Massachusetts and Rhode Island 2016 FISH (Fish Polygons)

This data set contains sensitive biological resource data for finfish in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Vector polygons in this data set represent include selected marine, estuarine, and diadromous species of commercial, recreational, ecological and/or conservation interest. Species-specific abundance, seasonality, status, life history, and source information are stored in associated data tables (described below) designed to be used in conjunction with this spatial data layer. This data set is a portion of the ESI data for Massachusetts and Rhode Island. As a whole, the ESI data characterize the marine and coastal environments and wildlife by their sensitivity to spilled oil, and include information for three main components: shoreline habitats, sensitive biological resources, and human-use resources.

The ESI data are intended to provide baseline environmental data for oil spill planning and response. The Clean Water Act with amendments by the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 requires response plans for immediate and effective protection of sensitive resources. The ESI data may be appropriate for many other coastal management efforts, though the original intent should be kept in mind.

Loaded by FGDC Metadata Uploader, batch 10442, 02-28-2018 15:25

The following FGDC sections are not currently supported in InPort, but were preserved and will be included in the FGDC export:

- Spatial Reference Information (FGDC:spref),

- Spatial Data Organization Information (FGDC:spdoinfo)

Data content is considered static once published. However, if issues with the Geodatabase linkages or table contents are identified, the Geodatabase and/or the associated Map Document may be updated. Assure most current data is being used by downloading from https://response.restoration.noaa.gov/esi_download and/or comparing modification dates provided at this site.

The primary attribute tables associated with the ESI biology data are BIOFILE, SOURCES, and BREED_DT. The geographic data layer containing biological resource information (in this case, [BIRDS]) is linked to the BIOFILE using the RARNUM field. There is a many-to-many relationship from the data layer to the BIOFILE, as an RARNUM may be repeated in several geographic features. Likewise, in the BIOFILE, the same RARNUM may appear in multiple records, representing a unique combination of species found in that region. To be represented by the same RARNUM, these species groups must also share the same seasonality, concentration, mapping qualifier, and source information. The items in the BIOFILE are ELEMENT, SUBELEMENT, NAME, GEN_SPEC, S, F, STATE, S_DATE, F_DATE, GRANK, GRANKDATE, MAPPING_QUALIFIER, CONC, JAN, FEB, MAR, APR, MAY, JUN, JUL, AUG, SEP, OCT, NOV, DEC, BREED1, BREED2, BREED3, BREED4, BREED5, RARNUM, G_SOURCE, S_SOURCE, and BREED. The G_SOURCE and S_SOURCE fields provide links to the SOURCES table, where object level source information is available. The BREED field is the link to the BREED_DT table, where searchable breed information is provided. The links to both of these tables are also many-to-many. During the collection of the ESI data, six relational data tables are used to store the attribute data. These are the BIORES, BREED, SEASONAL, SOURCES, SPECIES, and STATUS tables. When we create new ESI data, we populate these tables to maintain the integrity of the data collected. Once completed, all information populating these tables is collapsed into the BIOFILE to ease data queries and general usability of the final product.

NOAA ESI Guidelines

Although these data have been processed and used successfully on a computer system at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), no warranty, expressed or implied, is made by NOAA regarding the utility of the data on any other system, nor shall the act of distribution constitute any such warranty. NOAA warrants the delivery of this product in computer-readable format. If problems are encountered in downloading the ESI data or with file corruption, contact NOAA (see Distributor). These data represent a snapshot in time and temporal changes may have occurred. The data are not intended to include all biological or human-use resources present in an area; they focus on species and resources particularly sensitive to oiling. In the event of a spill, they should be used for a first assessment only. The data providers are the experts with regard to individual resources. They should be contacted to confirm if more current data exist or if in-depth information is needed about a particular resource.

Data can be accessed by downloading the zipped ArcGIS geodatabase from the Download URL (see Distribution Information). Questions can be directed to the ESI Program Manager (Point Of Contact).

None

DO NOT USE MAPS FOR NAVIGATIONAL PURPOSES. Management boundaries are not to be considered legal boundaries. Edges may have been altered for cartographic processes. Note that the ESI database should not be used to the exclusion of other pertinent data or information held by state or federal agencies or other organizations. Likewise, information contained in the database cannot be used in place of consultations with environmental, natural resource, and cultural resource agencies, or in place of field surveys. Recognize that the information contained in the ESI database represents known concentration areas or occurrences of natural, cultural, and human-use resources, but does not necessarily represent the full distribution or range of each species or resource. This is particularly important to recognize when considering potential impacts to protected resources, such as endangered species, wetlands, etc. Besides the above warnings, there are no use constraints on these data. Acknowledgment of the originators, publishers, contributors, and sources listed would be appreciated in products derived from these data.

The software packages used to develop the atlas are Environmental Systems Research Institute's ArcGIS for Desktop 10.2(R) . The hardware configuration is PCs with Windows Operating System 7.

