Prepared in cooperation with the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management

Geological Sampling Data and Benthic Biota Classification: 

Buzzards Bay and Vineyard Sound, Massachusetts

By Seth D. Ackerman, Adrienne L. Pappal, Emily C. Huntley, Dann S. Blackwood, and William C. Schwab

Open-File Report 2014–1221

U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Geological Survey
U.S. Department of the Interior

SALLY JEWELL, Secretary

U.S. Geological Survey

Suzette M. Kimball, Acting Director

U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia: 2015

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Suggested citation:

Ackerman, S.D., Pappal, A.L., Huntley, E.C., Blackwood, D.S., and Schwab, W.C., 2015, Geological Sampling Data

and Benthic Biota Classification—Buzzards Bay and Vineyard Sound, Massachusetts: U.S. Geological Survey OpenFile Report 2014–1221, 30 p., http://dx.doi.org/10.3133/ofr20141221. 

ISSN 2331-1258 (online)
iii

Acknowledgments

Support for this research was provided by the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management 

(CZM) and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). We wish to thank Bruce Carlisle, Dan Sampson, Todd 

Callaghan, and Bob Boeri from CZM for their collaboration in this project. We thank captain Daniel 

Nelson and crew of the research vessel Connecticut for their expertise during data collection. We also 

thank Brian Buckowski, Wayne Baldwin, and Emile Bergeron from the USGS for their participation 

during the sampling survey. And we thank Kate McMullen, Larry Poppe, and Brian Buckowski from the 

USGS for their work to process and archive the sediment samples. 

We also thank the following USGS personnel for their support: Andrea Toran for her guidance and 

coordination through the report process; Elizabeth Pendleton, Laura Brothers, VeeAnn Cross, and Bruce 

Taggart for their expertise and informative colleague reviews of this manuscript; and Jonas CaseyWilliams for his editorial review.

iv

Contents

Acknowledgments ......................................................................................................................................................iii

Abstract ...................................................................................................................................................................... 1

Introduction................................................................................................................................................................. 1

Data Collection and Processing.................................................................................................................................. 2

Survey Operations .................................................................................................................................................. 2

Surficial Sediment Samples and Grain-Size Analyses............................................................................................ 3

Sea-Floor Photography and Video.......................................................................................................................... 3

Biological Classification of the Photographs ............................................................................................................... 3

References Cited........................................................................................................................................................ 4

Figures........................................................................................................................................................................ 6

Appendix 1.Geospatial Data..................................................................................................................................... 26

Appendix 2.Textural Analyses .................................................................................................................................. 30

Figures

1. Map showing the location of the area targeted for sampling (outlined in red) offshore of Massachusetts in 

Buzzards Bay and Vineyard Sound. Sampling was generally done in the area coincident with newly acquired 

geophysical data from 2009 and 2010. MOF, [U.S. Geological Survey] Marine Operations Facility; UTM, 

Universal Transverse Mercator; WGS 84, World Geodetic System of 1984.................................................. 6

2. Photograph of the research vessel (RV) used for the sampling survey, the RV Connecticut. ....................... 7

3. Map showing SEABed Observation and Sampling System (SEABOSS) sampling sites (red dots) over depthcolored shaded-relief topography of the sea floor in the study area. Bathymetry is from U.S. Geological 

Survey Open-File Reports 2012–1002 and 2012–1006. Is., Island; UTM, Universal Transverse Mercator; 

WGS 84, World Geodetic System of 1984..................................................................................................... 8

4. Map showing SEABed Observation and Sampling System (SEABOSS) sampling sites (red dots) overlaid on 

acoustic-backscatter intensity in the study area. Backscatter intensity is an acoustic measure of the relative 

hardness and roughness of the sea floor. In general, high values (light tones) represent rock, boulders, 

cobbles, gravel, and coarse sand. Low values (dark tones) generally represent fine sand and muddy 

sediment. Tonal variations can occur across track in the sidescan-sonar data as a result of changes in 

acquisition or processing parameters. Backscatter imagery is from U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Reports 

2012–1002 and 2012–1006. Is., Island; UTM, Universal Transverse Mercator; WGS 84, World Geodetic 

System of 1984.............................................................................................................................................. 9

5. Photograph of the SEABed Observation and Sampling System (SEABOSS) during survey 2010–005 aboard 

the research vessel Connecticut. The SEABOSS system was used to collect video, photographic data, and 

sediment samples........................................................................................................................................ 10

6. Map showing locations of 2,426 bottom photographs, which were classified according to the Coastal and 

Marine Ecological Classification Standard (CMECS), specifically the Benthic Biotic Component. Red 

rectangles indicate areas of detail shown in figures 7, 9, 11, and 16. Is., Island; UTM, Universal Transverse 

Mercator; WGS 84, World Geodetic System of 1984................................................................................... 11

7. Map showing a high-relief area colonized by anemones, bryozoans, and sponges. See figure 6 for map 

location. See figure 8 for an example photograph (d3_PICT0864.JPG). Bathymetry is from U.S. Geological 

Survey Open-File Report 2012–1002. Is., Island; UTM, Universal Transverse Mercator; WGS 84, World 

Geodetic System of 1984. ........................................................................................................................... 12

8. Photograph d3_PICT0864.JPG, taken along SEABed Observation and Sampling System (SEABOSS) video 

trackline 112, of bryozoans, anemones, sponges, Astrangia sp. (hard coral), and other species colonizing 
v 

hard substrate. See figure 7 for photograph location. Scale of the photographs are generally 0.5 to 1.0 meters 

across, depending on the height of the SEABOSS when the photograph was taken. The scale of this 

photograph is 80 centimeters across........................................................................................................... 13

9. Map showing a channel feature and the distribution of primarily soft-sediment species within the channel and 

benthic macroalgae (seaweeds) and other attached sessile species in the areas of higher elevation and relief. 

