Project Description:

The Matagorda Bay Bathymetry Project is a comprehensive effort to map and characterize the bay bottom of West Matagorda Bay, focusing on areas that have not previously been surveyed.  Nearing completion, this project will soon make its findings publicly available online, offering unprecedented insights into the region’s underwater habitats. 

Utilizing side-scan sonar and a survey-grade fathometer, the Matagorda Bay Foundation is working to identify and map benthic features such as oyster reefs, seagrass beds, sand flats, and shell deposits. Early data reveals that the bay floor is far more diverse than once assumed—highlighting many harder substrates beyond the homogeneous sand and mud once thought to dominate the area. 

This 13-month project, funded through a $489,950 grant from the Matagorda Bay Mitigation Trust, includes: 

• High-resolution acoustic mapping 

• Ground-truthing with field verification surveys 

• Habitat classification and biological sampling 

• Final reporting and data-sharing with researchers, agencies, and the public 

Why It Matters: 
Matagorda Bay is home to some of the most ecologically vital nursery habitats along the Texas Gulf Coast.  Its reefs, wetlands, and open bay areas support an intricate food web—from plankton to redfish, sea turtles, and shorebirds—all the way to the people who rely on these waters for recreation, sustenance, and economic livelihood. 

This bathymetric survey creates a foundational dataset for future conservation, restoration, and planning efforts. It supports an ecosystem-based management approach, enabling scientists and decision-makers to prioritize areas for protection, restoration, and sustainable use. 

Project Goals: 

• Goal 1: Provide baseline habitat data to guide restoration and conservation of special aquatic sites like oyster reefs, seagrass beds, and open bay bottoms. 

• Goal 2: Identify and evaluate potential areas for future mitigation, conservation, or habitat restoration. 

By mapping and understanding the underwater landscape of Matagorda Bay, this project will inform science, support community awareness, and guide long-term stewardship of one of Texas’s most treasured coastal ecosystems.