Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Comprehensive inventory of seafloor mapping, ground-truthing, and predictive habitat modeling datasets to support Deepwater Horizon mesophotic and deep benthic community restoration

Published by NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce | Catalog Last Checked: May 06, 2026 at 06:46 AM | Dataset Last Updated: August 02, 2024 at 12:00 AM
This dataset is a collection and inventory of existing seafloor mapping, ground-truthing, and predictive habitat modeling data within the Gulf of Mexico. The inventory was compiled by the Mesophotic and Deep Benthic Communities (MDBC): Mapping Ground-truthing, and Predictive Habitat Modeling Project. This project is one of many selected by the Open Ocean Trustee Implementation Group to restore natural resources injured by the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Data collected from 1980 to 2021 were sourced from federal and state agencies, as well as from academia and industry. Each dataset is represented in the inventory as a spatial footprint with corresponding quantitative and qualitative attributes. The seafloor mapping data are primarily remote sensing observations used to survey and derive depth, shape, and texture of the seafloor and characterize the geomorphological forms, substrates, and biota used to define MDBC habitats. Ground-truthing data are in-situ observations that provide visual and analytical characterization of information documenting the abundance and distribution of MDBC, substrate, and geomorphology. Predictive habitat models analyze habitat-environment or species-environment relationships from seafloor mapping data, in situ observations, and environmental data to predict MDBC habitat. The spatial extent of the dataset is as follows, except for predictive habitat models which have a more global extent.

Resources

8 resources available

  • NCEI Dataset Landing Page

    TEXT/HTML
    Visit Page

  • Granule Search

    TEXT/HTML
    Visit Page

  • Open Ocean Restoration Area

    TEXT/HTML
    Visit Page

  • NOAA Gulf Spill Restoration

    TEXT/HTML
    Visit Page

  • https://coastalscience.noaa.gov/project/scientific-support-for-mesophotic-and-deep-benthic-community-restoration-in-the-gulf-of-mexico/

    TEXT/HTML
    Visit Page

  • GCMD Keyword Forum Page

    TEXT/HTML
    Visit Page

  • NCEI Contact Information

    TEXT/HTML
    Visit Page

  • NOAA National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) website

    TEXT/HTML
    Visit Page

Find Related Datasets

Search by Tags

Click any tag below to search for similar datasets

0268765 0295552 BATHYMETRY CORAL HABITAT - BENTHIC SEDIMENTS multibeam sonar sediment sampler - corer

