GIS and modeling: Coupling habitats to Florida fisheries

To fill the need for information relating fishery species to habitat and an thropogenic effects on marine ecosystems: the Florida Marine Research Insti tute created the Marine Resources Geographic Information System (MRGIS). Th is comprehensive, coastwide database for research and management of fisheri es provides spatial information for siting of clam aquaculture, hard-bottom mapping, and fishery exclusion zones. Fisheries-independent monitoring for Florida estuaries and habitat suitability modeling are also being used to create predicted distribution maps of fish and invertebrate species. Four c ase histories are summarized, designed to define relationships between habi tat and marine fish and invertebrate species in Florida.