Marine benthic habitat mapping of Muir Inlet, Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, Alaska, with an evaluation of the Coastal and Marine Ecological Classification Standard III

Muir Inlet, part of Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, Alaska, exhibits distinct upper and lower fjord environments characterized by dynamic glacial processes. High-resolution bathymetric surveys reveal a seafloor dominated by mud, derived from significant glacial debris flux, and influenced by slope instabilities and variable bathymetry. The study applies the Coastal and Marine Ecological Classification Standard (CMECS) to map potential benthic habitats, providing the first publicly available high-resolution maps of this recently deglaciated fjord. These findings serve as a baseline for understanding glaciomarine processes and offer a test case for the CMECS framework.

Trusel, L. D., Cochrane, G. R., Etherington, L. L., Powell, R. D., & Mayer, L. A. (2010). Marine benthic habitat mapping of Muir Inlet, Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, Alaska, with an evaluation of the Coastal and Marine Ecological Classification Standard III. Scientific Investigations Map. https://doi.org/10.3133/sim3122