ShoreZone Mapping

The council has been involved in ShoreZone Mapping in Prince William Sound since 2004. ShoreZone Mapping involves shooting aerial video of shorelines during the lowest tides of the year. Biologists and geologists aboard the aircraft provide commentary on the video sound tracks during the overflight. Their information is used to created detailed maps and databases of the shorelines that were videotaped; in addition, the video itself becomes part of the ShoreZone information bank.

This project supports the extension of the ShoreZone Mapping system into Prince William Sound from the Kodiak, Cook Inlet, and Kenai Peninsula areas where it has already been developed.

The council's primary goal in ShoreZone Mapping is to have this detailed information available for use in oil spill response planning (including the preparation of Geographic Response Strategies) and in actual responses. However, the information has other uses as well, including research unrelated to oil spills, and education.

ShoreZone Mapping data—including aerial video imagery—is available to the public on Coastal Alaska's website.

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