Description: Ground Validation (GV) data were the basis for finding relationships between the observed substrate and cover types and the classes in the benthic habitat map. Locations of the GV sites were selected deliberately to include the full range of habitats, depths, and environmental settings found in the region. Underwater videos were collected at 271 sites from July 10-20, 2016 and 242 sites from July 9-19, 2017, for a total of 513 sites. Artificial lighting was needed for most videos collected below 30 m.
Copyright Text: NOAA/National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science
Description: This benthic habitat map depicts substrate and cover types that commonly co-occur in the Kachemak Bay area. (Habitat classes include: Bare Mud, Bare Sand, Sand and Mud with varying percent cover of shell, Shell, Rock, from boulder to pebble).
Description: The seagrass map was generated by manual on-screen interpretation of the digital air photos, delineating habitat boundaries around seagrass features (e.g. areas with specific color and texture patterns). The main source of ground verification data for the seagrass map was underwater video acquired at 224 sites during the summer of 2005. Also in 2005, an additional 81 intertidal seagrass sites were visited on foot during extreme low tides.
Description: This GIS layer is a database of the nearshore habitats in Kachemak Bay. It is focused on intertidal areas other than salt marshes. The data were gathered during an extensive field effort that began in 2002 and ended in 2004. With the use of field data and aerial photos collected in 1996, homogeneous alongshore segments (10-100 meters in length) were delineated and divided into four intertidal zones: low, low-mid, high-mid and high. Intertidal zones were delineated at 4 foot vertical intervals, starting with the low zone at the mean low tide line. Mapping occurred only at times when the tide was lower than plus two feet, so all zones would be visible during data collection. Within each intertidal zone, the physical components of the habitat were characterized by using indices of geophysical variables. The presence or absence of common biological communities was also noted. The GIS data and the report summarizing this effort can be downloaded from this University of Alaska, Anchorage website: https://accscatalog.uaa.alaska.edu/dataset/kachemak-bay-intertidal-habitat
Copyright Text: Kachemak Bay Research Reserve, Alaska Center for Conservation Science, University of Alaska Anchorage
Description: This layer shows the distribution of salt marsh in Kachemak Bay. The field portion of the mapping was conducted in 2002 through 2004 in conjunction with the intertidal mapping effort. Initial polygons were on-screen digitized in ArcGIS using USGS black and white digital orthophotos collected September 9, 1996. Field data including notes, maps and data sheets were used to edit the interpreted polygons as needed.
Copyright Text: Kachemak Bay Research Reserve, Alaska Center for Conservation Science, University of Alaska Anchorage
Description: This layer shows the distribution of Bull Kelp (Nereocystis leutkeana) in Kachemak Bay in 2000. The kelp map was generated by manual interpretation of low level (1500-5000 ft) oblique color air photos. The photos were obtained during the lowest tides of the month, targeting August and September. Optimal weather conditions were set for visibility greater than 5 miles, surfaces winds less than 10 knots, sea/swell state less than 1 m and sun angle greater than 30 degrees above the horizon. Kelp canopies were delineated on air photo hard copies, scanned at 600 dpi, and rectified to 1 m black and white digital orthophotos (collected by USGS September 9, 1996). The kelp canopy polygons were then traced on-screen.
Copyright Text: NOAA's National Estuarine Research Reserve
Description: This layer shows the distribution of Bull Kelp (Nereocystis leutkeana) in Kachemak Bay in 2001. The kelp map was generated by manual interpretation of low level (1500-5000 ft) oblique color air photos. The photos were obtained during the lowest tides of the month, targeting August and September. Optimal weather conditions were set for visibility greater than 5 miles, surfaces winds less than 10 knots, sea/swell state less than 1 m and sun angle greater than 30 degrees above the horizon. Kelp canopies were delineated on air photo hard copies, scanned at 600 dpi, and rectified to 1 m black and white digital orthophotos (collected by USGS September 9, 1996). The kelp canopy polygons were then traced on-screen.
