Interpolation of reconnaissance multibeam bathymetry from north-central Long Island Sound

Abstract

Introduction The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection (CT DEP), has produced detailed maps of the sea floor in Long Island Sound, a major East Coast estuary surrounded by the most densely populated region of the United States (fig. 1). The current phase of this cooperative research program is directed toward studies of sea-floor topography and its effect on the distributions of sedimentary environments and benthic communities. Because anthropogenic wastes, toxic chemicals, and changes in land-use patterns resulting from residential, commercial, and recreational development have stressed the environment of the Sound, causing degradation and potential loss of benthic habitats (Koppelman and others, 1976; Long Island Sound Study, 1994), detailed maps of the sea floor are needed to help evaluate the extent of adverse impacts and to help manage resources wisely in the future.