Habitat suitability model for halibut within the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary (CINMS)

Input layers: 

• bathymetry in CINMS

• latitude

• hard vs. soft substrate locations

Note: I equally weighted the importance of soft substrate and bathymetry  because their range is restricted by both factors equally.

The results show that halibuts thrive close to shore consistently throughout their range, which is across Southern and mid-California coasts.