAS was originally a mainframe software

system developed by NASA as a complete GIS program. It is

somewhat difficult to use due to the extensive use of acronyms

and abbreviations in the commands.

Many GIS applications use ARC/INFO software. This is a

polygon data based system with a data based program link. Raster

data can be converted to polygon data and used by ARC/INFO. We

have ordered the ARC/INFO starter kit. Combining the features of

raster and polygon data systems, we plan to enhance the current

Rookery Bay GIS, provide converted raster to polygon data to

other GISes and be able to accept polygon data for the Rookery

Bay GIS from other sources.

New software systems are constantly being produced. We are

aware of at least one system, ATLAS, developed by Delta Data

Corporation. This system is capable running both raster and

vector data in combination with a data based management system.

Essentially it combines the elements of ERDAS, ELAS, ARC/INFO and

a database management system in one package. New systems

such as ATLAS should be examined for use as the software system

for aquatic preservess GIS programs.

DATA ACQUISITION

Aquatic preserves that have established a monitoring program

should have conducted a detailed survey of available literature

and data on their systems prior to initiating a monitoring

program (Thoemke and Gyorkos 1988). The results of this

literature review should have revealed data sets which exist for

the study area. The first step in establishing a geographic

information system is to input these data as well as data

collected by the aquatic preserve staff into overlays and

database files. Information such as water quality, road

locations, present land use, biological resource data and other

informational data available from government and private sources

will form the basis of the overlays for GIS. Depending upon the

GIS software chosen either a series of base maps or satellite

images will serve as the basis for the GIS. A base map is

generated from topographic maps, aerial photograph or satellite

images. The work conducted in this study show that satellite

images provide the most accurate base maps for a study area.

Aerial photographs have a problem when piecing together the

many photographs of a large region. The photographs do not

accurately line up from scene to scene. We believe this is due

to fluctuating altitude and tilt of the photographing aircraft as

it flies over an area. Topographic maps have an accuracy problem

due to the fact they are generated from aerial photographs.

Because of the problems encountered in dealing with aerial

photographs and topographic maps the use of satellite images is

the prefered method for creating base maps for the GIS.

DATA ENTRY

Once data sets and images have been identified they should

be entered into the GIS. This can be done by the direct input of

data in a digital form, through the use of a digitizing table for

maps and other photographs or by video digitizing. The procedures

and recommended methods for data entry will vary depending upon

the type of GIS system chosen for the program and the money

available to purchase equipment or services.

THE ROOKERY BAY GIS

The Rookery Bay GIS consists of a base image, overlays and

database files. The base image is an uncoded LANDSAT image from

April 10, 1986. This scene was taken at 10:00 a.m. during an ebb

tide. The uncoded image has 256 classes and has a pixel size of

point .22 acre (30 m x 30 m). The base image comes from bands 2,

3 and 4 of the 7 banded LANDSAT data. Bands 2, 3 and 4 are the

green (0.52 - 0.60um), red (0.63 -0.69um) and infared (0.76 -

0.90um). Data from bands 3, 4 and 5 (band 5 is infared in the

range of 1.55 - 1.75um) was used to create many of the overlays

for the base map. The study area for which data have been

collected or analyzed is approximately 700,000 acres. This

includes both Aquatic Preserves, The Research Reserve and the

watersheds that supply fresh water to these areas (Figure 2).

Sixteen overlays have been created for the GIS. Each

overlay represents a different piece of information concerning

the area. An annotated table of the title of the overlay, its

source and a brief description of the information contained is

provided in Table 1.

The database link that allows digital data from dBase files

to be displayed in the GIS was accomplished using ELAS software.

too

Fig 2. Study area for
Rookery Bay GIS. Heavy
CD
black lines are water
shed boundaries.

Ah.

