Ringed seal Arctic subspecies critical habitat for use in ESA/FIFRA consultations

These data depict critical habitat designated for the Arctic subspecies of the ringed seal (87 FR 19232; 04/01/2022).Critical habitat for the Arctic subspecies of the ringed seal includes marine waters within one specific area in the Bering, Chukchi, and Beaufort seas, extending from the nearshore boundary, defined by the 3-m isobath relative to mean lower low water (MLLW), to an offshore limit within the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). The boundary extends offshore from the northern limit of the United States-Canada border approximately 90 km to 70°26'19'' N/140°11'21'' W, and from this point runs generally westward along the line connecting the following points: 70°55'35'' N/142°33'51'' W, 70°53'25'' N/144°37'19'' W, 71°1'22'' N/146°36'55'' W, 71°17'21'' N/148°34'58'' W, and 71°20'8'' N/150° W. From this point (71°20'8'' N/150° W) the boundary follows longitude 150° W northward to 72°20'4'' N/150°W, then extends westward to 72°20'4'' N/153° W, then follows longitude 153° W northward to the seaward limit of the U.S. EEZ, and then follows the limit of the U.S. EEZ northwestward; then southwestward and south to the intersection of the southern boundary of the critical habitat in the Bering Sea at 61°18'15'' N/177°45'56'' W. The southern boundary extends southeastward from this intersection point to 60°7' N/172°1' W, then northeastward along a line extending to near Cape Romanzof at 61°48'42'' N/166°6'5'' W, with the nearshore boundary defined by the 3-m isobath. Critical habitat does not include permanent manmade structures such as boat ramps, docks, and pilings that were in existence within the legal boundaries as of the effective date of the final rule.Please see the final rule for additional information.

This spatial data file was modified from NMFS’s “agency-official” species critical habitat data to aid in the ESA/FIFRA section 7 pesticide consultation process. For example, existing data were adapted to incorporate associated watersheds where applicable, based on the USGS Watershed Boundary Dataset HUC-12 data (https://www.usgs.gov/national-hydrography/watershed-boundary-dataset). The modifications to the NMFS critical habitat spatial data make the data more compatible for future analyses with EPA’s Use Data Layers (UDLs). The following “Description” is from the original, “agency-official” data that was used to make this HUC-based map. Most of the metadata record for this species matches the “agency-official” record; however, NMFS added a new "Citation", "File Identifier", “Credits”, “Point of Contact”, and “Lineage Process Step” that are unique to this HUC-based critical habitat data.

The user assumes the entire risk related to its use of these data. NMFS is providing these data "as is," and NMFS disclaims any and all warranties, whether express or implied, including (without limitation) any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. No warranty expressed or implied is made regarding the accuracy or utility of the data on any other system or for general or scientific purposes, nor shall the act of distribution constitute any such warranty. It is strongly recommended that careful attention be paid to the contents of the metadata file associated with these data to evaluate dataset limitations, restrictions or intended use. In no event will NMFS be liable to you or to any third party for any direct, indirect, incidental, consequential, special or exemplary damages or lost profit resulting from any use or misuse of these data.

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