54895 Data Set Published / External 53989 Louisiana and Lower Mississippi River, 2014 Project Completed 2013-12 This data set contains sensitive biological resource data for submerged aquatic vegetation, seagrass, oyster reefs and deep sea corals in Louisiana. Vector polygons in this data set represent aquatic vegetation, seagrass, oyster reefs and deep sea coral distribution. Species specific abundance, seasonality, status, life history, and source information are stored in relational data tables (described below) designed to be used in conjunction with this spatial data layer. This data set comprises a portion of the ESI data for Louisiana. ESI data characterize the marine and coastal environments and wildlife by their sensitivity to spilled oil. The ESI data include information for three main components: shoreline habitats, sensitive biological resources, and human-use resources. The ESI data were collected, mapped, and digitized to provide 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. 1846 Prepared by Research Planning, Inc., Columbia, South Carolina for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Ocean Service, Office of Response and Restoration, Emergency Response Division, Seattle, Washington. Theme Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Science Keywords EARTH SCIENCE > BIOSPHERE > ECOSYSTEMS > MARINE ECOSYSTEMS > BENTHIC Theme Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Science Keywords EARTH SCIENCE > HUMAN DIMENSIONS > ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS > OIL SPILLS Theme ISO 19115 Topic Category biota Theme ISO 19115 Topic Category environment Spatial Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Location Keywords CONTINENT > NORTH AMERICA > UNITED STATES OF AMERICA > LOUISIANA Spatial Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Location Keywords OCEAN > ATLANTIC OCEAN > NORTH ATLANTIC OCEAN > GULF OF AMERICA Theme Coastal Resources Theme Coastal Zone Management Theme ESI Theme Environmental Monitoring Theme Environmental Sensitivity Index Theme Oil spill planning Theme Sensitivity Maps Spatial Gulf of Mexico Spatial Mississippi River Office of Response and Restoration Seattle WA USA Data Set GIS Files As Needed 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. Map (digital) 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, BENTHIC) 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 https://response.restoration.noaa.gov/esi_guidelines Although these data have been processed and used successfully on a computer system at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 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, and will offer a replacement copy of the product when the product is determined unreadable by computer input peripherals, or when the physical medium is delivered in damaged condition. This project was supported by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Ocean Service (NOS), Office of Response and Restoration (OR&R), Emergency Response Division (ERD), Seattle, Washington, and The Department of Homeland Security, United States Coast Guard Office of Incident Management and Preparedness, Washington, D.C. 54897 Published / External Completed The BENTHIC table contains links to the attribute information for the vector polygons in this data set representing areas of high ecological value for submerged aquatic vegetation, coral reefs, algae, and hardbottom communities. Species specific abundance, seasonality, status, life history, and source information are stored in relational data tables designed to be used in conjunction with this spatial data layer. See the Entity_and_Attribute_Overview for a detailed description of how the primary attribute tables relate to the geographic data layers. Also see the Browse_Graphic section for a link to the entity-relationship diagram, which describes the relationships between attribute tables in the ESI data structure. | Description Source: NOAA ESI Guidelines 1 RARNUM NUMBER 9 9 Yes Yes Active A 9-digit identifier linking the record to the BIOFILE table. | Description Source: NOAA ESI Guidelines 233000001 to 233000865 54899 Published / External Completed The data table BREED_DT identifies the monthly presence of certain life-history stages or activities for each species at a given location. This table is related to the