Lake Erie 2022 ESI Invertebrate Distribution Polygons

2022 data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration characterizes the sensitivity of invertebrate resources in Lake Erie to oil spills. The geospatial polygons represent invertebrate distribution and concentration areas for the U.S. coastal portions of Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York. Associated tables contain species-specific data on abundance, seasonality, and life history.

Use Cases

• Modeling oil spill impact zones based on invertebrate distribution and concentration areas.
• Assessing seasonal ecological sensitivity based on stored species seasonality information.
• Planning coastal resource management based on biological sensitivity classifications.
• Integrating invertebrate data with other ESI layers for comprehensive environmental risk analysis.

Strengths

• Data is part of a standardized Environmental Sensitivity Index (ESI) framework for oil spill response.
• Spatial data is designed to be used with associated tables containing species-specific attributes.
• Study area is clearly defined as the U.S. portion of Lake Erie, covering three states.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data is provided in PDF format, which may complicate direct geospatial analysis.

Provenance

Source

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce

Collection Method

Likely collected as part of the Environmental Sensitivity Index (ESI) mapping program.

Time Range

2022

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 22:33:08.154487; freshness should be verified.

Geography

United States portion of Lake Erie, covering coastal Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York.