WETLANDS.PAT

The item ESI contains values representing the ESI shoreline type.The ESI rankings progress from low to high susceptibility to oil spills. To determine the sensitivity of a particular intertidal shoreline habitat, the following factors are integrated: (1) Shoreline type (substrate, grain size, tidal elevation, origin); (2) Exposure to wave and tidal energy; (3) Biological productivity and sensitivity; (4) Ease of cleanup. Prediction of the behavior and persistence of oil in intertidal habitats is based on an understanding of the dynamics of the coastal environments, not just the substrate type and grain size. The intensity of energy expended upon a shoreline by wave action, tidal currents, and river currents directly affects the persistence of stranded oil. The need for shoreline cleanup activities is determined, in part, by the slowness of natural processes in removal of oil stranded on the shoreline. The potential for biological injury, and ease of cleanup of spilled oil, are also important factors in the ESI ranking. Generally speaking, areas exposed to high levels of physical energy, such as wave action and tidal currents, and low biological activity rank low on the scale, whereas sheltered areas with associated high biological activity have the highest ranking. | Description Source: Research Planning, Inc.

Source identifier that links records in the SOURCES data table to the items G_SOURCE and A_SOURCE in the SOC_DAT table; G_SOURCE and S_SOURCE in the BIORES table; and SOURCE_ID in the ESI, HYDRO, and WETLANDS data layers. | Description Source: Research Planning, Inc.

Type of regional environment. | Description Source: Research Planning, Inc.