BIOFILE data table by the field BREED, and can be used to search for monthly breeding status. See the Entity_and_Attribute_Overview for a detailed description of how the primary attribute tables relate to the geographic data layers. Also see the Browse_Graphic section for a link to the entity-relationship diagram, which describes the way this table relates to other attribute tables in the ESI data structure. | Description Source: NOAA ESI Guidelines 1 BREED NUMBER No No Active An integer that links to the BREED field in the BIOFILE. | Description Source: NOAA ESI Guidelines 1 - 341 2 MON NUMBER No No Active Two-digit calendar month. Each life history stage or activity type for a particular species can have up to 12 records to account for each month of the year. | Description Source: NOAA ESI Guidelines 1 to 12 3 BREED1 TEXT No No Active Life history stage or activity type, where: if ELEMENT is "BIRD" then BREED1 = nesting; if ELEMENT is "FISH" then BREED1 = spawning; if ELEMENT is "INVERT" then BREED1 = spawning; if ELEMENT is "HERP" then BREED1 = nesting; if ELEMENT is "M_MAMMAL" then BREED1 = mating. This attribute is not used for BENTHIC, HABITAT, or T_MAMMAL elements. | Description Source: NOAA ESI Guidelines -: Breed category not used or not appropriate for record(s) in question | N: Life-history stage or activity not present or not reported | Y: Life-history stage or activity present | 4 BREED2 TEXT No No Active Life history stage or activity type, where: if ELEMENT is "BIRD" then BREED2 = migrating; if ELEMENT is "FISH" then BREED2 = eggs; if ELEMENT is "INVERT" then BREED2 = eggs; if ELEMENT is "HERP" then BREED2 = hatching; if ELEMENT is "M_MAMMAL" then BREED2 = calving. This attribute is not used for BENTHIC, HABITAT, or T_MAMMAL elements. | Description Source: NOAA ESI Guidelines -: Breed category not used or not appropriate for record(s) in question | N: Life-history stage or activity not present or not reported | Y: Life-history stage or activity present | 5 BREED3 TEXT No No Active Life history stage or activity type, where: if ELEMENT is "BIRD" then BREED3 = molting; if ELEMENT is "FISH" then BREED3 = larvae; if ELEMENT is "INVERT" then BREED3 = larvae; if ELEMENT is "HERP" then BREED3 = internesting; if ELEMENT is "M_MAMMAL" then BREED3 = pupping. This attribute is not used for BENTHIC, HABITAT, or T_MAMMAL elements. | Description Source: NOAA ESI Guidelines -: Breed category not used or not appropriate for record(s) in question | N: Life-history stage or activity not present or not reported | Y: Life-history stage or activity present | 6 BREED4 TEXT No No Active Life history stage or activity type, where: if ELEMENT is "FISH" then BREED4 = juveniles; if ELEMENT is "INVERT" then BREED4 = juveniles; if ELEMENT is "HERP" then BREED4 = juveniles; if ELEMENT is "M_MAMMAL" then BREED4 = molting. This attribute is not used for BENTHIC, BIRD, HABITAT, or T_MAMMAL elements. | Description Source: NOAA ESI Guidelines -: Breed category not used or not appropriate for record(s) in question | N: Life-history stage or activity not present or not reported | Y: Life-history stage or activity present | 7 BREED5 TEXT No No Active Life history stage or activity type, where: if ELEMENT is "FISH" then BREED5 = adults; if ELEMENT is "INVERT" then BREED5 = adults; if ELEMENT is "HERP" then BREED5 = adults. This attribute is not used for BENTHIC, BIRD, HABITAT, M_MAMMAL, or T_MAMMAL elements. | Description Source: NOAA ESI Guidelines -: Breed category not used or not appropriate for record(s) in question | N: Life-history stage or activity not present or not reported | Y: Life-history stage or activity present | 55427 Published / External Completed The data table SOURCES contains the primary sources used to create the ESI data set. See the Browse_Graphic section for a link to the entity-relationship diagram, which describes the way this table relates to other attribute tables in the ESI data structure. | Description Source: NOAA ESI Guidelines 1 SOURCE_ID NUMBER 8 8 Yes Yes Active An 8-digit 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 BIOFILE table; SOURCE_ID and ESI_SOURCE in the ESIP and ESIL data layers, and SOURCE_ID in the HYDROL data layer. | Description Source: NOAA ESI Guidelines 233000001 - 233000218 2 ORIGINATOR TEXT 255 No No Active Author or developer of source material or data set. | Description Source: NOAA ESI Guidelines Acceptable values change from atlas to atlas. 