This project serves as a comprehensive and detailed mapping of natural and developed areas in the New York-New Jersey coastal zones,including wetland, deepwater and upland habitats together. Mapping focuses on 1) Hydrologic connectivity, which allows for water flow as well as passages for fish and aquatic sea life; 2) Identifying areas of habitat change due to a catastrophic storm event; 3) Assessing barrier beach damage and provide data to assist in developing mitigation plans; 4) Assess barrier beach and coastal wetland landward migration, which may affect shorebird/turtle environments as nesting sites, 5) Provide marsh species mapping and spatial data on the fragmentation of marsh; 6) document areas of saltwater intrusion; 7) Provide information on the distribution of marsh and other wetland communities (fresh, brackish and saline); 8) Assist with assessing economic impacts (commercial fishing and seafood, recreation); 9) Address data connectivity and utility by varied government and non-profit agencies, planners and partners. The goal of this analysis is to produce a detailed inventory of the barrier beaches, bays and coastal lagoons along the New York and New Jersey Atlantic coastline. Primarily, the barrier beaches, bays, and lagoons associated wetlands support critical aquatic, fish and wildlife habitats and are nurseries for fin- and shellfisheries. This map data will serve as a vital and versatile tool to managers of these resources and concerns, which will be easily integrated with numerous other data bases for quick and accurate planning and assessment. Barrier beaches and their coastal wetland lagoons function critically to mitigate flooding and erosion and buffer storm surges associated with increasingly frequent and severe storms. These storms present a heightened need for natural resource restoration, mitigation and protection; for storm management and emergency operations; and for best practices in natural resource and land use planning. This metadata contains information for the 2013 Photointerpretation of 52 Hurricane Sandy impact areas along the New York (Long Island) and New Jersey coastlines. This project uses the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service National Wetlands Inventory Classification Scheme to delineate and identify wetlands in these highy effected areas. There are a total of 52 individual project areas located on federal lands (USFWS-NWR, USFWS-CBRA and NPS) that are higlighted for this project. The following are the specific project areas that are related to this metadata: National Park Service: Fire Island National Seashore and Gateway National Recreation Area. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service-National Wildlife Refuges: Amagansett, Cape May, Conscience Point, Edwin B. Forsythe, Edwin B. Forsythe-Brigantine Division, Elizabeth A. Morton, Lido Beach, Seatuck and Wertheim. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service-Coastal Barrier Resource Act New Jersey Project Areas: Sandy Hook, Seidler Beach, Cliffwood Beach, Conaskonk Point, Navesink Shrewsbury, Metedeconk Neck, Metedeconk Neck NJ04BP, Island Beach, Cedar Bonnet Island, Cedar Bonnet Island NJ06P, Brigantine, Corson Inlet, Stone Harbor, Stone Harbor NJ09P, Cape May, Higbee Beach, Dell Haven, Dell Haven NJ12P, Kimbles Beach, Moores Beach and Moores Beach NJ14P. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service-Coastal Barrier Resource Act New York Project Areas: Northwest Harbor, Hog Creek, Big Reed Pond, Oyster Pond, Montauk Point, Amagansett, Amagansett NY56P, Georgica Wainscott Ponds, Sagaponack Pond, Fire Island, Fire Island NY59P, Jamaica Bay, Sammys Beach, Acabonack Harbor, Gardiners Island, Napeague, Mecox, South Hampton Beach, Tiana
