NOAA Distribution Mapping and Analysis Portal (DisMAP)

URL: https://apps-st.fisheries.noaa.gov/dismap. The changing climate and oceans impact every aspect of NOAA Fisheries' mission, from managing fisheries and aquaculture, to conserving protected resources and vital habitats. As marine species shift their distributions in response to changing ocean conditions there is a high and growing need for species distribution information for use in fishery science and management and other ocean use decision-making (e.g., energy, transportation). This need is highlighted in several key NMFS strategic documents, including the NOAA Fisheries Climate Science Strategy, Ecosystem-based Fisheries Management roadmap, Implementing a Next Generation Stock Assessment Enterprise, and NMFS Tech Memo on Accounting for changing productivity and shifting distributions in fisheries management. For example, the NCSS specifically calls for increasing information on past, current and projected future species distributions as a key part of the information needed for climate-informed management decisions. A key challenge and need identified in the EBFM roadmap is to advance NMFS' understanding of population dynamics and spatiotemporal distributions of LMRs. The SAIP highlights the importance of understanding changing distributions for stock assessments. The Tech Memo built on these calls to action, recommending development of indicators of change, early warnings and tools to improve data integration and tracking of changing distributions across survey and management boundaries. In response to these calls for action, a working group was established in 2018 tasks with developing a tool to meet these growing needs, which resulted in the development of the Distribution Mapping and Analysis Portal.

The Distribution Mapping and Analysis Portal (DisMAP) consolidates species distribution information into one centralized portal improving data sharing and collaboration and contributing to increased knowledge and understanding of species distributions across biogeographic and political jurisdictional boundaries.

The Distribution Mapping and Analysis Portal (DisMAP) consolidates data on species distributions into one user-friendly and interactive website. The website provides tools for exploring changes in marine fish and invertebrate distributions through time. Our mission is to (1) improve ease of access to and exploration of species distribution data, (2) support decision-makers to use this spatial data for insight and informing decisions, and (3) foster the development of a community of practice among scientists working on species distribution modeling.