3 DATE_PUB NUMBER No No Active Date of source material, publication, or date of personal communication with expert source. | Description Source: NOAA ESI Guidelines YYYYMM: YYYY for year and optionally MM for month 4 TITLE TEXT 255 No No Active Title of source material or data. | Description Source: NOAA ESI Guidelines Acceptable values change from atlas to atlas. 5 DATA_FORMAT TEXT 80 No No Active The format of the source material. | Description Source: NOAA ESI Guidelines Acceptable values change from atlas to atlas. 6 PUB_PLACE TEXT 255 No No Active Publication place. | Description Source: NOAA ESI Guidelines Acceptable values change from atlas to atlas. 7 PUBLISHER TEXT 255 No No Active Publisher. | Description Source: NOAA ESI Guidelines Acceptable values change from atlas to atlas. 8 PUBLICATION TEXT 255 No No Active Publication. | Description Source: NOAA ESI Guidelines Acceptable values change from atlas to atlas. 9 ONLINE_LINK TEXT 255 No No Active Online computer resource URL. | Description Source: NOAA ESI Guidelines Acceptable values change from atlas to atlas. 10 SCALE TEXT 20 No No Active Description of the source scale. | Description Source: NOAA ESI Guidelines Acceptable values change from atlas to atlas. 11 TIME_PERIOD TEXT 22 No No Active Date(s) of data collection that the source material is based upon. | Description Source: NOAA ESI Guidelines Acceptable values change from atlas to atlas. 55434 Published / External Completed The data table BIOFILE contains biological attribute data and key fields for linking to the vector objects in the biological data layers and to the associated data tables, BREED_DT and SOURCES. See the Entity_and_Attribute_Overview for a detailed description of how the primary attribute tables relate to the geographic data layers. Also see the Browse_Graphic section for a link to the entity-relationship diagram, which describes the way this table relates to other attribute tables in the ESI data structure. Loaded by FGDC Metadata Uploader, batch 10436, 02-28-2018 15:23 1 ELEMENT TEXT 10 Yes No Active Major species categories of biological data. | Description Source: NOAA ESI Guidelines Upper BENTHIC: Benthic habitats | BIRD: Birds | FISH: Fish | HABITAT: Habitats and plants | HERP: Reptiles and Amphibians | INVERT: Invertebrates | M_MAMMAL: Marine mammals | T_MAMMAL: Terrestrial mammals | 2 SUBELEMENT TEXT 10 Yes No Active Element subgroup delineating a logical grouping of species that share common characteristics, habitat preference and/or food sources. | Description Source: NOAA ESI Guidelines Lower Allowed values change from atlas to atlas. 3 NAME TEXT 35 Yes No Active Species common name. This atlas contains a subset of the species found in NOAA's ESI Species List, available online at https://response.restoration.noaa.gov/maps-and-spatial-data/esi-species-list.html. For a list of the species included in this data layer, see the Completeness_Report. Mixed Acceptable values change from atlas to atlas. Only the first letter of the common name is upper case, unless the common name is a proper name. 4 GEN_SPEC TEXT 45 No No Active Genus and species name. This atlas contains a subset of the species found in NOAA's ESI Species List, available online at https://response.restoration.noaa.gov/maps-and-spatial-data/esi-species-list.html. For a list of the species included in this data layer, see the Completeness_Report. Mixed Allowed values change from atlas to atlas. Only the first letter of the Genus is upper case, all else are lower case. 5 S TEXT 1 No No Active One-letter code representing sensitive status at the state level. Upper E (Endangered); T (Threatened), C (Species of Concern), X (Experimental essential population), S (Threatened or endangered due to similarity of appearance) 6 F TEXT 1 No No Active Federal threatened or endangered status. E (Endangered); T (Threatened), C (Species of Concern), X (Experimental essential population), S (Threatened or endangered due to similarity of appearance) 7 STATE TEXT 5 No No Active Two-letter state abbreviation to which state status applies; if atlas covers 2 states, each two-letter state abbreviation should be separated with a slash ('/') Upper Acceptable values change from atlas to atlas. 