PUBLICATION AND DISTRIBUTION OF LIDAR DATA FOR COASTAL SCIENCE AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

Airborne lidar-derived topographic data offer vast amounts of information at fine spatial scale with direct applications to geomorphologic studies, habitat mapping, ecological monitoring, and classification. Due to rapid advancements in "bare-Earth" and submerged topographic mapping, lidar-derived data products can contribute significantly to coastal scientific investigations, such as beach geomorphology, coral reef topography, and vegetation structure. The USGS Coastal and Marine Geology Program (CMGP), through partnerships with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the National Park Service (NPS), has an ongoing project to publish Open-File Reports and Data-Series products derived from data acquired by the Experimental Advanced Airborne Research Lidar (EAARL) system. The EAARL system is a waveform-resolving, green-wavelength, laser-ranging system capable of mapping submerged and subaerial topography in a single overflight. The data are available in GeoTIFF, LAS, and xyz data formats with complete Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) compliant metadata and distributed on a CD/DVD and the Internet. Currently, more than 40 products have been published, encompassing various coastal and nearshore National Parks ranging from the Northern Gulf of Mexico to the Northeastern Seaboard.