Our mapping projects help guide science, management, and stewardship in Hudson River waters and along its shores. We make dozens of free GIS data sets and mapping products available to researchers, managers, and members of the public to advance science and stewardship of the Hudson River and its habitats. Researchers and resources managers use our data for a range of purposes, including:
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- Assessing aquatic vegetation losses and identifying restoration sites
- Tracking chemical contaminants in sediments
- Studying ecological conditions
- Investigating the habitat preferences of key species like the Atlantic sturgeon
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Looking to conduct research in the Hudson River estuary? We can help. Check out our searchable library of research focus areas and related resources.
Presentations
This work is a collaboration between the Hudson River Research Reserve, the DEC Hudson River Estuary Program, and the Cornell Institute for Resource Information Sciences (IRIS).
For questions about our SAV or our mapping data, contact Habitat Researcher Christina Pacella.
Submerged Aquatic Vegetation
Aerial surveys for submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) are conducted every few years. These surveys include the entire Hudson River Estuary, from Troy to Hastings-on-Hudson, and have been undertaken every few years from 1997 to 2022. The next survey is planned to begin in 2026.
These maps document the coverage of SAV and invasive Trapa natans within the Hudson River Estuary. They assess:
- current distribution and abundance;
- status and trends of the habitat;
- ecosystem function of SAV;
- major threats and impacts to SAV; and
- needed regulatory protection.
An additional mapping product combines multiple GIS layers to show areas where SAV currently exists, where it existed in the past, and where it may return in the future. Click the link below to explore this map.
SAV Coverage Maps
Report
Reports are prepared for each SAV survey, which detail the survey methods, interpretation of aerial photography, and changes in mapped SAV from previous surveys.
The most recent report (2022) is available below.
SAV Survey Reports
Reserve Vegetation Maps
These maps document 20 vegetation categories within the four Reserve component sites in 1991, 1997, and 2005. They were designed to document existing plant communities, and analyze changes in this composition and distribution over time.
Tidal Wetlands Maps
These were produced from the 2018 aerial photo inventory for the Hudson River Estuary from Troy to Hastings-on-Hudson. The goal was to assist in the review of river development plans by providing a comprehensive atlas of potential impact areas.
River Bottom Maps
The River Bottom Mapping Project was initiated in 1996 as part of the larger Hudson River Action Plan. It integrates extensive mapping with sidescan sonar, sub-bottom profiling, single and multi-beam bathymetric sonar with ground truth data from sediment cores, grab samples, and sediment profiling imagery. The goal is to create a comprehensive dataset with interpretive maps of the physical environment of the Estuary floor that can support activities related to wildlife management, sediment and contaminant management, and protection of historic resources.
publications
- Bell, R.E., Flood, R.D., Carbotte, S., Ryan, W.B.F., McHugh, C., Cormier, M., …Blair, E.A. (2006). Benthic habitat mapping in the Hudson River Estuary. In J. Levinton & J. Waldman (Eds.), The Hudson River Estuary (51-64). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
- Maher, N.P. (2006). A New Approach to Benthic Biotope Identification and Mapping (Doctoral dissertation). Marine Sciences Research Center, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY. 181 pp. (Copies can be obtained from Dissertation Express order #3258909)
- Nitsche, F.O., Kenna, T.C., & Haberman, M. (2010). Quantifying 20th century deposition in complex estuarine environment: An example from the Hudson River. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, 89, 163-174.
- Strayer, D.L., Malcolm, M.M., Bell, R.E., Carbotte, S.M., & Nitsche, F.O. (2006). Using geophysical information to define benthic habitats in a large river. Freshwater Biology 51, 25–38.
Oyster Habitat
In 2025, the Reserve worked with HDR to map presence of oysters and potential oyster habitat in the Hudson River between Yonkers and Piermont, NY.