8 S_DATE NUMBER No No Active Date the associated state status was accessed. Will commonly correspond to atlas publication date, or the date the data was acquired. YYYY, YYYYMM, or YYYYMMDD 9 F_DATE NUMBER No No Active Date the associated federal status was accessed. Will commonly correspond to atlas publication date, or the date the data was acquired. YYYY, YYYYMM or YYYYMMDD 10 GRANK TEXT 8 No No Active Global Rank of the species as defined by NatureServe Codeset: NatureServe Global Conservation Status Ranks 11 GRANKDATE TEXT 8 No No Active Date the associated GRANK was assessed YYYY, YYYYMM, YYYYMMDD 12 MAPPING_QUALIFIER TEXT 25 No No Active An indication of why this feature was mapped in the ESI. Acceptable values vary based on the ELEMENT. | Description Source: NOAA ESI Guidelines "N/A" - this attribute was not in use when the data were created 13 CONC TEXT 20 No No Active The field CONC refers to concentration, abundance or density values, and may contain counts of individuals for each species present at a particular nesting or wintering site, or a term that describes relative abundance of birds at a particular site. The field may contain values from exact counts (e.g., XX BIRDS, XX PAIRS, or XX ADULTS), or binned counts (e.g., 10S, 100S, 1,000S). In cases where no quantitative data were available, the field may contain descriptive terms, such as "HIGH" or "POSSIBLE." If no concentration information was available, the field is populated with "-". Counts were derived from a variety of surveys, and may range in date (see Lineage). Acceptable values change from atlas to atlas. May be qualitative or a number of individuals. A hyphen “-“ is used to denote no data. 14 JAN TEXT 1 No No Active Presence of species in January X=present; Bank = not present 15 FEB TEXT 1 No No Active Presence of species in February X=present; Bank = not present 16 MAR TEXT 1 No No Active Presence of species in March X=present; Bank = not present 17 APR TEXT 1 No No Active Presence of species in April X=present; Bank = not present 18 MAY TEXT 1 No No Active Presence of species in May X=present; Bank = not present 19 JUN TEXT 1 No No Active Presence of species in June X=present; Bank = not present 20 JUL TEXT 1 No No Active Presence of species in July X=present; Bank = not present 21 AUG TEXT 1 No No Active Presence of species in August X=present; Bank = not present 22 SEP TEXT 1 No No Active Presence of species in September X=present; Bank = not present 23 OCT TEXT 1 No No Active Presence of species in October X=present; Bank = not present 24 NOV TEXT 1 No No Active Presence of species in November X=present; Bank = not present 25 DEC TEXT 1 No No Active Presence of species in December X=present; Bank = not present 26 BREED1 TEXT 8 No No Active Values will show a month or range of months (e.g., JAN-MAY) when a particular life stage is observed. A value of "-" indicates the life stage or activity is not present or was not reported. A value of "N/A" indicates that the breed category is not used or not appropriate for the element referenced. This attribute does not apply to the BENTHIC, HABITAT, or T_MAMMAL elements. Life history stage or activity type, varies by ELEMENT. If ELEMENT is "BIRD" then BREED1 = nesting; if ELEMENT is "FISH" or "INVERT" then BREED1 = spawning; if ELEMENT is "HERP" then BREED1 = nesting; if ELEMENT is "M_MAMMAL" then BREED1 = mating. Upper Acceptable values change from atlas to atlas. 27 BREED2 TEXT 8 No No Active Values will show a month or range of months (e.g., JAN-MAY) when a particular life stage is observed. A value of "-" indicates the life stage or activity is not present or was not reported. A value of "N/A" indicates that the breed category is not used or not appropriate for the element referenced. This attribute does not apply to the BENTHIC, HABITAT, or T_MAMMAL elements. Life history stage or activity type, varies by ELEMENT. If ELEMENT is "BIRD" then BREED2 = migrating (spring); if ELEMENT is "FISH" or "INVERT" then BREED2 = eggs; if ELEMENT is "HERP" then BREED2 = hatching; if ELEMENT is "M_MAMMAL" then BREED2 = calving. Upper Acceptable values change from atlas to atlas. 