West Coast Seagrass Communities (2003)

These data serve as documentation of the seagrass habitat within Lower Charlotte Harbor and Estero Bay as it existed January 2003. Seagrass data was photointerpreted from 2003 1:24,000 scale natural color aerial photography and classified using the SFWMD modified FLUCCS classification system. Features were stereoscopically interpreted from the aerotriangulated aerial photography and vector data was compiled using analytical stereoplotters. Horizontal accuracy of meets national map accuracy standards (NMAS) for 1:12,000 scale maps. The minimum mapping unit for classification was 0.5 acres.These data were compiled to evaluate the ecological health of coastal ecosystems for the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) as part of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Program's Monitoring and Assessment Plan. These data compilation efforts are a continuation of previous efforts to determine the status and trends (if any) of submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) resources in the coastal waters of the SFWMD to determine the performance of ongoing efforts to improve water quality and quantity in coastal waters of the District.