Ecosystem Integration & Assessment

GAME (Geospatial Assessment of Marine Ecosystems)

http://research.myfwc.com/gulfgame

The goals of the Gulf GAME project are to identify, inventory, and catalog existing data sets and information related to coastal and marine habitats of the Gulf of Mexico, both in U.S. and Mexican waters.

Data from the past is important since researchers need to understand how habitats have changed throughout time. Scientists use data mining, which is another word for researching, to inventory historical data (from reports, publications, etc.) into an organized framework. Having an organized framework based on metadata standards makes it easier to share the information and keeps the data useful for the future.  

Once all the existing data sets are gathered, researchers will combine the different data into a GIS (geographic information system)-compatible database. The database enables overlay of diverse information to visualize habitats and other non-living and living marine resources. This means that layers of data are able to be stacked atop each other, allowing researchers to understand coastal habitats more completely. Having the data organized this way enables researchers to see gaps in the information. To fill in the gaps, further research will be conducted and maps will be produced in order to have the most accurate, current information. The focus will be to gather data and map the coastal habitats by progressing from the estuaries offshore to the edge of the continental shelf. The data inventory will take both a regional and local approach. Seagrass beds are identified by the EPA as a critical concern so research will start there initially.

The need for updated maps gathered from a spatially organized database is key.  Rapid access to data allows researchers to share their knowledge with others in order to protect and improve habitats (including the marine resources residing there).

The project was originally funded through a US EPA grant; additional funding is now provided by NOAA-CSC through a cooperative agreement with the Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies.

**If any of the above information is unclear please visit the Data Basics page.**

Implementing Actions Meeting
The EIA Priority Issue Team(PIT) met on April 15th-17th, 2009 in Corpus Christi, Texas for a spring meeting dedicated to creating an implementation plan. Items outlined in the EIA PIT Action Plan were prioritized and specific tasks to accomplish the actions were developed. View the new Governor's Action Plan