28 BREED3 TEXT 8 No No Active Values will show a month or range of months (e.g., JAN-MAY) when a particular life stage is observed. A value of "-" indicates the life stage or activity is not present or was not reported. A value of "N/A" indicates that the breed category is not used or not appropriate for the element referenced. This attribute does not apply to the BENTHIC, HABITAT, or T_MAMMAL elements. Life history stage or activity type, varies by ELEMENT. If ELEMENT is "BIRD" then BREED3 = molting; if ELEMENT is "FISH" or "INVERT" then BREED3 = larvae; if ELEMENT is "HERP" then BREED3 = internesting; if ELEMENT is "M_MAMMAL" then BREED3 = pupping. Acceptable values change from atlas to atlas. 29 BREED4 TEXT 8 No No Active Values will show a month or range of months (e.g., JAN-MAY) when a particular life stage is observed. A value of "-" indicates the life stage or activity is not present or was not reported. A value of "N/A" indicates that the breed category is not used or not appropriate for the element referenced. This attribute does not apply to the BIRDS, BENTHIC, HABITAT, or T_MAMMAL elements. Life history stage or activity type, varies by ELEMENT. If ELEMENT is "FISH" or "INVERT" or "HERP" then BREED4 = juveniles; if ELEMENT is "M_MAMMAL" then BREED4 = molting. Upper Acceptable values change from atlas to atlas. 30 BREED5 TEXT 8 No No Active Values will show a month or range of months (e.g., JAN-MAY) when a particular life stage is observed. A value of "-" indicates the life stage or activity is not present or was not reported. A value of "N/A" indicates that the breed category is not used or not appropriate for the element referenced. This attribute does not apply to the BIRD, BENTHIC, HABITAT, or T_MAMMAL elements. Life history stage or activity type, where: if ELEMENT is "FISH" or "INVERT" or "HERP" then BREED5 = adults. Acceptable values change from atlas to atlas. 31 RARNUM NUMBER 9 9 Yes Yes Active A 9-digit identifier that links records in the BIOFILE data table to related records in the biological data layers. | Description Source: NOAA ESI Guidelines 233000001- 233000865 32 G_SOURCE NUMBER 8 8 Yes No Active An 8-digit identifier linking to the SOURCES data table record providing information on the geographic source. | Description Source: NOAA ESI Guidelines 233000001 - 233000218 33 S_SOURCE NUMBER 8 8 Yes No Active An 8-digit identifier linking to the SOURCES data table record providing information on the seasonality source. | Description Source: NOAA ESI Guidelines 233000001 - 233000218 34 BREED NUMBER No No Active Identifier that links records in the BIOFILE data table to related records in the BREED_DT data table. 1 - 341 Data Steward 2013-12 Position ESI Program Manager orr.esi@noaa.gov 7600 Sand Point Way NE Seattle WA 98115 Distributor 2013-12 Organization Office of Response and Restoration ORR https://ror.org/03g5tqa50 1305 East-West Highway Silver Spring MD 20910 https://response.restoration.noaa.gov/ ORR Home Page Online Resource Metadata Contact 2013-12 Position ESI Program Manager orr.esi@noaa.gov 7600 Sand Point Way NE Seattle WA 98115 Point of Contact 2013-12 Position ESI Program Manager orr.esi@noaa.gov 7600 Sand Point Way NE Seattle WA 98115 Publication Date -94 -88.0002 31.1273 25.6169 This geographic extent includes the entire coastal Louisiana and Lower Mississippi River ESI study area. The spatial extent of individual layers or feature classes may vary. Range 2012 2014 The coastal Louisiana data were compiled 2012-2013, The Lower Mississippi River data were compiled in 2014. The atlas was published in 2014. Yes Yes Geometry Only Yes 2717 Geographic 2D EPSG:4269 NAD83 North American Datum 1983 GRS 1980 6378137 298.257222101 1 Geodetic Latitude Lat degree north 1 Geodetic Latitude Lat degree north 2 Geodetic Longitude Lon degree east 2 Geodetic Longitude Lon degree east Standard CC0-1.0 https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/ These data were produced by NOAA and are not subject to copyright protection in the United States. NOAA waives any potential copyright and related rights in these data worldwide through the Creative Commons Zero 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication (CC0-1.0). Unclassified 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. Besides the above warnings, there are no use constraints on these data. 