See figure 6 for map location. See figure 10 for example photographs (A, d3_PICT1168.JPG; B, 

d3_PICT1183.JPG; C, d3_PICT1176.JPG; D, d3_PICT1160.JPG). Bathymetry is from U.S. Geological 

Survey Open-File Report 2012–1002. UTM, Universal Transverse Mercator; WGS 84, World Geodetic 

System of 1984............................................................................................................................................ 14

10. Photographs of A, attached fauna west of the channel, B, benthic macroalgae east of the channel, C, softsediment fauna in the channel, and D, soft-sediment fauna at the mouth of the channel. See figure 9 for 

photograph locations. Photograph A, d3_PICT1168.JPG, taken along SEABed Observation and Sampling 

System (SEABOSS) video trackline 156; B, d3_PICT1183.JPG, trackline 158; C, d3_PICT1176.JPG, 

trackline 157; D, d3_PICT1160.JPG, trackline 155. The scale of these photographs are A, 80 centimeters 

(cm) across; B, 60 cm; C, 50 cm; D, 60 cm. ................................................................................................ 15

11. Map showing the distribution of nonnative species, including Codium fragile (likely Codium fragile ssp. fragile) 

and Didemnum sp. (likely Didemnum vexillum), identified in the classified bottom photographs. See figure 6 

for map location. See figures 12 and 13 for example photographs (d4_PICT2252.JPG and 

d4_PICT2569.JPG, respectively). Bathymetry is from U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Reports 2012–1002 

and 2012–1006. UTM, Universal Transverse Mercator; WGS 84, World Geodetic System of 1984. .......... 16

12. Photograph d4_PICT2252.JPG, taken along SEABed Observation and Sampling System (SEABOSS) video 

trackline 272, of a colonial tunicate, likely nonnative Didemnum vexillum, on cobbles in Vineyard Sound. See 

figure 11 for photograph location. The scale of this photograph is 1 meter across...................................... 17

13. Photograph d4_PICT2569.JPG, taken along SEABed Observation and Sampling System (SEABOSS) video 

trackline 300, of the green algae Codium sp., likely the nonnative Codium fragile ssp. fragile. See figure 11 for 

photograph location. The scale of this photograph is 80 centimeters across............................................... 18

14. Map showing Crepidula sp. (slipper shell) aggregations overlaid on backscatter intensity. See figure 15 for 

example photographs (A, d3_PICT0683.JPG; B, d4_PICT2415.JPG; C, d4_PICT2420.JPG). Backscatter 

imagery is from U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Reports 2012–1002 and 2012–1006. Is., Island; UTM, 

Universal Transverse Mercator; WGS 84, World Geodetic System of 1984................................................ 19

15. Photographs of Crepidula sp. (slipper shell) aggregations, including reef formations (B and C). See figure 14 

for photograph locations. A, Photograph d3_PICT0683.JPG, taken along SEABed Observation and Sampling 

System (SEABOSS) video trackline 94; B, d4_PICT2415.JPG, trackline 282, C: d4_PICT2420.JPG, 

trackline 282. The scale of these photographs are A, 60 centimeters (cm) across; B, 65 cm; C, 40 cm. .... 20

16. Maps showing soft-sediment sponges overlaid on A, sediment phi class, and B, backscatter intensity. See 

figure 6 for map location. See figure 17 for an example photograph (d1_PICT0447.JPG). Sediment phi 

classes are from U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2014–1220 (Foster and others, 2014). 

Backscatter imagery from USGS Open-File Report 2012–1002. UTM, Universal Transverse Mercator; WGS 

84, World Geodetic System of 1984. ........................................................................................................... 21

17. Photograph d1_PICT0447.JPG, taken along SEABed Observation and Sampling System (SEABOSS) video 

trackline 018, of Cliona sp. (sponge) and Crepidula sp. (slipper shell) on primarily soft substrate. See figure 

16 for photograph location. The scale of this photograph is 60 centimeters across..................................... 22

18. Map showing Astrangia sp. (hard coral) distribution. See figure 19 for an example photograph 

(d4_PICT1679.JPG). Bathymetry is from USGS Open-File Reports 2012–1002 and 2012–1006. Is., Island; 

UTM, Universal Transverse Mercator; WGS 84, World Geodetic System of 1984. ..................................... 23

19. Photograph d4_PICT1679.JPG, taken along SEABed Observation and Sampling System (SEABOSS) video 

trackline 217b, of Astrangia sp. (hard coral) on a boulder. Arbacia punctulata (purple sea urchin) and 
vi 

Homarus americanus (American lobster) are also pictured. See figure 18 for photograph location. The scale 

of this photograph is approximately 60 centimeters across. ........................................................................ 24

20. Screen capture of the Google Earth KMZ file that contains the Coastal and Marine Ecological Classification 

Standard (CMECS) classification of the bottom photographs...................................................................... 25
vii 

Conversion Factors, Datums, and Abbreviations

SI to Inch/Pound 

Multiply By To obtain

Length

centimeter (cm) 0.3937 inch (in.)

meter (m) 3.281 foot (ft) 

kilometer (km) 0.6214 mile (mi)

kilometer (km) 0.5400 mile, nautical (nmi) 

Area

square kilometer (km2) 0.3861 square mile (mi2)

Mass

kilogram (kg) 2.205 pound avoirdupois (lb)

Particle size in phi units can be converted to millimeters (mm) as follows: mm=2-phi.Vertical coordinate information is referenced to mean 

lower low water (MLLW). 

