Ocean Management Planning Grid Under Massachusetts Oceans Act

SCIOPS provides a geospatial polygon layer representing the Ocean Management Planning Area established by the Massachusetts Oceans Act of 2008. The data consists of a uniform analysis grid where each cell measures 250 meters on a side. The grid is projected in the Massachusetts State Coordinate System, Mainland Zone (Fipszone 2001).

Use Cases

• Analyze spatial distribution of regulated activities within the 250-meter grid cells defined by the planning area border.
• Perform area calculations for habitat or resource assessments using the standardized 250m2 grid cell geometry.
• Overlay this planning grid boundary with other marine datasets like bathymetry or species distributions for cumulative impact analysis.
• Use the Fipszone 2001 projection to integrate this regulatory layer with other Massachusetts state GIS data for coastal planning.

Strengths

• Grid cells provide a standardized 250-meter spatial unit for consistent analysis.
• Data is explicitly linked to the authoritative legal text of the Oceans Act of 2008.

Limitations

• The exact spatial extent (row/column count) and total area covered by the grid are unknown.
• Data currency is unknown; it may not reflect subsequent amendments to the planning area.

Provenance

Source

SCIOPS, referencing the Massachusetts Oceans Act of 2008.

Collection Method

Derived as a gridded polygon representation of a legally defined ocean planning area.

Time Range

Based on legislation effective from 2008; specific data creation date is unknown.

Geography

Ocean Management Planning Area as defined by Massachusetts state law, projected in Mass State Coordinate System Mainland Zone.