Copyright Text: NOAA's National Estuarine Research Reserve
Description: This layer shows the distribution of Bull Kelp (Nereocystis leutkeana) in Kachemak Bay in 2002. The kelp map was generated by manual interpretation of low level (1500-5000 ft) oblique color air photos. The photos were obtained during the lowest tides of the month, targeting August and September. Optimal weather conditions were set for visibility greater than 5 miles, surfaces winds less than 10 knots, sea/swell state less than 1 m and sun angle greater than 30 degrees above the horizon. Kelp canopies were delineated on air photo hard copies, scanned at 600 dpi, and rectified to 1 m black and white digital orthophotos (collected by USGS September 9, 1996). The kelp canopy polygons were then traced on-screen.
Copyright Text: NOAA's National Estuarine Research Reserve
Description: This layer shows a time series of the location of the terminus of a number of Glaciers near Kachemak Bay. The location of the terminus of any given glacier was delineated from aerial photography. Archived aerial photos were obtained with a range of dates from 1952 to 2016. Availability of photos varied by areas, with a maximum of 8 dates of imagery for one glacier to as few as one date. Archived aerial photos were scanned and rectified to black and white digital orthophotos (1m resolution, collected by USGS September 9, 1996) in ArcGIS.
Copyright Text: NOAA/National Estuary Research Reserve
Description: This map depicts the Kachemak Bay area watershed boundaries. Watershed boundaries were delineated from Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (IFSAR) on the south side of the bay and Lidar on the north side. The IFSAR data was collected 2010-2012 and the Lidar data was collected in 2008. The basin boundaries were derived from these datasets using the hydrologic modelling tools in ArcGIS followed by manual on-screen editing to correct obvious errors.
Copyright Text: NOAA/National Estuary Research Reserve
Description: NOAA’s Mussel Watch Program monitors the status and trends of chemical contaminants of U.S. coastal waters, measured in filter-feeding bivalves (oysters or mussels). This national assessment (Kimbrough et al. 2008) reports results for eight metals (Arsenic, Cadmium, Copper, Mercury, Nickel, Lead, Tin, and Zinc) and six classes of organic contaminants (Butyltins, Chlordanes, DDTs, Dieldrins, PAHs, and PCBs). Results are generally reported in parts per million (ppm) dry weight for metals, and parts per billion (ppb) dry weight for organic contaminants. This study features five sample sites in Alaska, one of which (site CIHS, Cook Inlet – Homer Spit) is in Kachemak Bay, with mussel (Mytilis sp.) as the sampled species. Sampling was done in 2005, and compared with previous years to discern trends for each contaminant (increasing, decreasing, or no trend). An aggregate index is calculated for both metals and organic contaminants, reported as Metals_status, Metals_trend, Organic_status, and Organic_trend. Levels for most contaminants at site CIHS are ranked as “low”, with no discernable trends. Arsenic (As) occurs naturally in some glacial-origin sediments of Alaska and is the only contaminant ranked as “medium” in this study. This summary report (Kimbrough et al. 2008) is available for download as a pdf at
ftp://ftp.library.noaa.gov/noaa_documents.lib/NOS/NCCOS/TM_NOS_NCCOS/nos_nccos_74.pdf
Description: In recent years, flame retardant chemicals, known as polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), have generated international concern over their widespread distribution in the environment, their potential to bioaccumulate in humans and wildlife, and concern for suspected adverse human health effects. NOAA’s Mussel Watch Program monitors the status and trends of chemical contaminants of U.S. coastal waters, measured in filter-feeding bivalves (oysters or mussels). The Mussel Watch Program conducted a study of PBDEs in bivalve tissues and sediments and published the results in a national-scale assessment (Kimbrough et al. 2009). This study features nine sample sites in Alaska, two of which are in or near Kachemak Bay (sites CIHS Homer Spit and CINK Nanwalek) with mussel (Mytilis sp.) as the sampled species. Levels of PBDEs in mussel tissues at these sites are considered “medium” because they are above zero. Trends are not reported, since there was only one sample year (2005) for these sites. This summary report (Kimbrough et al. 2009) is available for download as a pdf at
ftp://ftp.library.noaa.gov/noaa_documents.lib/NOS/NCCOS/TM_NOS_NCCOS/nos_nccos_94.pdf
Description: A baseline environmental characterization of the inner Kachemak Bay, Alaska was conducted using standardized National Status and Trends Bioeffects Program methods, the sediment quality triad approach based on sediment chemistry, sediment toxicity, and benthic invertebrate community structure. Three sites
near the village of Port Graham were also sampled for comparison. Concentrations of over 120 organic and metallic contaminants were analyzed. Ambient toxicity was assessed using two bioassays. A detailed benthic community condition assessment was performed. Habitat parameters (e.g. depth, salinity, temperature, dissolved oxygen, sediment grain size, and organic carbon content) that influence species and contaminant distribution were also measured at each sampling site. Methods and results are reported in Hartwell et al.
