Table 4-1. Area (acres) of Marine Waters in Each of the Coastal Regions 

 and Its Percentage Contribution to the total. 



Region Acres Percentage 



1 25,356 15 



2 3863 2 



3 4430 3 



4 56,062 32 



5 38,459 22 



6 44,535 26 

 Total 172,705 100 



Subtidal acreage, which is greatly underestimated (data seaward of the 

 headlands were not calculated), is a much higher percentage of the total 

 marine water area than intertidal acreage: 65% (112,130 acres; 45,397 ha) vs. 

 35% (60,576 acres; 24,525 ha), respectively. Open water covers the entire 

 subtidal zone and, therefore, is equal in acreage to that zone. 

 Unconsolidated bottom comprises 25% or 28,202 acres (11,418 ha) of the 

 subtidal zone. However, as noted previously, most of the substratum under the 

 open water is unconsolidated bottom. 



The largest habitat acreages in the intertidal zone are flats [48% or 28,803 



acres (11,661 ha)] and rocky shores [36% or 21,521 acres (8713 ha)] . Aquatic 



beds and beach/bars make up most of the remaining acreage with 10% (6202 

 acres; 2511 ha) and 6% (3897 acres; 1578 ha), respectively. 



The distribution of marine habitats in each of the towns in coastal Maine is 

 included in appendix A of chapter 2. 



The marine system of coastal Maine is located between an estuarine system of 

 much less acreage and a deepwater marine area of vast acreage. The three 

 areas are contiguous and processes occurring in any area have the potential to 

 affect the others. 



4-6 