A multi-stage error checking process is used to verify both attribute accuracy and logical consistency throughout data production. The process includes a standardized data entry methodology, data review by in-house and external resource experts, a final Quality Assurance/Quality Control (QA/QC) process, and multiple automated logical consistency checks. Quantitative data (such as densities, counts, abundances, or concentrations) provided by resource experts for inclusion in the data set may vary widely in attribute accuracy, depending upon the methodology used to collect and compile such data. For a more detailed evaluation of source data attribute accuracy, contact the sources listed in the Lineage section.

These data represent a synthesis of expert knowledge, available hardcopy documents, survey data, maps, and digital data on fish species distributions. Fish distribution polygons were created based on survey information, digital data, and expert opinion provided primarily by local resource experts at Massachusetts of Division of Marine Fisheries (MDMF), Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (MADFW), Rhode Division of Fish and Wildlife (RI DFW), and Northeast Regional Ocean Council (NROC). National Hydrography Dataset (NHD) stream line data was buffered into polygons and integrated with the ESI hydrographic layer where additional coverage was necessary to accurately portray species extent inland. These data do not necessarily represent all fish occurrences in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. The following species are included in this data set: F00102, Atlantic sturgeon, Acipenser oxyrinchus; F00998, Bridle shiner, Notropis bifrenatus; F00997, American brook lamprey, Lampetra appendix; F01269, Rare sturgeon; F00091, Threespine stickleback, Gasterosteus aculeatus; F00110, Black sea bass, Centropristis striata; F00065, Bluefish, Pomatomus saltatrix; F00154, Pollock, Pollock virens; F01107, Sand tiger shark, Carcharias taurus; F00274, Sheepshead minnow, Cyprinodon variegatus; F00487, Skates, Raja spp; F01259, Stickleback, Gasterosteus sp; F00097, Tautog, Tautog onitis; F00145, White perch, Morone americana; F00278, Little tunny, Euthynnus alletteratus; F00156, American sand lance, Ammodytes americanus; F00085, Alewife, Alosa pseudoharengus; F00098, American eel, Anguilla rostrata; F00087, American shad, Alosa sapidissima; F00086, Blueback herring, Alosa aestivalis; F00084, Rainbow smelt, Osmerus mordax; F00104, Striped bass, Morone saxatilis; F00502, Brook trout (sea run), Salvelinus fontinalis (sea run); F01257, Blacknose dace, Rhinichthys atratulus; F00248, Common shiner, Luxilus cornutus; F00271, Inland silverside, Menidia beryllina; F00985, Redbreast sunfish, Lepomis auritus; F00092, Fourspine stickleback, Apeltes quadracus; F00095, Mummichog, Fundulus heteroclitus; F00166, Brook trout, Salvelinus fontinalis; F01262, Creek chub, Semotilus atromaculatus; F00500, Sea lamprey, Petromyzon marinus; F01271, Slimy sculpin, Cottus cognatus; F00986, Tessellated darter, Etheostoma olmstedi; F00175, White sucker, Catostomus commersoni; F01263, Fallfish, Semotilus corporalis; F01267, Longnose dace, Rhinicthys cataractae; F00094, Atlantic silverside, Menidia menidia; F00149, Atlantic cod, Gadus morhua; F00146, Atlantic herring, Clupea harengus; F00147, Atlantic mackerel, Scomber scombrus; F00467, American plaice, Hippoglossoides platessoides; F00099, Atlantic tomcod, Microgadus tomcod; F00113, Bay anchovy, Anchoa mitchilli; F01260, Atlantic wolffish, Anarhichas lupus; F01261, Atlantic halibut, Hippoglossus hippoglossus; F01089, Little skate, Leucoraja erinacea; F00153, Northern kingfish, Menticirrhus saxatilis; F00157, Goosefish, Lophius americanus; F00480, Haddock, Melanogrammus aeglefinus; F00481, Longhorn sculpin, Myoxocephalus octodecemspinosus; F00366, Hogchoker, Trinectes maculatus; F00155, Red hake, Urophycis chuss; F00150, Scup, Stenotomus chrysops; F00148, Silver hake, Merluccius bilinearis; F00081, Spiny dogfish, Squalus acanthias; F00484, Ocean pout, Macrozoarces americanus; F00199, Rock gunnel, Pholis gunnellus; F00485, Oyster toadfish, Opsanus tau; F00108, Summer flounder, Paralichthys dentatus; F00088, Winter flounder, Pleuronectes americanus; F01131, Winter skate, Leucoraja ocellata; F00160, Windowpane, Scophthalmus aquosus; F01272, Witch flounder, Glyptocephalus cynoglossus; F00090, White hake, Urophycis tenuis; F00138, Weakfish, Cynoscion regalis; F00489, Yellowtail flounder, Pleuronectes ferrugineus; F01147, Searobins, Prionotus spp; F00566, Tunas; F00283, Killifish, Fundulus spp; F00144, Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar.

A multi-stage error checking process, described in the above Attribute Accuracy Report, is used to verify both attribute accuracy and logical consistency throughout data production. This process includes multiple automated logical consistency checks that test the files for missing or duplicate data, rules for proper coding, GIS topological consistencies, and SQL SERVER(R) to ArcGIS(R) consistencies. A final review is made by the GIS manager, before the final Geodatabase and metadata are created. After the data are delivered to NOAA, they are again subjected to several consistency checks, and processed into the final delivery format.