Great Lakes Straits of Mackinac Shoreline Sensitivity Index (ESI) 2019

GL_Mackinac 2019 ESI Polygons, Lines is a geospatial dataset from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) characterizing shoreline and intertidal habitats in the Great Lakes Straits of Mackinac area. The data, last updated in March 2026, classifies these environments by their susceptibility to oiling using NOAA's Environmental Sensitivity Index (ESI) system. The study area includes the Straits of Mackinac and adjacent portions of Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, and northern Michigan.

Use Cases

• Modeling potential oil spill trajectories and impacts based on shoreline sensitivity classifications.
• Prioritizing coastal protection and cleanup resources based on habitat sensitivity and biological productivity factors.
• Assessing environmental risk for coastal development projects based on the ESI's consideration of wave energy, slope, and substrate.
• Creating baseline maps of intertidal habitats and shoreline types for ecological monitoring.

Strengths

• Based on NOAA's established Environmental Sensitivity Index (ESI) classification system.
• Covers a specific, defined study area including the Straits of Mackinac and parts of Lakes Michigan and Huron.
• Data was last updated in March 2026, suggesting recent maintenance.

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.
• Available file format is listed as PDF, which may not be ideal for direct geospatial analysis.

Provenance

Source

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce

Collection Method

Likely derived from field surveys, remote sensing, and existing habitat data, classified using NOAA's ESI methodology.

Time Range

Referenced year is 2019.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 22:21:37.275429; freshness should be verified.

Geography

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