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. Acknowledgment of the originators, publishers, contributors, and sources listed would be appreciated in products derived from these data. https://response.restoration.noaa.gov/esi_download 2013-12 Organization Office of Response and Restoration https://ror.org/03g5tqa50 Louisiana_2014_GDB.zip This feature class is part of the downloadable Esri Arc Geodatabase. 2016-04-29T00:00:00 Arc Geodatabase ESRI File Geodatabase 354 MB Zip https://response.restoration.noaa.gov/sites/default/files/ESI-Browse-Graphic.pdf ESI Browse Graphic Browse Graphic pdf Depicts the relationships between the spatial data layers and the attribute data tables for the Louisiana and Lower Mississippi River ESI data. https://response.restoration.noaa.gov/esi ESI Overview Online Resource html Overview of ESI data content and uses. https://response.restoration.noaa.gov/resources/esi-guidelines ESI Guidelines Online Resource pdf Guidelines for developing ESI data content and overview of ESI data structure. Useful for data collectors and users requiring more in depth information on the ESI process. 2013-12 Date that the source FGDC record was last modified. 2017-04-05 Converted from Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Metadata (version FGDC-STD-001-1998) using 'fgdc_to_inport_xml.pl' script. Contact Tyler Christensen (NOS) for details. 2017-09-13 Partial upload of Spatial Info section only. 2017-11-01 Replaced entire Lineage section to populate new Source Contribution field. 2018-02-08 Partial upload of Positional Accuracy fields only. The software packages used to develop the atlas are Environmental Systems Research Institute's ARC/INFO(R) (version 10.2) and SQL SERVER(R) (version 2005). The hardware configuration is PC's 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, hardcopy 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. Spatial components for the biological data layers can come from expert interviews, hardcopy, or digital sources. Some of the spatial components of the biological data layers may have been developed using regional experts who estimate concentration areas. It is difficult to estimate the positional accuracy of such data, except to state that they are compiled on hardcopy base maps with a scale of 1:24,000. Some of the spatial components of the biological data sets are developed from pre-existing digital or hardcopy sources and reflect the positional accuracy of these original data. Note that biological resource data by their very nature are considered "fuzzy", and this should be understood when considering the positional accuracy of vector digital objects representing these resources. See the Lineage and Process_Description sections for more information on the original source data and how these data were integrated or manipulated to create the final data set. These data represent a synthesis of digital data describing aquatic vegetation, seagrass, oyster reefs and deep sea coral distribution. These data do not necessarily represent all benthic occurrences in Louisiana. The following species are included in this data set: (Species_ID, Common Name, Scientific Name [n/a if not applicable]): 85, Seagrass, n/a; 609, Submerged aquatic vegetation, n/a; 1183, Deep sea coral, n/a; 1184, Oyster reef, n/a. 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 a several consistency checks, and processed into the final delivery format. The mapping extent was dependent upon information availability and location of mapped coastal habitats and shorelines. Digital data were provided by Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF), NOAA's Center for Coastal Monitoring and Assessment (CCMA) Biogeography Branch, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. NATIONAL WETLANDS INVENTORY (NWI) - HABITAT U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE (USFWS) 2010-01-01 Discrete 2008 BENTHIC INFORMATION | Source Geospatial Form: vector digital data | Type of Source Media: CD-ROM OYSTER REEFS PER SIDESCAN SONAR LOUISIANA DEPARTMENT OF WILDLIFE AND FISHERIES (LDWF) 2013-01-01 Discrete 2013 BENTHIC INFORMATION | Source Geospatial Form: vector digital data | Type of Source Media: disc PREDICTED LIKELIHOOD OF SUITABLE HABITAT FOR DEEP SEA CORALS IN THE U.S. GULF OF MEXICO (THRESHOLDED CATEGORIES) KINLAN, B.P., POTI, M., ETNOYE,R P., SICELOFF, L., JENKINS, C., DORFMAN, D., CALDOW, C. 2013-01-01 Discrete 2013 https://coastalscience.noaa.gov/projects/detail?key=35 BENTHIC INFORMATION | Source Geospatial