Horizontal coordinate information is referenced to the World Geodetic System of 1984 (WGS 84).

Abbreviations

CMECS Coastal and Marine Ecological Classification Standard

CZM Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management

FGDC Federal Geographic Data Committee

GIS geographic information system

GPS Global Positioning System

MassGIS Massachusetts Office of Geographic Information

MOF [USGS] Marine Operations Facility

MV motor vessel

NGDC [NOAA] National Geophysical Data Center

NOAA National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RV research vessel

SEABOSS SEABed Observation and Sampling System

USGS U.S. Geological Survey

UTC Coordinated Universal Time

UTM Universal Transverse Mercator

WGS 84 World Geodetic System of 1984
1 

Geological Sampling Data and Benthic Biota

Classification: Buzzards Bay and Vineyard Sound,

Massachusetts

By Seth D. Ackerman,1 Adrienne L. Pappal,2 Emily C. Huntley,

2 Dann S. Blackwood,1 and William C. Schwab1

Abstract

Sea-floor sample collection is an important component of a statewide cooperative mapping effort 

between the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone 

Management (CZM). Sediment grab samples, bottom photographs, and video transects were collected 

within Vineyard Sound and Buzzards Bay in 2010 aboard the research vessel Connecticut. This report 

contains sample data and related information, including analyses of surficial-sediment grab samples, 

locations and images of sea-floor photography, survey lines along which sea-floor video was collected, 

and a classification of benthic biota observed in sea-floor photographs and based on the Coastal and 

Marine Ecological Classification Standard (CMECS). These sample data and analyses are used to verify 

interpretations of geophysical data and are an essential part of geologic maps of the sea floor. These data 

also provide a valuable inventory of benthic habitat and resources. Geographic information system 

(GIS) data, maps, and interpretations, produced through the USGS and CZM mapping cooperative, are 

intended to aid efforts to manage coastal and marine resources and to provide baseline information for 

research focused on coastal evolution and environmental change. 

Introduction

This report presents sea-floor sampling data and the biological classification of sea-floor 

photographs collected in 2010 from Buzzards Bay and Vineyard Sound, Massachusetts (fig. 1). The 

survey area covered approximately 670 square kilometers of the sea floor that was also mapped with 

geophysical systems between 2009–2010 in water depths from 3 to 46 meters (m). This report adds to 

the series of data reports (Ackerman and others, 2006, 2013; Andrews and others, 2010, 2013; 

Barnhardt and others, 2006, 2009, 2010; Pendleton and others, 2011; Turecek and others, 2012) 

produced by a cooperative mapping program of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the 

Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management (CZM) (web address: 

http://woodshole.er.usgs.gov/project-pages/coastal_mass/). The sea-floor sampling data in this report 

were obtained during a USGS research cruise in 2010 aboard the research vessel (RV) Connecticut (fig. 

2). These data were collected to verify the geophysical data obtained during USGS research cruises in 

2009 and 2010 (aboard the motor vessel (MV) Megan T. Miller and the MV Scarlett Isabella) and one 

 

1

U.S. Geological Survey 

2

Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management
2 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) hydrographic survey in 2004 (aboard the 

NOAA Ship RUDE). 

The overall goal of this cooperative program is to characterize the sea floor and shallow 

subsurface inside the 3-mile limit of State waters by using high-resolution geophysical techniques, 

sediment sampling, and sea-floor photography and videography. The products developed and 

knowledge gained in this project have broad applicability to scientific and resource-management issues 

in the region. Sampling data are used to verify interpretations made from seamless geophysical datasets 

and are a key component of geologic and habitat mapping efforts. Seabed-characterization maps and 

geospatial data collected and published through this mapping cooperative help scientists understand the 

processes that have shaped the coast, and how it has evolved over time, thereby helping them to 

evaluate the vulnerability of coastal environments to storms, sea-level rise, and long-term climate 

change. This report adds to a science foundation that will be the basis for managing marine habitats, 

addressing offshore development projects, and assessing environmental changes caused by natural 

processes or human activities.

Data Collection and Processing

Survey Operations

The USGS collected sea-floor sampling data from September 9 to 14, 2010, aboard the RV 

Connecticut (during USGS Field Activity 2010–005–FA), by using the SEABed Observation and 

Sampling System (SEABOSS; Valentine and others, 2000) to verify geophysical data at 301 sampling 

sites in Buzzards Bay and Vineyard Sound, Massachusetts (fig. 3). SEABOSS sites were chosen on the 

basis of changes in dynamic range in the acoustic backscatter data and preliminary interpretations of

other geophysical data collected between 2004 and 2010 (fig. 4). 