Table 1. Rookery Bay GIS overlays

OVZKM TIM SOURCE DESCRIPTION OVERIAT TITLZ SOURCR DESCRIPTION

Rookery Day ftticu-l la"sat Bands 3.4.S A sixteen class water Quality Rookery say These are the station
ZstuarLne Research vegetation map of locations for all water
Deserve vegetation the Research Reserve quality sampling programs
that are being conducted
in the Research Rase
Mok"T Day Landsat Sands 3.4.5 Sixteen class vegetation and Aquatic Preserve.
Aquatic Pr*serM map of the Rookery Day
vegetation Aquatic Preserve Watersheds Collier County These are the watershed
Water UMMgmament areas recognized by the
Cape Flomano-fta Landsat Bands 3.4.5 Sixteen class vegetation county for the study area.
Thousand Island map of Cape Romano/Ton
Aquatic Preserve Thousand Islands Aquatic
V"eatatLOn Preserve Canals/Meirs water Control These are the drainage
Structure Index canals and water control
Collier County GOV. struct" a within the
PW/011 Collier County Gov. Shows approved and proposed study area.
planned unit developments
(PUD) and development of
regional impact IDRI) sewago Plants Collier County Dept. Those are the package
projects in the study area. of Environmental sewage treatment plants
Pollution Control located in study area.
Commercial Property C*12ioc C0UMtY Gov. Shows commercially zoned
property in study area. 1928 Photos MOAA-YOS national These are 2928 aerial
Parcels of this category Cartographic photos of Rookery Say
are included in appendix 1. Section and vicinity. These
ar* video digitized
overlays showing the
Wads Collier Cowlty DOT This is a five class general topographic
overlay road map: features of the study
four lane highways. two area in 1928.
Ian* primary roads, two
lane secondary, dirt limited
access and airports. 1958 Topographic U.S. Geological These are digitized
Maps Survey images of the standard
topographic quadrangles
survey Infamation Collier Cowty DOT These are the township for this area.
section and rang* lines
within the study area.
SOLIS 1928 U.S Dept of ThIs Is an overlay
Agricultural SoLl showing the various
boundaries DER documents Boundaries of the Research Survey Soll types as described
Reserve and Aquatic from the only *oil survey
Preserves. available for Collier
County.

Database Files Various research Theme are the database filei
project&. containing all of the data
collected on water quality,
benthic invertibrato, creal
:
urvOY and other data
011*cted witbLng Rookery
bay and the Ton Thousand
Islands area. Each
parameter with this databas4
file can be converted to an
overlay for use in the GIS.
Depending upon how the data
are combined over time and
Spec* their are many possib:
ove th b

Data from the parameters, sampling dates and stations

described in Appendix 1 can be shown as overlays on any of the

other overlays and/or the base image. There are a wide variety

of ways in which to display these data. For instance phosphorous

levels at each of the water quality stations could be shown as

overlays from each sampling date or yearly averages could be

calculated and those data could be displayed in one overlay.

GIS APPLICATIONS

The ability to link scientific, planning and geographic

information using computer based maps and images has created a

new level of scientific and resource management information.

Examining the relationship between different combinations of

overlays can reveal relationships that bear closer scientific

investigation. Applying GIS information to management problems-

has provided a link between scientific data and land use

information that is revolutionizing our ability to manage coastal

areas.

The results of this work begin to demonstrate ways in which

a GIS can be used in coastal zone management issues affecting

Rookery Bay and other Florida coastal areas. The ability to

combine different data sets within the GIS allows the user to

look at the affects of activities on the land or water, assess the

present status of an area and, with sufficient information in the

GIS, conduct basic modeling to simulate conditions that would

occur if a change or series of changes is made in an area. GISes

also have the benefit of being easily updated when new

information becomes available or existing database files or image

overlays have new information added to them.

The best way to illustrate how a GIS can be used used in

coastal zone management problem solving is by example. Suppose a

manager would like to know whether or not speed restriction signs

for boaters should be posted in an area due to the presence of

manatees. In order to make this decision, the manager must have

some idea of whether manatees occur in this area, how frequently

they are sited, how much boat traffic is in the area, where are

the locations of boat channels and marinas and how many manatee

deaths have been recorded in the vicinity. A GIS, if it

contained appropriate information, would combine and illustrate

the data sets needed to make an assessment.

Using a simple base map of the study site, overlays showing

the locations of boat channels, marinas, boat use, manatee

sightings and sites of manatee deaths are prepared. These

overlays are combined in the GIS to develop a picture showing

areas where manatees sitings and high boat use areas co-occur.

The deaths occurring in relation to boat traffic use patterns may

also show particularily dangerous areas that may need special

attention. From this combination of data, the manager can

determine whether signs are warranted alerting boaters to the

presence of manatees or if special restricted speed zone sites

should be established.

