Description: This dataset contains digitized boundaries of intertidal oyster reefs found along the South Carolina coast. The polygons were originally digitized through a combination of automated and manual techniques using 4-band (blue, green, red, near-infrared) digital orthophotos with a theoretical ground resolution of 0.25 meters. The photos were dated from 2003 to 2006. The project area was selected specifically to cover those sections of the SC coastal critical zone where oysters had historically been mapped by the SC Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR). The area spans 122 USGS quarter quadrangles (DOQQs). Sixty of the DOQQs were ground-truthed, by boat, prior to 2011, to assess accuracy. Some areas were verified through photographs taken from low-altitude helicopter flights conducted from 2006 to 2008 by SCDNR. The initial digitization process met the minimum accuracy requirements of the project (80% correct classification) and was completed through a joint effort between Photo Science Inc. and SCDNR. The entire dataset was reviewed by SCDNR for quality using all known information through 2010. Edits and improvements were completed by SCDNR on April 28, 2011. From 2011 through 2015, low-altitude helicopter photography flights were conducted over selected areas of management interest. Photographs from these flights were used as a reference to individually update and edit reef polygons for selected areas.
Service Item Id: a2fa88413c254d3489480b0f898d3abd
Copyright Text: The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources should be acknowledged in products derived from these data.