The SEABOSS contains forward- and down-looking video cameras, a digital still camera, and a 

modified Van Veen sediment sampler. The elements of the SEABOSS are contained within a stainless 

steel framework, measuring 110 × 110 centimeters (cm) and 118 cm tall and weighing 167 kilograms

(368 pounds) overall. The frame has a stabilizer fin that orients the system as it drifts over the seabed. 

The digital camera, a Minolta DiMAGE A2, is mounted in a machined Delrin housing with a flat port 

and is set for 3264 × 2448 pixel images at the “fine” setting for compression. The system also has a 

PHOTOSEA strobe. Two lasers are set 20 cm apart (both as they are mounted on the SEABOSS frame 

and as seen in photographs and video on the seabed) for scale measurements. The red laser dots can 

usually be seen in the photographs, their visibility depending on the sea floor’s bottom type and distance 

from the camera. A third laser is positioned at an angle so that when it intersects the other lasers, the 

SEABOSS is at the optimum height (approximately 75 cm above the sea floor) for a still photograph. 

After the camera is powered up, it is set to a manual focus and a default focus distance. The default 

focus distance is slightly less than the optimum height above the sea floor to account for optical 

distortion under water. All of the system's elements are powered from the surface vessel through a 

conducting cable.

On this survey, the SEABOSS was deployed from the RV Connecticut off the ship's A-frame on 

the stern (fig. 5). When the vessel arrived at a target site, the SEABOSS was deployed. At a typical site, 

the vessel and sampler drifted with the winds and currents for approximately 5–15 minutes, during 

which continuous video was collected and high-resolution still photographs were taken at irregular 

intervals, usually beginning with the start of a SEABOSS deployment; photographs were taken at least 

once per minute as well as just prior to the taking of physical sediment samples. Typically, at the end of 
3 

a SEABOSS deployment, the system would be lowered to the sea floor, triggering the sampler to close 

and collect a relatively undisturbed surficial sediment from the sea floor. After the sample is brought to

the deck of the ship, the upper 2 cm of the sediment grab is subsampled with a calibrated stainless-steel 

shovel and stored for grain-size analysis at the USGS sediment laboratory at the Woods Hole Coastal 

and Marine Science Center.

Surficial Sediment Samples and Grain-Size Analyses

Surficial sediment samples were acquired at 246 of the 301 SEABOSS locations (figs. 3 and 4).

Sediment samples were usually collected at the end of each camera tow, and samples were not typically 

collected in rocky areas. The upper 2 cm of sediment were bagged and taken to the USGS sediment 

laboratory for grain-size analysis. Grain-size analyses were completed using procedures outlined by 

Poppe and others (2005). The data analyzed include sample location, bulk weight, percent of sample in 

each 1-phi size class from -5 phi to 11 phi, sediment classification, kurtosis, and other sediment-related 

statistics. These data are available in geospatial format in appendix 1 (Geospatial Data) and spreadsheet 

format in appendix 2 (Textural Analyses).

Sea-Floor Photography and Video

High-resolution digital photographs and standard-definition analog videos of the sea floor were 

collected at all 301 locations within the study area (figs. 3 and 4). At each station, the USGS SEABOSS

(fig. 5) was towed slightly above the sea floor at speeds of less than one knot. Because the recorded 

position is actually the position of the Global Positioning System (GPS) antenna on the survey vessel, 

not the SEABOSS sampler, a conservative estimated horizontal accuracy of the sample location is ±30 

m. Photographs were obtained using a Konica-Minolta DiMAGE A2 digital still camera, and continuous 

video was collected from a Kongsberg Simrad OE1365 high-resolution color video camera, usually for 

5 to 15 minutes. Digital bottom photographs are available as JPEG images in appendix 3 (Bottom 

Photographs). Continuous video data are not included in this report but can be available upon request. 

The photographs are geospatially located through a series of Python scripts that are run within an 

ArcGIS Toolbox. This process uses a common date and time field to match the photographs with the 

survey navigation data. The result is a geographic information system (GIS) shapefile containing the 

photograph name, other important Exchangeable image file format (Exif) metadata extracted from the 

JPEG header, and latitude and longitude for each photograph. The shapefile is also hotlink-ready for use 

in Esri ArcMap, enabling users to click on the photograph location on the map and view the photograph. 

Several of the attributes in the bottom-photographs dataset were calculated in Esri ArcGIS using 

the Spatial Join tool. This tool was used to calculate the closest SEABOSS video survey trackline, the 

field number of the nearest surficial sediment sample, the sediment classification of the closest sample, 

and the distance in meters to the nearest sample for each bottom photograph. Additional information 

about the processing steps can be found in the metadata for the bottom-photographs dataset in appendix 

1 (Geospatial Data).

Biological Classification of the Photographs

Nearly all of the 2,426 sea-floor photographs taken during U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Field 

Activity 2010–005–FA were reviewed and classified by Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone 

Management (CZM) biologists according to the Coastal and Marine Ecological Classification Standard 

(CMECS), specifically the Benthic Biotic Component (Federal Geographic Data Committee, 2012). Of 
4 

these, 2,265 photographs (fig. 6) were of suitable resolution for the benthic biology in their imagery to 

be classified. 