Form: vector digital data | Type of Source Media: EMAIL SEAGRASS ECOLOGY ALONG THE COASTS OF ALABAMA, LOUISIANA, AND MISSISSIPPI ELEUTERIUS, LIONEL N. 1987-01-01 Discrete 1987 http://research.myfwc.com/engine/download_redirection_process.asp?file=87eleuterius_0511.pdf&objid=35408&dltype=publication BENTHIC INFORMATION | Source Geospatial Form: document | Type of Source Media: online 1 Aquatic vegetation: Polygonal beds of aquatic vegetation were obtained from the 2008 National Wetlands Inventory dataset. For the purpose of this atlas, they were classified as "Seagrass", which is composed of higher salinity grasses and "Submerged aquatic vegetation", which represents brackish-freshwater species. Polygons smaller than 1500 square meters were not included in the atlas. Species likely present in seagrass areas include Thalassia spp., Halodule spp., Syringodium spp., Halophila spp., and Ruppia spp.. Species likely present in SAV beds include Millfoil spp., Hydrilla spp., Coontail spp., Ruppia spp., and Potamogeton spp. LDWF provided anecdotal information identifying areas that were likely to have aquatic vegetation that was unmapped by the NWI. These areas are noted by the presence of an icon on the paper maps, but are not reflected in the digital data. 2013-12-01T00:00:00 Position ESI Program Manager orr.esi@noaa.gov 7600 Sand Point Way NE Seattle WA 98115 NATIONAL WETLANDS INVENTORY (NWI) - HABITAT 2 Oyster reefs: Locations of oyster reefs were provided by LDWF and are mapped as the species "Oyster reef". Please note that not all areas of the state are surveyed, so reefs may exist in other areas. Also, while the presence of live oysters on oyster reefs is highly likely, areas mapped as oyster reefs do not necessarily indicate that live oysters will be present. 2013-12-01T00:00:00 Position ESI Program Manager orr.esi@noaa.gov 7600 Sand Point Way NE Seattle WA 98115 OYSTER REEFS PER SIDESCAN SONAR 3 Deep sea coral: Predicted habitat suitability models for 18 species of deep sea coral were provided by the NOAA Coastal Center for Monitoring and Assessment. All species were combined and mapped as Deep sea coral in the Louisiana ESI BENTHIC feature class. Areas had a high or very high likelihood of containing any species of deep sea coral are combined into the ESI concentration "highly likely". Areas that are categorized as having medium-low to medium likelihood are combined into the ESI concentration "potential". The species aggregated as deep sea corals include Lophelia pertusa, Madrepora spp., Madracis spp., Callogorgia spp., Bebryce spp., Hypnogorgia spp., the families Ellisellidae, Gorgoniidae, Paramuriceidae, Plexauridae, the orders Alcyonacea, Scleractinia (except Oculina spp.), and Antipatharia. 2013-12-01T00:00:00 Position ESI Program Manager orr.esi@noaa.gov 7600 Sand Point Way NE Seattle WA 98115 PREDICTED LIKELIHOOD OF SUITABLE HABITAT FOR DEEP SEA CORALS IN THE U.S. GULF OF MEXICO (THRESHOLDED CATEGORIES) 4 The above digital and/or hardcopy sources were compiled by the project biologist using the process steps described to create the BENTHIC data layer. Depending on the type of source data, three general approaches are used for compiling the data layer: 1) information gathered during initial interviews and from hardcopy sources are compiled onto U.S. Geological Survey 1:24,000 topographic quadrangles and digitized; 2) hardcopy maps are digitized at their source scale; 3) digital data layers are evaluated and used "as is" or integrated with the hardcopy data sources. See the Lineage section for additional information on the type of source data for this data layer. The ESI, biology, and human-use data are compiled into the standard ESI digital data format. A second set of interviews with participating resource experts are conducted to review the compiled data. If necessary, edits to the BENTHIC data layer are made based on the recommendations of the resource experts, and final hardcopy maps and digital data are created. 2013-12-01T00:00:00 Position ESI Program Manager orr.esi@noaa.gov 7600 Sand Point Way NE Seattle WA 98115 54897 Entity 55434 Entity 54899 Entity 55427 Entity gov.noaa.nmfs.inport:54895 David Moe Nelson 2018-11-15T15:52:22 SysAdmin InPortAdmin 2026-07-09T18:26:04 2019-04-04 Office of Response and Restoration ORR 1002 Public No No 2019-04-04 1 Year 2020-04-04