Massachusetts Coastal Sensitivity Atlas for Oil Spill Planning

ESI data characterize estuarine environments and wildlife by their sensitivity to spilled oil from 1980 to 2000. The dataset includes three main components: shoreline habitats, sensitive biological resources, and human-use resources. It was compiled by NOAA_NCEI for use within desktop GIS systems.

Use Cases

• Modeling potential oil spill impacts by overlaying spill trajectory with shoreline habitat sensitivity layers.
• Identifying priority protection areas for sensitive biological resources like bird nesting sites or fish spawning grounds.
• Planning emergency response by analyzing the spatial distribution of human-use resources such as recreational beaches or marinas.
• Assessing coastal vulnerability by integrating data on shoreline type classification with biological and human-use features.

Strengths

• Data covers a 20-year period from 1980 to 2000.
• Includes three structured components: shoreline habitats, biological resources, and human-use resources.
• Designed for desktop GIS systems with associated files like .PDF maps and user guides.

Limitations

• Data is temporally stale, with no updates since the year 2000.
• Spatial coverage is limited to the state of Massachusetts.

Provenance

Source

NOAA_NCEI (National Centers for Environmental Information).

Collection Method

Compiled for the Environmental Sensitivity Index (ESI) Atlas.

Time Range

1980 to 2000.

Freshness

Static dataset, last updated 2000-12-31.

Geography

Coastal and estuarine areas of Massachusetts, USA.