Welcome to the Florida Marine Mapping web site. The website goal is to provide information to allow improved coordination of habitat and resource mapping of the waters surrounding Florida.

The importance of mapping habitats and bioregions as a means to improve resource management has become increasingly clear. Large areas of the waters surrounding Florida are unmapped or incompletely mapped, hindering proper management and good decision-making. The mapping of these ecosystems is among the top priorities identified by the Florida Oceans and Coastal Resources Council in their Annual Science Research Plan.

In February, 2007, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, U.S. Geological Survey, and the Southeast Regional Partnership for Planning and Sustainability (SERPPAS - a partnership of southeastern states and the Dept. of Defense) co-sponsored a workshop in St. Petersburg, FL, "Mapping of Florida's Coastal and Marine Resources: Setting Priorities". The two-day workshop, attended by over 90 people from Florida and around the U.S., addressed:

1. Mapping technologies
2. State and Federal mapping programs active around Florida
3. Mapping needs of State and Federal agencies
4. Habitat classification schemes
5. Improved coordination of future mapping efforts
6. State-agency priorities for areas to be mapped

One of the key items identified during the workshop was the need for central coordination and communication among mapping programs and mapping clients. This website is one result of that conclusion.

The site presently contains information, presentations and results from the February workshop. It will be expanded to provide information on mapping efforts around Florida.

If you have information concerning shelf and coastal mapping and coordination of these activities in Florida that could be posted on the website, please contact Steve Wolfe, DEP (Steven.Wolfe@dep.state.fl.us) or Lisa Robbins, USGS (lrobbins@usgs.gov).