1. Mapping Tools for Coastal
Management in Virginia
Marcia Berman
Director, Comprehensive Coastal Inventory Program
Center for Coastal Resources Management
Virginia Institute of Marine Science
College of William and Mary
3. What is an atlas?
1. A book or bound collection of maps, sometimes with
supplementary illustrations and graphic analyses
2. A volume of tables, charts, or plates that systematically
illustrates a particular subject: an anatomical atlas
3. The top or first cervical vertebra of the neck
4. A person who supports a great burden
Source: Dictionary.com
8. Coastal Management Tools
• Chesapeake Bay Shoreline Inventory
• VA Shoreline Manager’s Assessment Kit
• Wetlands Data Viewer
9. Chesapeake Bay Shoreline Inventory
• Inventory of shoreline condition inclusive of:
land use, bank stability, natural buffers, anthropogenic modifications
• Purpose:
promote informed shoreline management decision making at state and
local levels
• Audience:
– Federal, state and local regulatory and planning programs;
– Private citizens and consultants
– Regional environmental planners and managers
• Geographic Coverage
– Tidal shoreline in Virginia (16,000 km)
– Tidal shoreline in Maryland (6,440 km)
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11. Data collection uses mapping grade GPS
• Insitu measurements
• geo-referenced digital
attributes
28. Chesapeake Bay Shoreline Inventory
“….. is it an atlas?”
• Maps
• Tables
• GIS Data
• Reports
• Imagery
… I think so
29. Coastal Management Tools
• Chesapeake Bay Shoreline Inventory
• VA Shoreline Manager’s Assessment Kit
• Wetlands Data Viewer
30. Shoreline Managers Assessment Kit (SMAK)
• ArcIMS® Interactive map application inclusive of
– Shoreline inventory
– Marine managed areas
– Aquatic habitat delineations
– State and federal jurisdictional boundaries
• 37 different data layers
• VA Tidal Waters
• Intended audience …
– VA Marine Resources Commission
– Local wetlands boards
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37. Similar Applications
• Blue Infrastructure (29 layers)
• OSCAR (Oil Spill Clean-up and Response Tool (28 layers)
• Elizabeth River Atlas (28 layers)
38. Shoreline Managers Assessment Kit
“….. is it an atlas?”
• map information
• attribute information
• reference material
• no summary statistics
….. I think so
39. Coastal Management Tools
• Chesapeake Bay Shoreline Inventory
• VA Shoreline Manager’s Assessment Kit
• Wetlands Data Viewer
40. Wetlands Data Viewer
• An ArcIMS interface developed to illustrate “model
output” from a nontidal wetlands assessment technique
developed by Havens et al. 2005;
• Assessment methodology evaluates stressors as indicators
of water quality services or habitat function for every non-
tidal emergent wetland in Virginia (n=205,915)
• Intended Audience:
– Va DEQ, Non-tidal Wetlands Regulatory Program
– State agency review panel
53. Wetlands Data Viewer
“….. is it an atlas?”
• maps
• tables
• report status and trends
• imagery
… I don’t think so
54. What is an atlas?
1. A book or bound collection of maps, sometimes with supplementary
illustrations and graphic analyses
2. A volume of tables, charts, or plates that systematically
illustrates a particular subject: an anatomical atlas
3. The top or first cervical vertebra of the neck
4. A person who supports a great burden
Source: Dictionary.com
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56. Future Actions
• Merge:
– Combine SMAK, Blue Infrastructure, and the Elizabeth River
Atlas into one ArcIMS application;
– Combine Wetlands Mitigation Targeting Tool and the Wetlands
Data Viewer into one application
• Challenge:
– maintain original project identities to satisfy funding agencies
– create scalable links to specific geographic areas (Elizabeth River)
57. Future Actions
• Drill down reports into short messages
accessed through hot links
Riparian Land use Forest
Industrial
Residential
58. Future Actions
• Provide links to resource materials and reports
– Links to VA Code
– Links to Permit Database
– Links to digital imagery
– Links to classic literature