A second example would be determining how many acres of

wetland would be lost when siting a new road. Using a base

vegetation map overlay that identifies wetlands, various proposed

or hypothetical alignments of the road could be placed through

the study area to find the best alignment that fits the

conditions of the road. For instance if the goal is to have the

least amount of wetland vegetation disturbed then an alignment

could be found that moves the road from upland areas to upland

area transiting through only the smallest wetland area. On the

other hand if a straight line road is necessary then an alignment

that goes through the least amount of wetland vegetation could be

chosen. Since the base map would contain different types of

wetland and upland habitats using a GIS can help design a road

that passes through the least biologically sensitive areas.

These are only two of many possible examples of how the GIS

could be used in management applications. The questions that can

be answered using a GIS are limited to the data in the GIS. In a

self feeding mechanism the GIS can be used to generate questions

and if the data are not available the data can be obtained and

entered into the GIS to help answer the questions.

APPLICATIONS OF THE ROOKERY BAY GIS

Nine applications of information using the Rookery Bay GIS

have been conducted in the past year as a part of cooperative

efforts between DNR and other government agencies. These

demonstration projects for other sites have provided management

information to the agencies and have served as a valuable

learning tool for developing applications of the GIS.

1. Assistance was provided to the U.S. Army Corps of

Engineers in an enforcement case. The GIS was used to determine

the amount of wetland vegetation that was allegedly destroyed on

an interior freshwater wetland in Collier County. Using the 1986

LANDSAT image we compared the vegetation from the study site to

the vegetation analysis from a 1984 LANDSAT image. The results

indicated that some wetland habitat had been destroyed and

converted into impounded agricultural lands.

2. An extensive demonstration project assisted the Collier

County Government in the preparation of a vegetation analysis of

Collier County. Using the 1986 LANDSAT image and ground truthing

information supplied by the county staff, a vegetation map for

the county's 1.2 million acres was created. This map was

reproduced by the county and is being used as a part of their

revised Comprehensive Plan.

3-4. Two internal DNR projects used the Rookery Bay GIS. An

internal project at the Reserve involved using the GIS vegetation
map to determine the area and extent of scrub oak habitat in the_

Reserve. This information was used to develop a gopher tortoise

research project which is currently underway at the Reserve. The

second project involved creating the vegetation map overlays for

the Bureau of Aquatic Preserves' Rookery Bay and Cape Romano/Ten

Thousand Islands Aquatic Preserves Management Plan.

5. To enhance the vegetation map overlay for the county a

detailed study of the proposed Florida Panther National Wildlife

refuge was conducted for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Within the boundaries of the proposed refuge the wetland areas
were classified into five 'major types to be used for panther

habitat management.

6. To assist the updated soil survey program being conducted

by the U.S. Department of Agriculture we worked with their field

representatives to determine vegetation and soil similarities for

the new survey study. This was conducted in the wetland area of

Collier County.

7. A small project for the Florida Department of

Environmental Regulation was done using the GIS. Vegetation

analysis and acreages of soon to be altered lands and altered

lands were calculated using the GIS.

8. The most extensive program involves the Reserve's

participation in a multi-organization project with Research

Planning Institute, Inc.,, the Remote Sensing Institute of the

University of South Carolina, NASA's Earth Resource Laboratory

and the Rookery Bay Research Reserve. Rookery Bay was chosen as

a site for a demonstration project to develop an oil spill

response survey because of its extensive database and GIS. Both

LANDSAT and SPOT satellite images were taken from Rookery Bay in

October 1988. Additional spectral analysis data was collected

from a Lear jet at approximately 10,000 feet altitude.

Radiometer readings were taken from a helicopter at low altitude

and from leaves taken from mangrove tree canopies and forest

floor areas. This layered approach to spectral analysis of the

system was designed to determine what types of interferences

occur as a result of the atmosphere.

Twelve first order magnitude locations were sighted in using

a global positioning system (GPS) instrument. These will be used

as reference marks for locating ground positions in remote

mangrove forest, marsh and upland sites. Most of this work will

be repeated again in March 1989. This information will provide

detailed data on the vegetation analysis of this area.

9. The Rookery Bay GIS was used to help the Florida Division

of Forestry. They requested a vegetation analysis for the areas

surrounding their fire spotting towers to develop future control

burn procedures in the county. Vegetation analysis was conducted

in a ten mile radius around each of the county's five spotting

towers.

