Lake Ontario 2023 ESI: Shoreline Oil Spill Sensitivity Polygons and Lines

Environmental Sensitivity Index (ESI) vector lines and polygons classify shoreline and intertidal habitats of the U.S. portion of Lake Ontario by their susceptibility to oiling. The data, developed by NOAA, consider factors like wave exposure, shoreline slope, substrate type, and biological sensitivity. The study area includes specific islands and major bays within New York State.

Use Cases

• Modeling potential oil spill trajectories and impacts based on shoreline susceptibility classifications.
• Prioritizing coastal protection and cleanup resources based on habitat sensitivity scores.
• Analyzing the distribution of sensitive biological resources in relation to shoreline types.
• Assessing human-use resource vulnerability in coastal areas with high environmental sensitivity.

Strengths

• Based on the NOAA Environmental Sensitivity Index classification system, a standardized framework.
• Covers a defined geographic area including 13 named islands and 12 major bays in New York.
• Includes vector data for both linear shoreline features and polygonal intertidal habitats.

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 is not ideal for direct geospatial analysis.

Provenance

Source

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce

Collection Method

Likely derived from field surveys, aerial imagery, and existing coastal data, classified using the NOAA ESI system.

Time Range

2023

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 22:29:18.878741; freshness should be verified.

Geography

United States portion of Lake Ontario, covering specific islands and bays in New York State.