Management activities at St. Joseph Bay Aquatic Preserve have been discontinued as of July 1, 2011. This page describes one of the former ecosystem science programs which will be restarted should revenue streams improve.

The protection of critical resources is a high priority item for St. Joseph Bay Aquatic Preserve. In order to adequately manage the preserve, natural and historical resources must be properly mapped.

In 2006 St. Joseph Bay was mapped using hyperspectral imagery. The maps produced from this project show coverage and extent of seagrass communities in the bay, and provide an indicator of the bay's health. Maps can be used to identify "good" areas to be targeted for protection, and "poor" areas to be targeted for restoration.

Mapping efforts should continue to be performed approximately every three years to determine changes in the amount and condition of the submerged habitats.

In 2006, the preserve began mapping the natural resources of the bay using differential geographical positioning systems technology. This information is very useful in monitoring a variety of resources in the bay, and will continue to be extremely useful in the future.

Hyperspectral imagery is invaluable for mapping seagrass.