In addition to these projects several other agencies and

organizations have approached us for information that uses the

Rookery Bay GIS. Collier Seminole State Park has requested a

vegetation analysis, the Bureau of Aquatic Preserves has asked us

to develop a vegetation map for the St. Joe Bay Aquatic Preserve,

the U.S.-Customs service is interested in locating shoals and

sandbars in the Ten Thousand Islands, and the Lee County Nature

Center Planetarium would like us to develop an educational

display on remote sensing. All of these requests, in addition to

the projects described above, are providing new and refined data

for the Rookery Bay GIS.

SUMMARY

1. A Geographic Information System is a computer based

technology composed of hardware, software and data used to

capture, edit, display and, most important, analyze geographic

information (Lang 1988).

2. A GIS can help Aquatic Preserve and other natural resource

managers develop management strategies. GISes organize existing

information and data about an area and present it in an easily

usable format. Management problems can be addressed using a

combination of overlays and/or database files to examine

relationships between parameters.

3. The recommended hardware for a GIS systems includes a 386

generation computer with a clock speed of 20-25mh; a minimum 160

megabyte storage system; two monitors, a standard color or black

and white monitor and an RGB high resolution graphics monitor;

and two printers, a daisy wheel, dot matrix or laser printer and

color ink jet printer.

4. Their are several options in choosing a software system for

the GIS. Regardless of your choice, the software must be capable

of producing cartographic output (the ability to produce maps and

overlays) and it must have the ability to access and display

database files with the cartographic output. Data can be handled

in either a polygon or raster form. The Rookery Bay GIS uses

raster data with the ERDAS and ELAS software systems. A polygon

based GIS software, ARC/INFO is used by many sites. Rookery Bay

will be adding ARC/INFO to the GIS system in the next year. This

will allow us to work with both vector (polygon) and raster data.

5. The Rookery Bay GIS consists of a base image from the

LANDSAT satellite, 16 overlays and a link to dBase 3 Plus files.

The overlays include vegetation maps, locations of development

and commercial properties, roads, survey information, watershed

maps, locations of canals and weirs, sewage plant sites, 1928

aerial photographs, 1950 topographic maps and soils. Database

files include extensive information on water quality, benthic

invertebrates, creel survey information and bird census data.

6. Nine applications of the Rookery Bay GIS have been conducted

in the past year as part of a cooperative effort between DNR and

other government agencies. Assistance has been provided to:,the

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in an enforcement case; the Collier

County government to develop a county vegetation map; DNR for

developing vegetation maps for the aquatic preserves and to

determine the extent of scrub oak habitat for a gopher tortoise-

research project at the Reserve; the U.S. Fish and Wildlife

service to develop a vegetation map for the Florida Panther

National Wildlife Refuge; the U.S. Department of Agriculture to

develop an updated soil survey program in wetland areas; the

Florida Department of Environmental Regulation to do vegetation

analyses of altered lands; develop oil spill response survey in

mangrove habitats as part of a multi-organization project; and

with the Florida Division of Forestry to do vegetation analysis

for fire management.

7. Based on the information learned from the pilot project of

developing a GIS for Rookery Bay, we recommend that the Bureau of

Aquatic Preserves and other natural resource management areas

consider establishing regional or site specific GISes.

21)

Literature Cited

Dangermond, Jack. 1986. CAD vs. GIS. Computer Graphics World
October edition.

Lang, Laura. 1988. Surge Expected in GIS Growth. Computer
Graphics Today, 5:1 and 15.

Thoemke, Kris W. and Kenneth P. Gyorkos. 1988. Designing a
Functional Monitoring Program for Florida Aquatic Preserves.
Final Grant Report.

Database files linked to Rookery Bay GIS

File Name: RB1

Dates: April 30, 1980 to November 30, 1982, monthly

Stations: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 (See map 1)

Parameters: surface and bottom temp, pH, D.O., salinity, B.O.D.,

turbidity, suspended solids and mid-depth orthophosphate, nitrite,

nitrate, nitrite-nitrate, ammonia, total nitrogen, trichromatic

chlorophyll a, chlorophyll a and phaeopigment.

Note: E. coli samples were also collected through December 27,

1982

File Name: TIDALl

Date: September 23, 1980, April 30, 1981, March 30, 1982,

September 15, 1982, samples were collected every two hours for a

12 hour period.