2009 , available for download as a pdf at https://repository.library.noaa.gov/view/noaa/2628 . Results are also summarized in a NOAA Special Report (Hartwell et al. 2011), available for download as a pdf at
https://repository.library.noaa.gov/view/noaa/2582. The original data in downloadable tabular format can be accessed at https://products.coastalscience.noaa.gov/collections/ltmonitoring/nsandt/data2.aspx
Description: In 2008, five sites were sampled in the deeper mainstem of Kachemak Bay, in collaboration with CIRCAC Cook Inlet Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program. Results of the Kachemak Bay deep sites survey are included in Addendum 6 of Hartwell et al. 2009, pp. 131-163. These results were part of a larger study of Cook Inlet (ICIEMAP 2010), and they supplement the sites sampled in 2007 on the north side of Kachemak Bay. All of the sites were
deeper than 18 m, and separate samples were taken to assess the benthic invertebrate community and for analysis of a suite of organic and trace element contaminants. Metals concentrations were generally higher in deep portions of the Bay compared with shallow areas, but some of this may be due to finer sediment grain size at the deep sites. Some metals exceeded threshold sediment quality guidelines, but only nickel exceeded the median effects guideline.
Organic contaminants were slightly elevated above concentrations observed in shallow areas, but were well below concentrations in Homer Harbor. The mixture of PAHs and alkanes indicated negligible anthropogenic sources. Pesticides and PCBs were present at very low levels. The benthic invertebrate community at the deep sites was highly diverse and abundant, dominated by polychaetes, and distinctly different from shallow areas. Methods and results are reported in Hartwell et al. 2009 - Addendum 6 (pp. 131-163), available for download as a pdf at https://repository.library.noaa.gov/view/noaa/2628.
Description: A baseline environmental characterization of the embayments and fjords on the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska was conducted using a sediment quality approach based on sediment chemistry, and benthic invertebrate community structure. Sediment toxicity and resident fish body burdens were also assessed at one bay near an abandoned mine site. The study area was subdivided into seven distinct water bodies on the peninsula’s north side, draining into Kachemak Bay, and two on the western tip of the peninsula, opening into Lower Cook Inlet. Sampling sites for water quality measurements, sediment, and benthic infauna were randomized within each embayment. Concentrations of 140 organic and elemental contaminants were analyzed. Habitat parameters (depth, salinity, temperature, dissolved oxygen, sediment grain size, and organic carbon content) that
influence species and contaminant distribution were also measured at each sampling site. A detailed benthic community condition assessment was performed at each site. Methods and results are reported in Hartwell et al. 2017, available for download as a pdf at https://repository.library.noaa.gov/view/noaa/16234. The original data in downloadable tabular format can be accessed at
https://products.coastalscience.noaa.gov/collections/ltmonitoring/nsandt/data2.aspx
Name: Monthly Average Sea Surface Temperature (2002-2020)
Display Field:
Type: Group Layer
Geometry Type: null
Description: These layers shows monthly average sea surface temperature (SST) in northwestern Gulf of Alaska, including Cook Inlet and Prince Williams Sound from June 2002-July 2020).
Copyright Text: JPL MUR MEaSUREs Project. 2015. GHRSST Level 4 MUR Global Foundation Sea Surface Temperature Analysis (v4.1). Ver. 4.1. PO.DAAC, CA, USA.