CMECS is a hierarchal system that provides a way to classify ecological units by using a 

standard format. In the CMECS Benthic Biotic Component, biotic classification units are defined by the 

dominance of sessile or relatively nonmobile fauna; taxa with the greatest percent cover in the 

observational footprint are deemed the most dominant and are classified as the Biotic Group. Because 

additional taxa and groups of interest can co-occur with the dominant taxa group in any given 

photograph, two co-occurring biotic groups (Co-occurring Element Modifiers) and two associated taxa 

(Associated Taxa Modifiers) were added as modifiers to the classification scheme. Adding modifiers to 

the dominant biotic group increases the amount of biological information available from the imagery

without adding a significant time burden to the visual analysis of the photographs. 

The analyzed images are useful for creating maps of existing biological resources and 

identifying important habitat areas and habitat associations. For example, the classified images can be 

used to map and identify the following: areas of high relief and structure necessary for sessile organisms 

such as sponges and bryozoans to attach (figs. 7 and 8), areas of hard substrate at depths shallow enough 

to accommodate photosynthesis in benthic macroalgae (figs. 9 and 10), areas of soft sediment suitable 

for species such as those that burrow (figs. 9 and 10), and the distribution of nonnative species, can

affect habitat quality (figs. 11, 12, and 13). The biological information derived from the digital 

photographs allows for a more complete assessment of benthic habitat conditions. 

The biological information from the photographs might also improve the accuracy of bottomtype interpretation. For example, heavy accumulations of Crepidula sp. could be incorrectly interpreted 

as hard bottom, on the basis of the backscatter intensity data alone (figs. 14 and 15). Relief created from 

benthic species such as soft-sediment sponges and hard corals that would not necessarily be identified as 

structure in a geological context can also be mapped (figs. 16, 17, 18, and 19).

The classification of the benthic biota is included in the bottom-photographs dataset. These data 

are available as a spreadsheet, shapefile, or Google Earth KMZ file (fig. 20) in appendix 1 (Geospatial 

Data). Additional information about the classification process and its accuracy can be found in the 

metadata for the bottom-photographs dataset in appendix 1 (Geospatial Data).

References Cited

Ackerman, S.D., Andrews, B.D., Foster, D.S., Baldwin, W.E., and Schwab, W.C., 2013, Highresolution geophysical data from the inner continental shelf—Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts: U.S. 

Geological Survey Open-File Report 2012–1002, 1 DVD-ROM. [Also available at 

http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2012/1002/.] 

Ackerman, S.D., Butman, Bradford, Barnhardt, W.A., Danforth, W.W., and Crocker, J.M., 2006, Highresolution geologic mapping of the inner continental shelf—Boston Harbor and approaches, 

Massachusetts: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2006–1008, 1 DVD-ROM. [Also available 

at http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2006/1008/.] 

Andrews, B.D., Ackerman, S.D., Baldwin, W.E., and Barnhardt, W.A., 2010, Geophysical and sampling 

data from the inner continental shelf—Northern Cape Cod Bay, Massachusetts: U.S. Geological 

Survey Open-File Report 2010–1006, 1 DVD-ROM. [Also available at 

http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2010/1006/.]

Andrews, B.D., Ackerman, S.D., Baldwin, W.E., Foster, D.S., and Schwab, W.C., 2013, Highresolution geophysical data from the inner continental shelf at Vineyard Sound, Massachusetts: U.S. 
5 

Geological Survey Open-File Report 2012–1006, 1 DVD-ROM. [Also available at 

http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2012/1006/.] 

Barnhardt, W.A., Ackerman, S.D., Andrews, B.D., and Baldwin, W.E., 2010, Geophysical and sampling 

data from the inner continental shelf—Duxbury to Hull, Massachusetts: U.S. Geological Survey 

Open-File Report 2009–1072, 1 DVD-ROM. [Also available at http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2009/1072/.] 

Barnhardt, W.A., Andrews, B.D., Ackerman, S.D., Baldwin, W.E., and Hein, C.J., 2009, Highresolution geologic mapping of the inner continental shelf—Cape Ann to Salisbury Beach, 

Massachusetts: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2007–1373, 1 DVD-ROM. [Also available 

at http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2007/1373/.] 

Barnhardt, W.A., Andrews, B.D., and Butman, Bradford, 2006, High-resolution geologic mapping of 

the inner continental shelf—Nahant to Gloucester, Massachusetts: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File 

Report 2005–1293, 1 DVD-ROM. [Also available at http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2005/1293/.] 

Federal Geographic Data Committee, 2012, Coastal and marine ecological classification standard: 

Federal Geographic Data Committee FGDC–STD–018–2012, 343 p. [Available at 

http://www.csc.noaa.gov/digitalcoast/_/pdf/CMECS_Version%20_4_Final_for_FGDC.pdf.] 

Foster, D.S., Baldwin, W.E., Foster, D.S., Barnhardt, W.A., Schwab, W.C., Ackerman, S.D., Andrews, 

B.D. and Pendleton, E.A., 2014, Shallow Geology, Sea-Floor Texture, and Physiographic Zones of 

Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2014–1220, 

http://dx.doi.org/10.3133/ofr20141220. 

Pendleton, E.A., Twichell, D.C., Foster, D.S., Worley, C.R., Irwin, B.J., and Danforth, W.W., 2011, 

High-resolution geophysical data from the sea floor surrounding the western Elizabeth Islands, 

Massachusetts: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2011–1184, 1 DVD-ROM. [Also available 

at http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2011/1184/.] 

Poppe, L.J., Williams, S.J., and Paskevich, V.F., eds., 2005, USGS east-coast sediment analysis—

Procedures, database, and GIS data: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2005–1001, 1 DVDROM. [Also available at http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2005/1001/.] 