Stations: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 (See map 1)

Parameters: surface and bottom temp, pH, D.O., salinity, B.O.D.,

turbidity, suspended solids and mid-depth orthophosphate, nitrite,

nitrate, nitrite-nitrate, ammonia, total nitrogen, trichromatic

chlorophyll a, chlorophyll a and phaeopigment.

File Name: RBBIl

Date: June 5, 1984 to April 10, 1985, biweekly

Stations: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 (See map 1)

Parameters: surface and bottom temp, pH, D.O., salinity, B.O.D.,

turbidity, suspended solids and mid-depth orthophosphate, nitrite,

nitrate, nitrite-nitrate, ammonia, total nitrogen trichromatic

chlorophyll a, chlorophyll a and phaeopigment.

File Name: RBWEEK1

Date: January 7, 1986 to November 27, 1987, weekly

Stations: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 (See map 1)

Parameters: surface and bottom temp, pH, D.O., salinity, B.O.D.,

suspended solids and turbidity.

File Name: RBB12

Date: April 15, 1987 to September 2 1987, biweekly

Stations: 20 thru 150 (See map 2)

Parameters: surface and bottom temp, pH, D.O., salinity, B.O.D.,

turbidity, suspended solids and mid-depth orthophosphate, nitrite,

nitrate, nitrite-nitrate, ammonia, chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b,

chlorophyll c and phaeopigment.

File Name: RBB13

Date: April 7, 1987 to present, biweekly

Stations: 1 thru 10, 160 thru 180, 190 thru 192,

205 and 206 (See maps 1,2)

Parameters: surface and bottom temp, pH, D.O., salinity, B.O.D.,

turbidity, suspended solids and mid-depth orthophosphate, nitrite,

nitrate, nitrite-nitrate, ammonia, total nitrogen, trichromatic

chlorophyll a, chlorophyll a and phaeopigment.

File Name: RBECOLI1

Date: April to present, monthly

Stations: I thru 10 and 160 thru 280 (See maps 1,2)

Parameters: E.coli, surface and bottom temp, pH, D.O. and salinity

File Name: RBSONDE1

Date: March 21, 1988 to present, 20 minute readings

Station: 5 (See map 1)

Parameters: mid-depth tempetature, pH, D.O., conductivity,

salinity and redox potential

File Name: BIRDS

Date: April 1981 to present, quarterly

Stations: 6 routes are now sampled, 4 routes were originally

sampled then a 5th station was added in Feburary, 1983 and a 6th

added in November, 1985. The data is kept as one database and

accessed accordingly.

Parameters: A group of volunteers are used to,census birds along

established routes in Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research

Reserve.

File Name: CREEL

Date: September 2, 1982 to October 31, 1986 then restart January

1, 1988 to present.

Stations: This is roving creel survey in Rookery Bay.

Parameters: Fishermen are surveyed on their catch and

preferences for bait, fishing location and desired catch.

File Name: BENTHIC

Date: November 30, 1984 to November 9, 1985, monthly.

Stations: Five stations in Rookery Bay.

Parameters: Benthic cores were taken for sediment grain size

analysis and species identification, density and distribution.

RATILLSNAKE HANM(XX ROAD

160

oil

170

180
10

2 7
%
8
4
3

0
191
190
192... 0 0
00
00
05 206

201

10 22
'312

o
230
@RCO
ISLAND
Appendix 1 Map 1 241
location of water quality 240
sampling stations in o 25
Rookery Bay Research 0 00
Reserve and Aquatic
Preserve.
260

0
0 0

0 0
vow

0 0 0
o:

0 0 0 0
0
go 0 %
0 1 0,
0
a 0:.. of
0
(4

too.. In
0 0
o

0
0 C")
o C4
o (3
ft o.

0 0
00
oo: 0

o
o too
0
ot'. 0 oo
0
0.
0 0
00 0
0
0
0o
0 0
o
0 0 0 0 0.-0

0 o
0. to . 0 0
0 00

0
It 0 0.
0 0
o
to o.
0 N .0
40 6
0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 % to in
a 0
0 Appendix I Map 2
0 location of water quality
sampling stations in
0
0
'01 0 Cape Romano/Ten Thousand
0
0 o .0
0 0 to Island Aquatic Preserve
o 0
4,

NOAA COASTAL SERVICES CENTER LIBRARY

36668141027963