Spatial dynamics of the quantity and diversity of natural and artificial hard bottom habitats in the eastern Gulf of Mexico

The eastern Gulf of Mexico continental shelf (approximately 144,000 km2), while dominated by unconsolidated sediments, contains diverse hard bottom habitats critical to economically important reef fishes. Although high-resolution mapping exists for several well-known features (e.g. Florida Middle Grounds, Sticky Grounds), the majority remains unmapped. Through efforts conducted in support fisheries independent resource surveys, were identified and classified from 4208 randomly distributed, small-scale (2 km2) side-scan sonar surveys between 2010 2018. Thirty-three natural artificial habitat types identified, with Flat Hard Bottom comprising both greatest area coverage (131.7 number individual (n = 42,829). Classification regression tree analyses identify spatial patterns composition based on features. These maps distinct variability availability types, such as increased Pothole deep waters off Peninsula within Panhandle. Extrapolating results this representative, broad scale approach indicated that approximately 3854 km2 (2.6%) is comprised habitat. value comprehensive data highlighted recent toward generating absolute abundances fish species well continuing ecosystem-based approaches management.