Gulf of Mexico Species Distribution Atlas from 1985

1985 metadata and shapefiles detail the spatial and temporal distribution of 18 marine species in the Gulf of Mexico. The dataset includes categories for adult, spawning, nursery, commercial, and recreational fishing zones. It was produced by NOAA's Strategic Environmental Assessment Division for the Gulf of Mexico Ecosystem Pilot Project.

Use Cases

• Map spawning grounds for Red Snapper and Red Grouper using the 'spawning' category shapefiles.
• Analyze overlap between commercial fishing zones and nursery areas for shrimp species like Brown Shrimp and White Shrimp.
• Model historical habitat use for game fish such as King Mackerel and Cobia based on their adult distribution polygons.
• Assess regional fishing pressure by comparing recreational fishing zones with species distribution maps for Snapper and Grouper.

Strengths

• Covers 18 distinct marine species, including shrimp, fish, and crustaceans.
• Provides five specific biological and fishery categories (adult, spawning, nursery, commercial, recreational) per species.

Limitations

• Data is from a single year (1985) and does not reflect current population distributions.
• Specific row counts, file sizes, and detailed column schemas are unknown.
• Original data derived from static maps, which may limit spatial precision compared to modern GIS data.

Provenance

Source

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Strategic Environmental Assessment Division.

Collection Method

Derived from maps published in the 'Gulf of Mexico Coastal and Ocean Zones Strategic Assessment: Data Atlas'.

Time Range

1985

Freshness

1985

Geography

Gulf of Mexico