Delaware/New Jersey/Pennsylvania 2014 ESI Polygons: Coastal Sensitivity to Oil Spills

A 2014 dataset from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) containing vector polygons representing shoreline and coastal habitats for Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. It classifies these areas according to the Environmental Sensitivity Index (ESI) system, which characterizes sensitivity to spilled oil. The data is part of a larger ESI database that also includes shoreline lines and hydrography layers.

Use Cases

• Modeling potential oil spill impacts based on shoreline habitat sensitivity classifications.
• Planning coastal protection and cleanup strategies based on classified environmental resources.
• Integrating with hydrography data for a comprehensive coastal zone management map.

Strengths

• Data is part of a standardized, nationally recognized Environmental Sensitivity Index (ESI) classification system.
• Covers a specific multi-state region (Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania) with a defined 2014 temporal scope.
• Designed to integrate with companion ESI shoreline line and hydrography data layers for a complete picture.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Data is available only in PDF format, which is not ideal for direct geospatial analysis and may require conversion.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment for large-scale modeling.

Provenance

Source

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce

Collection Method

Likely compiled from field surveys, aerial imagery, and existing habitat maps for the ESI classification.

Time Range

2014

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 22:32:56.406691; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Coastal and shoreline areas of Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, including Delaware Bay and Delaware River.