Chesapeake Bay 2016 ESI: Navigation and Marine Infrastructure

Chesapeake Bay and the Outer Coasts of Maryland and Virginia are covered by this 2016 Environmental Sensitivity Index (ESI) dataset. It contains vector data for anchorages, shipping lanes, boat ramps, ferries, lock and dam systems, marinas, mooring sites, and ports. The data was produced by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to characterize human-use resources for oil spill sensitivity mapping.

Use Cases

• Modeling potential oil spill impacts on marine navigation based on shipping lane and anchorage data
• Planning emergency response and resource allocation based on locations of ports, marinas, and boat ramps
• Assessing recreational and commercial maritime infrastructure for coastal management studies
• Integrating human-use data with biological and shoreline habitat layers for comprehensive environmental sensitivity analysis

Strengths

• Data characterizes multiple human-use resource types: anchorages, shipping lanes, boat ramps, ferries, lock and dam systems, marinas, mooring sites, and ports
• Part of a structured ESI framework that includes shoreline habitats and sensitive biological resources
• Geographic scope is clearly defined as Chesapeake Bay and the Outer Coasts of Maryland and Virginia

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment
• Data is from 2016; infrastructure and usage patterns may have changed

Provenance

Source

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce

Collection Method

Likely compiled from nautical charts, administrative records, and field surveys for the ESI program.

Time Range

2016

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 22:24:53.503073; freshness should be verified

Geography

Chesapeake Bay and the Outer Coasts of Maryland and Virginia, North Atlantic Ocean, North America