Turecek, A.M., Danforth, W.W., Baldwin, W.E., and Barnhardt, W.A., 2012, High-resolution 

geophysical data collected within Red Brook Harbor, Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts, in 2009: U.S. 

Geological Survey Open-File Report 2010–1091, http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2010/1091/. 

Valentine, P.C., Blackwood, D.S., and Parolski, Ken, 2000, Seabed observation and sampling system: 

U.S. Geological Survey Fact Sheet 142–00, 2 p. [Also available at http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/fs142-00/.] 
6 

Figures

Figure 1. Map showing the location of the area targeted for sampling (outlined in red) offshore of Massachusetts 

in Buzzards Bay and Vineyard Sound. Sampling was generally done in the area coincident with newly acquired 

geophysical data from 2009 and 2010. MOF, [U.S. Geological Survey] Marine Operations Facility; UTM, Universal 

Transverse Mercator; WGS 84, World Geodetic System of 1984.
7 

Figure 2. Photograph of the research vessel (RV) used for the sampling survey, the RV Connecticut. 
8 

Figure 3. Map showing SEABed Observation and Sampling System (SEABOSS) sampling sites (red dots) over depth-colored shaded-relief 

topography of the sea floor in the study area. Bathymetry is from U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Reports 2012–1002 and 2012–1006. Is., Island; 

UTM, Universal Transverse Mercator; WGS 84, World Geodetic System of 1984.
9 

Figure 4. Map showing SEABed Observation and Sampling System (SEABOSS) sampling sites (red dots) 

overlaid on acoustic-backscatter intensity in the study area. Backscatter intensity is an acoustic measure of the 

relative hardness and roughness of the sea floor. In general, high values (light tones) represent rock, boulders, 

cobbles, gravel, and coarse sand. Low values (dark tones) generally represent fine sand and muddy sediment. 

Tonal variations can occur across track in the sidescan-sonar data as a result of changes in acquisition or 

processing parameters. Backscatter imagery is from U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Reports 2012–1002 and 

2012–1006. Is., Island; UTM, Universal Transverse Mercator; WGS 84, World Geodetic System of 1984.
10 

Figure 5. Photograph of the SEABed Observation and Sampling System (SEABOSS) during survey 2010–005 

aboard the research vessel Connecticut. The SEABOSS system was used to collect video, photographic data, and 

sediment samples.
11 

Figure 6. Map showing locations of 2,426 bottom photographs, which were classified according to the Coastal 

and Marine Ecological Classification Standard (CMECS), specifically the Benthic Biotic Component. Red rectangles 

indicate areas of detail shown in figures 7, 9, 11, and 16. Is., Island; UTM, Universal Transverse Mercator; WGS 

84, World Geodetic System of 1984.
12 

Figure 7. Map showing a high-relief area colonized by anemones, bryozoans, and sponges. See figure 6 for map 

location. See figure 8 for an example photograph (d3_PICT0864.JPG). Bathymetry is from U.S. Geological Survey 

Open-File Report 2012–1002. Is., Island; UTM, Universal Transverse Mercator; WGS 84, World Geodetic System 

of 1984.
13 

Figure 8. Photograph d3_PICT0864.JPG, taken along SEABed Observation and Sampling System (SEABOSS) 

video trackline 112, of bryozoans, anemones, sponges, Astrangia sp. (hard coral), and other species colonizing 

hard substrate. See figure 7 for photograph location. Scale of the photographs are generally 0.5 to 1.0 meters 

across, depending on the height of the SEABOSS when the photograph was taken. The scale of this photograph is 

80 centimeters across.
14 

Figure 9. Map showing a channel feature and the distribution of primarily soft-sediment species within the 

channel and benthic macroalgae (seaweeds) and other attached sessile species in the areas of higher elevation 

and relief. See figure 6 for map location. See figure 10 for example photographs (A, d3_PICT1168.JPG; B, 

d3_PICT1183.JPG; C, d3_PICT1176.JPG; D, d3_PICT1160.JPG). Bathymetry is from U.S. Geological Survey 

Open-File Report 2012–1002. UTM, Universal Transverse Mercator; WGS 84, World Geodetic System of 1984. 
15 

Figure 10. Photographs of A, attached fauna west of the channel, B, benthic macroalgae east of the channel, C,

soft-sediment fauna in the channel, and D, soft-sediment fauna at the mouth of the channel. See figure 9 for 

photograph locations. Photograph A, d3_PICT1168.JPG, taken along SEABed Observation and Sampling System 

(SEABOSS) video trackline 156; B, d3_PICT1183.JPG, trackline 158; C, d3_PICT1176.JPG, trackline 157; D, 

d3_PICT1160.JPG, trackline 155. The scale of these photographs are A, 80 centimeters (cm) across; B, 60 cm; C, 

50 cm; D, 60 cm.
16 

Figure 11. Map showing the distribution of nonnative species, including Codium fragile (likely Codium fragile ssp.

fragile) and Didemnum sp. (likely Didemnum vexillum), identified in the classified bottom photographs. See figure 6 

for map location. See figures 12 and 13 for example photographs (d4_PICT2252.JPG and d4_PICT2569.JPG, 

respectively). Bathymetry is from U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Reports 2012–1002 and 2012–1006. UTM, 