Description: This layer shows climatological monthly mean sea surface temperature (SST) for January in northwestern Gulf of Alaska, including Cook Inlet and Prince Williams Sound. The climatological SST was derived from monthly SST images of MUR SST Analysis at 1 km between June 2002 and July 2020. This is a product from Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). For details, see https://podaac.jpl.nasa.gov/dataset/MUR-JPL-L4-GLOB-v4.1
Copyright Text: JPL MUR MEaSUREs Project. 2015. GHRSST Level 4 MUR Global Foundation Sea Surface Temperature Analysis (v4.1). Ver. 4.1. PO.DAAC, CA, USA.
Description: This layer shows climatological monthly mean sea surface temperature (SST) for February in northwestern Gulf of Alaska, including Cook Inlet and Prince Williams Sound. The climatological SST was derived from monthly SST images of MUR SST Analysis at 1 km between June 2002 and July 2020. This is a product from Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). For details, see https://podaac.jpl.nasa.gov/dataset/MUR-JPL-L4-GLOB-v4.1
Copyright Text: JPL MUR MEaSUREs Project. 2015. GHRSST Level 4 MUR Global Foundation Sea Surface Temperature Analysis (v4.1). Ver. 4.1. PO.DAAC, CA, USA.
Description: This layer shows climatological monthly mean sea surface temperature (SST) for March in northwestern Gulf of Alaska, including Cook Inlet and Prince Williams Sound. The climatological SST was derived from monthly SST images of MUR SST Analysis at 1 km between June 2002 and July 2020. This is a product from Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). For details, see https://podaac.jpl.nasa.gov/dataset/MUR-JPL-L4-GLOB-v4.1
Copyright Text: JPL MUR MEaSUREs Project. 2015. GHRSST Level 4 MUR Global Foundation Sea Surface Temperature Analysis (v4.1). Ver. 4.1. PO.DAAC, CA, USA.
Description: This layer shows climatological monthly mean sea surface temperature (SST) for April in northwestern Gulf of Alaska, including Cook Inlet and Prince Williams Sound. The climatological SST was derived from monthly SST images of MUR SST Analysis at 1 km between June 2002 and July 2020. This is a product from Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). For details, see https://podaac.jpl.nasa.gov/dataset/MUR-JPL-L4-GLOB-v4.1
Copyright Text: JPL MUR MEaSUREs Project. 2015. GHRSST Level 4 MUR Global Foundation Sea Surface Temperature Analysis (v4.1). Ver. 4.1. PO.DAAC, CA, USA.
Description: This layer shows climatological monthly mean sea surface temperature (SST) for May in northwestern Gulf of Alaska, including Cook Inlet and Prince Williams Sound. The climatological SST was derived from monthly SST images of MUR SST Analysis at 1 km between June 2002 and July 2020. This is a product from Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). For details, see https://podaac.jpl.nasa.gov/dataset/MUR-JPL-L4-GLOB-v4.1
Copyright Text: JPL MUR MEaSUREs Project. 2015. GHRSST Level 4 MUR Global Foundation Sea Surface Temperature Analysis (v4.1). Ver. 4.1. PO.DAAC, CA, USA.
Description: This layer shows climatological monthly mean sea surface temperature (SST) for June in northwestern Gulf of Alaska, including Cook Inlet and Prince Williams Sound. The climatological SST was derived from monthly SST images of MUR SST Analysis at 1 km between June 2002 and July 2020. This is a product from Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). For details, see https://podaac.jpl.nasa.gov/dataset/MUR-JPL-L4-GLOB-v4.1
Copyright Text: JPL MUR MEaSUREs Project. 2015. GHRSST Level 4 MUR Global Foundation Sea Surface Temperature Analysis (v4.1). Ver. 4.1. PO.DAAC, CA, USA.
Description: This layer shows climatological monthly mean sea surface temperature (SST) for July in northwestern Gulf of Alaska, including Cook Inlet and Prince Williams Sound. The climatological SST was derived from monthly SST images of MUR SST Analysis at 1 km between June 2002 and July 2020. This is a product from Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). For details, see https://podaac.jpl.nasa.gov/dataset/MUR-JPL-L4-GLOB-v4.1
Copyright Text: JPL MUR MEaSUREs Project. 2015. GHRSST Level 4 MUR Global Foundation Sea Surface Temperature Analysis (v4.1). Ver. 4.1. PO.DAAC, CA, USA.
