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Static Maps: Aquaculture Vulnerability Model
Aquaculture is an environmentally sensitive industry which requires good
water quality for successful growth and distribution for human
consumption. Threats to water quality are caused largely by land use
practices. In Virginia, development and agricultural practices present
the greatest threats. In the future, the potential conversion of land
uses through regulated zoning at the local level poses a significant risk
to the future of aquaculture in Virginia. This is particularly true on
the Eastern Shore of Virginia which boasts a multi-million dollar
shellfish growing industry that surpasses all other on the eastern
seaboard.
This study uses Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to model risks to
shellfish aquaculture. The model first considers basics physical and
biological conditions necessary for aquaculture success and second, the
impacts that current land use and proposed local zoning has on suitable
growing areas. The study uses data available from federal, state, and
local government sources to derive salinity, bathymetry, submerged aquatic
vegetation (SAV) distribution, water quality, land use, and local zoning.
A vulnerability index is scaled to reflect current and projected
conditions and the resulting impact to shellfish growing.
This mapping project was funded by the Virginia Coastal Zone Management
Program at the Department of Environmental Quality through Grant
#NA06NOS4190241 of the U.S. Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration, under the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972,
as amended.
The views expressed herein are those of the authors and do not
necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Department of Commerce, NOAA, or
any of its subagencies.
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