Universal Transverse Mercator; WGS 84, World Geodetic System of 1984.
17 

Figure 12. Photograph d4_PICT2252.JPG, taken along SEABed Observation and Sampling System (SEABOSS) 

video trackline 272, of a colonial tunicate, likely nonnative Didemnum vexillum, on cobbles in Vineyard Sound. See 

figure 11 for photograph location. The scale of this photograph is 1 meter across.
18 

Figure 13. Photograph d4_PICT2569.JPG, taken along SEABed Observation and Sampling System (SEABOSS) 

video trackline 300, of the green algae Codium sp., likely the nonnative Codium fragile ssp. fragile. See figure 11 

for photograph location. The scale of this photograph is 80 centimeters across.
19 

Figure 14. Map showing Crepidula sp. (slipper shell) aggregations overlaid on backscatter intensity. See figure 15 for example photographs (A, 

d3_PICT0683.JPG; B, d4_PICT2415.JPG; C, d4_PICT2420.JPG). Backscatter imagery is from U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Reports 2012–

1002 and 2012–1006. Is., Island; UTM, Universal Transverse Mercator; WGS 84, World Geodetic System of 1984.
20 

Figure 15. Photographs of Crepidula sp. (slipper shell) aggregations, including reef formations (B and C). See figure 14 for photograph locations. A, 

Photograph d3_PICT0683.JPG, taken along SEABed Observation and Sampling System (SEABOSS) video trackline 94; B, d4_PICT2415.JPG, 

trackline 282, C: d4_PICT2420.JPG, trackline 282. The scale of these photographs are A, 60 centimeters (cm) across; B, 65 cm; C, 40 cm. 
21 

Figure 16. Maps showing soft-sediment sponges overlaid on A, sediment phi class, and B, backscatter intensity. 

See figure 6 for map location. See figure 17 for an example photograph (d1_PICT0447.JPG). Sediment phi classes 

are from U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2014–1220 (Foster and others, 2014). Backscatter imagery from 

USGS Open-File Report 2012–1002. UTM, Universal Transverse Mercator; WGS 84, World Geodetic System of 

1984.
22 

Figure 17. Photograph d1_PICT0447.JPG, taken along SEABed Observation and Sampling System (SEABOSS) 

video trackline 018, of Cliona sp. (sponge) and Crepidula sp. (slipper shell) on primarily soft substrate. See figure 

16 for photograph location. The scale of this photograph is 60 centimeters across. 
23 

Figure 18. Map showing Astrangia sp. (hard coral) distribution. See figure 19 for an example photograph (d4_PICT1679.JPG). Bathymetry is from 

USGS Open-File Reports 2012–1002 and 2012–1006. Is., Island; UTM, Universal Transverse Mercator; WGS 84, World Geodetic System of 1984.
24 

Figure 19. Photograph d4_PICT1679.JPG, taken along SEABed Observation and Sampling System (SEABOSS) video trackline 217b, of Astrangia

sp. (hard coral) on a boulder. Arbacia punctulata (purple sea urchin) and Homarus americanus (American lobster) are also pictured. See figure 18 for 

photograph location. The scale of this photograph is approximately 60 centimeters across. 
25 

Figure 20. Screen capture of the Google Earth KMZ file that contains the Coastal and Marine Ecological Classification Standard (CMECS) 

classification of the bottom photographs. 
26 

Appendix 1. Geospatial Data

This section describes the data collected for this project, the location of the data, and how to 

access them.

Data Format and Projection

Most vector data are delivered as Esri shapefiles in the World Geodetic System of 1984 (WGS 

84) geographic coordinate system. All spatial data are distributed with Esri-style metadata in extensible 

markup language (XML) format. Metadata are also provided for all spatial data in Federal Geographic 

Data Committee (FGDC) compliant text (TXT) and FGDC classic hypertext markup language (HTML) 

formats. Esri ArcCatalog 9.x can be used to examine the metadata in a variety of additional formats.

Data Access

The complete datasets from this project can be accessed in the following ways:

• With ArcGIS 9.2 or later, all shapefile and raster data can be viewed and manipulated. 

Download the shapefiles and organize them into the directory structure outlined below, then 

open the ArcMap document 2014_1221.mxd. This map document has all the data layers loaded 

in the table of contents and uses relative links for access to the data and hotlinked sea-floor 

photographs. 

• Without any geographic information systems (GIS) software, view the data through ArcReader, 

a free mapping application distributed by Esri for Windows, Linux, and Unix operating systems. 

Download ArcReader from the Esri Web site 

(http://www.esri.com/software/arcgis/arcreader/download.html) and follow the directions for 

downloading and installing the free software. Once ArcReader is installed, all the data can be 

viewed by opening the published map file (PMF) named 2014_1221.pmf, which was created in 

ArcMap version 9.3.1. 

Data Organization

The data are organized in folders on the Publications Warehouse Web site. Data layers can be 

downloaded individually using the table below. Individual layers are provided in compressed (ZIP) 

files. Files in a ZIP archive can be extracted with various free software that can be found online. 