Complete Metadata
@type dcat:Dataset
accessLevel non-public
contactPoint 
                                            {
  "fn": "NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information",
  "@type": "vcard:Contact",
  "hasEmail": "mailto:ncei.info@noaa.gov"
}
describedByType application/octet-steam
description This dataset is a collection and inventory of existing seafloor mapping, ground-truthing, and predictive habitat modeling data within the Gulf of Mexico. The inventory was compiled by the Mesophotic and Deep Benthic Communities (MDBC): Mapping Ground-truthing, and Predictive Habitat Modeling Project. This project is one of many selected by the Open Ocean Trustee Implementation Group to restore natural resources injured by the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Data collected from 1980 to 2021 were sourced from federal and state agencies, as well as from academia and industry. Each dataset is represented in the inventory as a spatial footprint with corresponding quantitative and qualitative attributes. The seafloor mapping data are primarily remote sensing observations used to survey and derive depth, shape, and texture of the seafloor and characterize the geomorphological forms, substrates, and biota used to define MDBC habitats. Ground-truthing data are in-situ observations that provide visual and analytical characterization of information documenting the abundance and distribution of MDBC, substrate, and geomorphology. Predictive habitat models analyze habitat-environment or species-environment relationships from seafloor mapping data, in situ observations, and environmental data to predict MDBC habitat. The spatial extent of the dataset is as follows, except for predictive habitat models which have a more global extent.
distribution 
                                            [
  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "NCEI Dataset Landing Page",
    "accessURL": "https://doi.org/10.25921/r39j-k881",
    "mediaType": "text/html",
    "description": "Navigate directly to the URL for a descriptive web page with download links.",
    "describedByType": "application/octet-stream"
  },
  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "Granule Search",
    "accessURL": "https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/metadata/granule/geoportal/?from=0&size=10&esdsl=%7B%22query%22%3A%7B%22bool%22%3A%7B%22must%22%3A%5B%7B%22query_string%22%3A%7B%22analyze_wildcard%22%3Atrue%2C%22query%22%3A%22fileid%3AMDBC-MGM-Inventory.*%22%7D%7D%5D%7D%7D%7D#searchPanel",
    "mediaType": "text/html",
    "description": "Search for data granules belonging to this collection (a granule is the smallest aggregation of data that can be independently described and retrieved).",
    "describedByType": "application/octet-stream"
  },
  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "Open Ocean Restoration Area",
    "accessURL": "https://www.gulfspillrestoration.noaa.gov/restoration-areas/open-ocean",
    "mediaType": "text/html",
    "description": "OOTIG Project Webpage",
    "describedByType": "application/octet-stream"
  },
  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "NOAA Gulf Spill Restoration",
    "accessURL": "https://www.gulfspillrestoration.noaa.gov/",
    "mediaType": "text/html",
    "description": "Oil Spill Restoration Webpage",
    "describedByType": "application/octet-stream"
  },
  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "https://coastalscience.noaa.gov/project/scientific-support-for-mesophotic-and-deep-benthic-community-restoration-in-the-gulf-of-mexico/",
    "accessURL": "https://coastalscience.noaa.gov/project/scientific-support-for-mesophotic-and-deep-benthic-community-restoration-in-the-gulf-of-mexico/",
    "mediaType": "text/html",
    "description": "National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) project page",
    "describedByType": "application/octet-stream"
  },
  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "GCMD Keyword Forum Page",
    "accessURL": "https://forum.earthdata.nasa.gov/app.php/tag/GCMD%2BKeywords",
    "mediaType": "text/html",
    "description": "Global Change Master Directory (GCMD). 2025. GCMD Keywords, Version 21. Greenbelt, MD: Earth Science Data and Information System, Earth Science Projects Division, Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). URL (GCMD Keyword Forum Page): https://forum.earthdata.nasa.gov/app.php/tag/GCMD+Keywords",
    "describedByType": "application/octet-stream"
  },
  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "NCEI Contact Information",
    "accessURL": "https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/contact",
    "mediaType": "text/html",
    "description": "Information for contacts at NCEI.",
    "describedByType": "application/octet-stream"
  },
  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "NOAA National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) website",
    "accessURL": "https://coastalscience.noaa.gov/",
    "mediaType": "text/html",
    "description": "Institution web page",
    "describedByType": "application/octet-stream"
  }
]
identifier https://data.noaa.gov/waf/NOAA/NESDIS/ncei/accessions/iso/xml/MDBC-MGM-Inventory.xml
issued 2022-11-07T00:00:00.000+00:00
keyword 
                                            [
  "0268765",
  "0295552",
  "BATHYMETRY",
  "CORAL",
  "HABITAT - BENTHIC",
  "SEDIMENTS",
  "multibeam sonar",
  "sediment sampler - corer",
  "sediment sampler - grab",
  "seismic reflection profiler",
  "sonar",
  "in situ",
  "model output",
  "NOAA National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science",
  "NOAA National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science",
  "Deepwater Horizon oil spill event (DWH)",
  "Mesophotic and Deep Benthic Communities (MDBC)",
  "Natural Resources Damage Assessment Process (NRDA Process)",
  "World-Wide Distribution",
  "oceanography",
  "DOC/NOAA/NOS/NCCOS > National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, National Ocean Service, NOAA, U.S. Department of Commerce",
  "MDBC > Mesophotic and Deep Benthic Communities",
  "Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM)",
  "Deepwater Horizon (DWH)",
  "Mesophotic and Deep Benthic Communities (MDBC)",
  "NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI)",
  "NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS)",
  "NOAA National Ocean Service (NOS) National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS)",
  "NOS Office of National Marine Sanctuaries (OCMS)",
  "Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA)",
  "Open Ocean Trustee Implementation Group (OOTIG)",
  "U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > BIOSPHERE > ECOSYSTEMS > MARINE ECOSYSTEMS > BENTHIC",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > OCEANS > BATHYMETRY/SEAFLOOR TOPOGRAPHY > BATHYMETRY",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > OCEANS > MARINE SEDIMENTS",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > SOLID EARTH > GEOMORPHIC LANDFORMS/PROCESSES > COASTAL LANDFORMS > CORAL REEFS",
  "Marine Spatial Ecology > Ecological and Biogeographic Assessments",
  "Marine Spatial Ecology > Habitat Mapping",
  "Marine Spatial Ecology > Regional Ecosystem Science",
  "Derived Data Product",
  "Geospatial",
  "Model",
  "Acoustic Backscatter",
  "Annotations",
  "Observations",
  "Predictive Habitat Model Predictions",
  "Seafloor Bathymetry",
  "GRAB SAMPLERS",
  "MBES > Multibeam Mapping System",
  "SEDIMENT CORERS > SEDIMENT CORERS",
  "SEISMIC REFLECTION PROFILERS",
  "SONAR > Sound Navigation and Ranging",
  "Biological Sampler",
  "Geological Sampler",
  "Laser-line Scanner",
  "Multibeam Sonar",
  "Multimedia devices",
  "Phase Differential Bathymetric Sonar",
  "Sediment Sampler",
  "Seismic profiler",
  "Side-scan Sonar",
  "Sub-bottom Profiler",
  "GEOGRAPHIC REGION > GLOBAL OCEAN",
  "U.S. States and Territories > Alabama",
  "U.S. States and Territories > Florida",
  "U.S. States and Territories > Louisiana",
  "U.S. States and Territories > Mississippi",
  "U.S. States and Territories > Texas",
  "Waterbodies > Atlantic Ocean",
  "Waterbodies > Gulf of Mexico",
  "Atlantic Ocean",
  "9UA6GG",
  "E1H7J8"
]
landingPage https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/contact
language 
                                            []
license https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/
modified 2024-08-02T00:00:00.000+00:00
publisher 
                                            {
  "name": "NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information",
  "@type": "org:Organization"
}
references 
                                            [
  "https://www.gulfspillrestoration.noaa.gov/restoration-areas/open-ocean",
  "https://www.gulfspillrestoration.noaa.gov/",
  "https://coastalscience.noaa.gov/project/scientific-support-for-mesophotic-and-deep-benthic-community-restoration-in-the-gulf-of-mexico/"
]
rights otherRestrictions
spatial 180.0,-90.0,-180.0,90.0
temporal 1980-01-01T00:00:00+00:00/1980-01-01T00:00:00+00:00
title Comprehensive inventory of seafloor mapping, ground-truthing, and predictive habitat modeling datasets to support Deepwater Horizon mesophotic and deep benthic community restoration

data.gov

An official website of the GSA's Technology Transformation Services

Looking for U.S. government information and services?
Visit USA.gov