GL_Mackinac 2019 ESI: Invertebrate Distribution Polygons and Lines

Vector polygons and lines represent freshwater and terrestrial invertebrate species distribution for the Great Lakes - Straits of Mackinac study area. The data characterize environments by sensitivity to oil spills and include associated tables for species abundance, seasonality, and life history. This portion of the Environmental Sensitivity Index (ESI) data was created by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Use Cases

• Modeling oil spill sensitivity for invertebrate habitats based on the ESI framework.
• Mapping species distribution and abundance for conservation planning based on associated data tables.
• Assessing coastal resource vulnerability by integrating invertebrate data with shoreline and human-use layers.

Strengths

• Data is part of a standardized Environmental Sensitivity Index (ESI) framework for oil spill response.
• Includes associated tables with species-specific attributes like abundance and seasonality.
• Spatial coverage includes the Straits of Mackinac and portions of Lake Michigan and Lake Huron.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count and file size are unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data may reflect geographic bias inherent to the specific Great Lakes study area.

Provenance

Source

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce

Collection Method

Likely gathered through field surveys and biological resource assessments for the ESI program.

Time Range

2019

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 22:20:48.551726; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Straits of Mackinac, nearby portions of Lake Michigan and Lake Huron, and adjacent lands and waters in northern Michigan.