Description: This layer shows climatological monthly mean sea surface temperature (SST) for August in northwestern Gulf of Alaska, including Cook Inlet and Prince Williams Sound. The climatological SST was derived from monthly SST images of MUR SST Analysis at 1 km between June 2002 and July 2020. This is a product from Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). For details, see https://podaac.jpl.nasa.gov/dataset/MUR-JPL-L4-GLOB-v4.1
Copyright Text: JPL MUR MEaSUREs Project. 2015. GHRSST Level 4 MUR Global Foundation Sea Surface Temperature Analysis (v4.1). Ver. 4.1. PO.DAAC, CA, USA.
Description: This layer shows climatological monthly mean sea surface temperature (SST) for September in northwestern Gulf of Alaska, including Cook Inlet and Prince Williams Sound. The climatological SST was derived from monthly SST images of MUR SST Analysis at 1 km between June 2002 and July 2020. This is a product from Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). For details, see https://podaac.jpl.nasa.gov/dataset/MUR-JPL-L4-GLOB-v4.1
Copyright Text: JPL MUR MEaSUREs Project. 2015. GHRSST Level 4 MUR Global Foundation Sea Surface Temperature Analysis (v4.1). Ver. 4.1. PO.DAAC, CA, USA.
Description: This layer shows climatological monthly mean sea surface temperature (SST) for October in northwestern Gulf of Alaska, including Cook Inlet and Prince Williams Sound. The climatological SST was derived from monthly SST images of MUR SST Analysis at 1 km between June 2002 and July 2020. This is a product from Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). For details, see https://podaac.jpl.nasa.gov/dataset/MUR-JPL-L4-GLOB-v4.1
Copyright Text: JPL MUR MEaSUREs Project. 2015. GHRSST Level 4 MUR Global Foundation Sea Surface Temperature Analysis (v4.1). Ver. 4.1. PO.DAAC, CA, USA.
Description: This layer shows climatological monthly mean sea surface temperature (SST) for November in northwestern Gulf of Alaska, including Cook Inlet and Prince Williams Sound. The climatological SST was derived from monthly SST images of MUR SST Analysis at 1 km between June 2002 and July 2020. This is a product from Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). For details, see https://podaac.jpl.nasa.gov/dataset/MUR-JPL-L4-GLOB-v4.1
Copyright Text: JPL MUR MEaSUREs Project. 2015. GHRSST Level 4 MUR Global Foundation Sea Surface Temperature Analysis (v4.1). Ver. 4.1. PO.DAAC, CA, USA.
Description: This layer shows climatological monthly mean sea surface temperature (SST) for December in northwestern Gulf of Alaska, including Cook Inlet and Prince Williams Sound. The climatological SST was derived from monthly SST images of MUR SST Analysis at 1 km between June 2002 and July 2020. This is a product from Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). For details, see https://podaac.jpl.nasa.gov/dataset/MUR-JPL-L4-GLOB-v4.1
Copyright Text: JPL MUR MEaSUREs Project. 2015. GHRSST Level 4 MUR Global Foundation Sea Surface Temperature Analysis (v4.1). Ver. 4.1. PO.DAAC, CA, USA.
Description: This layer is a combination of bathymetry and hillshade using the using the No Alteration of Grayscale or Intensity (NAGI) fusion method in ArcGIS. This layer does not contain queryable bathymetric depth value.
Description: The 8 m bathymetry model was generated by processing Multibeam Sonar collected from the NOAA Ships Fairweather and Rainier. The data were collected as part of the “Hydropalooza” project, a hydrographic mapping effort by both ships during the summers of 2008 and 2009. The area includes shallow areas (0-10m deep) on the sides of the main bay and the side bays like Seldovia and Jakalov, with areas as deep as 170m to the south and east of Homer Spit. The bathymetry model is the basis for the benthic habitat map, which was produced by remote sensing analysis tools that delineated the habitats using a semi-automated classification process.