Benthic habitats of the main Hawaiian Islands

Provides a benthic habitat classification manual, a benthic habitat map for the nearshore waters of the main Hawaiian Islands, and supplemental geospatial data. Twenty-seven distinct benthic habitat types within eleven zones were mapped directly into a geographic information system (GIS) using visual interpretation of orthorectified aerial photographs and hyperspectral imagery. Benthic features were mapped that covered an area of 790 km². In all, 204 km² of unconsolidated sediment, 171 km² of submerged vegetation, and 415 km² of coral reef and colonized hardbottom were mapped.