GIS—Top-level directory for all spatial data. Copy or download the files to this folder 

on a local hard drive. Note: The size of the uncompressed GIS directory on the DVDROM is approximately 8.24 gigabytes (GB)

2014_1221.mxd—ArcGIS 9.3 map document (created with Esri ArcGIS 10.1) 

with all data loaded in the ArcMap table of contents

2014_1221. pmf—Esri ArcReader map document (created with Esri ArcGIS 9.3 

Publisher) for use with free ArcReader software. Download ArcReader 

at http://www.esri.com/software/arcgis/arcreader/download.html

 hyperlink_images—Folder containing sea-floor photographs in JPEG format. 

The sea-floor photographs are hyperlinked to the BBVS_BottomPhotos_wBio 

layer in the ArcMap document (MXD) table of contents. Use the hyperlink tool in 

ArcGIS to click on these point locations and view the linked image (this should 
27 

work flawlessly if the entire contents of the GIS directory are organized 

according to the directory structure outlined in this appendix and if the sea-floor 

photographs are downloaded as described below) 

shapefile—Folder containing shapefiles in geographic coordinate system WGS 

84 

BBVS_BottomPhotos_wBio.shp—Shapefile: Sea-floor photograph locations 

with biological classifications

BBVS_SeabossTrackline.shp—Shapefile: Tracklines along which sea-floor

photographs and videos were acquired 

BBVS_SedimentSamples.shp—Shapefile: Locations of sediment samples or 

visual description of the sea floor from real-time observations. Analyses from 

the USGS sediment laboratory are included in this shapefile for SEABOSS 

stations where physical samples were collected.

kmz—Folder containing KMZ files for viewing the bottom photographs with 

biological classification data in Google Earth (http://earth.google.com/) 

BBVS_KMZ_BottomPhotos_wBio.kmz—Google Earth KMZ file: Seafloor photograph locations with biological classifications 

BBVS_KMZ_BottomPhotos_wBio_AttachedFauna.kmz—Google Earth 

KMZ file: Sea-floor photograph locations with biological classifications—

subset containing only locations where BIO_SUBCL = ‘Attached Fauna’ 

 navigation—Folder containing compressed (ZIP) navigation files from U.S. 

Geological Survey (USGS) survey 2010–005–FA and a script to parse the data
28 

Data Catalog

Vector Data—The vector data are stored and delivered in shapefile format in geographic coordinates. 

The hyperlinks in the “Layer (metadata)” column are linked to the metadata for the shapefile. The link 

in the “Download” column provides access to a compressed ZIP file, which contains the shapefile and 

csv, if applicable. The KMZ file for the bottom photographs must be downloaded separately from the 

shapefile and metadata. 

Layer (metadata) Description Preview

Download 

file

(size)

BBVS_BottomPhotos_wBio Sea-floor photograph locations with biological classifications

Shapefile

(<1 MB) 

Google 

Earth 

KMZ

(100

MB)

BBVS_SeabossTrackline Tracklines along which sea-floor photographs and videos were acquired Shapefile

(<1 MB)

BBVS_SedimentSamples

Locations of sediment samples or visual description of the sea floor from 

real-time observations. Analyses from the USGS sediment laboratory

are included in this shapefile for SEABOSS stations where physical 

samples were collected

Shapefile

(<1 MB)

KMZ Data—These data are stored and delivered in Google Earth KMZ format. The hyperlinks in the 

“Layer (metadata)” column are linked to the metadata for the KMZ files. The link in the “Download” 

column provides access to a compressed ZIP file, which contains the KMZ files and metadata.

Layer (metadata) Description Preview

Download 

file

(size)

BBVS_KMZ_BottomPhotos_wBio

and

BBVS_KMZ_BottomPhotos_wBio_AttachedFa

una

Google Earth KMZ files: Sea-floor photograph 

locations with biological classifications 

(including a separate subset KMZ file containing 

only locations where BIO_SUBCL = ‘Attached 

Fauna’)

Google

Earth 

KMZ

(100

MB)
29 

Image Data—To download these photographs in bulk (note: this could take a very long time), users can 

use the “wget” command in a Windows command prompt or terminal program in Linux, Unix, or Mac 

OS X operating systems. Change directory (“cd”) into the “GIS/hyperlink_images/seaboss/10005/” 

folder (following the directory structure outlined above in “Data Organization”). Then run the following 

command: 

wget -r -l1 -H -t1 -nd -N -np -A.jpg -erobots=off 

http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2014/1221/GIS/hyperlink_images/seaboss/10005/

Hyperlinked Images

(metadata) Description Preview Download file (size)

BBVS_SEABOSS_Photos Sea-floor photographs in JPEG format ** See note above for downloading instructions

(8.21 GB)

Navigation Data—The link in the “Download” column provides access to a compressed ZIP file, which 

contains the navigation files. 

Navigation Description Download file (size)

BBVS_Sampling_nav Navigation data from USGS survey 2010–005–FA (10005) BBVS_Sampling_nav_files.zip (~10.7 MB)
30 

Appendix 2. Textural Analyses

This section describes the sediment texture data collected for this project and how to access 

them.

Sediment Texture Laboratory Data

The analysis of sediment texture for 246 sediment samples collected during U.S. Geological 

Survey field activity 2010–005–FA is presented in a summary table in comma-separated value (CSV) 

format (BBVS_SedimentSamples.csv), which can be accessed with any text editor or spreadsheet 

program. These data are also available in appendix 1 (Geospatial Data) as an Esri shapefile. See Poppe 

and others (2005) for a full description of the procedures used for the analysis. Sediment sampling was 

conducted from September 9–14, 2010, aboard the research vessel RV Connecticut.