gov.noaa.nmfs.inport:55144 eng UTF8 dataset GIS Files Office of Response and Restoration resourceProvider ESI Program Manager 7600 Sand Point Way NE Seattle WA 98115 orr.esi@noaa.gov pointOfContact 2026-03-04T19:17:18 ISO 19115-2 Geographic Information - Metadata Part 2 Extensions for imagery and gridded data ISO 19115-2:2009(E) geometryOnly complex 1043 Chesapeake Bay and the Outer Coasts of Maryland and Virginia 2016 ESI HERP (Reptile and Amphibian) Polygons Chesapeake Bay 2016 ESI HERP (Reptile and Amphibian) Polygons 2016 publication NOAA/NMFS/EDM 55144 https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inport/item/55144 WWW:LINK-1.0-http--link Full Metadata Record View the complete metadata record on InPort for more information about this dataset. information https://response.restoration.noaa.gov/esi_guidelines WWW:LINK-1.0-http--link ESI Guidelines 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. download https://response.restoration.noaa.gov/esi WWW:LINK-1.0-http--link ESI Overview Overview of ESI data content and uses. download mapDigital 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. This data set contains sensitive biological resource data for sea turtles, estuarine turtles, and T/E herps in Chesapeake Bay and the Outer Coasts of Maryland and Virginia. Vector polygons in this data set represent herpetofauna distribtution and nesting areas. 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 Chesapeake Bay and the Outer Coasts of Maryland and Virginia. 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. 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. completed ESI Program Manager 7600 Sand Point Way NE Seattle WA 98115 orr.esi@noaa.gov pointOfContact ESI Program Manager 7600 Sand Point Way NE Seattle WA 98115 orr.esi@noaa.gov custodian asNeeded 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. https://response.restoration.noaa.gov/sites/default/files/ESI-Browse-Graphic.pdf ESI Browse Graphic depicts the relationships between the spatial data layers and the attribute data tables for the Chesapeake Bay and Outer Coasts of Maryland and Virginia ESI data. pdf EARTH SCIENCE > BIOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION > ANIMALS/VERTEBRATES > AMPHIBIANS EARTH SCIENCE > BIOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION > ANIMALS/VERTEBRATES > REPTILES EARTH SCIENCE > BIOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION > ANIMALS/VERTEBRATES > REPTILES > TURTLES EARTH SCIENCE > HUMAN DIMENSIONS > ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS > OIL SPILLS theme Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Science Keywords 17.0 CONTINENT > NORTH AMERICA > UNITED STATES OF AMERICA > MARYLAND CONTINENT > NORTH AMERICA > UNITED STATES OF AMERICA > VIRGINIA place Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Location Keywords 20.8 Coastal Resources Coastal Zone Management ESI Environmental Monitoring Environmental Sensitivity Index Oil Spill Planning Sensitivity Maps Wildlife theme Chesapeake Bay Outer Coasts of Maryland and Virginia place DOC/NOAA/NOS/ORR > Office of Response and Restoration, National Ocean Service, NOAA, U.S. Department of Commerce dataCentre Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Data Center Keywords 2017-04-24 publication 8.5 Earth Science Data and Information System, Earth Science Projects Division, Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) https://forum.earthdata.nasa.gov/app.php/tag/GCMD%2BKeywords GCMD Keyword Forum Page Global Change Master Directory (GCMD). 2025. GCMD Keywords, Version 22. Greenbelt, MD: Earth Science Data and Information System, Earth Science Projects Division, Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). URL (GCMD Keyword Forum Page): https://forum.earthdata.nasa.gov/app.php/tag/GCMD+Keywords information custodian Chesapeake Bay and the Outer Coasts of Maryland and Virginia, 2016 project InPort otherRestrictions Cite As: Office of Response and Restoration, [Date of Access]: Chesapeake Bay and the Outer Coasts of Maryland and Virginia 2016 ESI HERP (Reptile and Amphibian) Polygons [Data Date Range], https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inport/item/55144. NOAA provides no warranty, nor accepts any liability occurring from any incomplete, incorrect, or misleading data, or from any incorrect, incomplete, or misleading use of the data. It is the responsibility of the user to determine whether or not the data is suitable for the intended purpose. otherRestrictions Access Constraints: None otherRestrictions Use Constraints: 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. otherRestrictions Distribution Liability: Although these data have been processed 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. unclassified NOAA Data Management Plan (DMP) NOAA/NMFS/EDM 55144 https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inportserve/waf/noaa/nos/orr/dmp/pdf/55144.pdf WWW:LINK-1.0-http--link NOAA Data Management Plan (DMP) NOAA Data Management Plan for this record on InPort. information crossReference vector textTable eng; US biota environment The software packages used to develop the atlas are Environmental Systems Research Institute's ArcGIS for Desktop 10.2(R) and SQL SERVER(R) (version 2005). The hardware configuration is PC's with Windows Operating System 7. -77.5418 -74.7942 36.5498 39.7215 This reflects the extent of all land and water features included in the overall Chesapeake Bay and Outer Coasts of Maryland and Virginia 2016 ESI study region. The bounding box for this particular feature class may vary depending on occurrences identified and mapped. Time Frame Range starts with ESI Project Start Year, and ends with ESI Atlas Publication Year. | Currentness: Publication Date 2014 2016 false eng false HERP 2019-02-14 publication BIOFILE 2019-02-14 publication SOURCES 2019-02-14 publication BREED_DT 2019-02-14 publication ESRI File Geodatabase Zip Office of Response and Restoration 1305 East-West Highway Silver Spring MD 20910 https://response.restoration.noaa.gov/ WWW:LINK-1.0-http--link ORR Home Page Website listed for Office of Response and Restoration information distributor https://response.restoration.noaa.gov/esi_download WWW:LINK-1.0-http--link ChesapeakeBay_2016_ESI_GDB.zip This feature class is part of the downloadable Esri Arc Geodatabase. download dataset Accuracy 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. Horizontal Positional Accuracy 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. Completeness Report These data represent a synthesis of expert knowledge, available hardcopy documents, survey data, and digital data on herpetofauna distribtution and nesting areas. These data do not necessarily represent all herpetofauna occurrences in Chesapeake Bay and the Outer Coasts of Maryland and Virginia. The following species are included in this data set: (Species_ID, Common Name, Scientific Name [n/a if not applicable]): 2, Green sea turtle, Chelonia mydas; 4, Kemp's ridley sea turtle, Lepidochelys kempii; 5, Leatherback sea turtle, Dermochelys coriacea; 6, Loggerhead sea turtle, Caretta caretta; 7, Diamondback terrapin, Malaclemys terrapin; 114, Snapping turtle, Chelydra serpentina; 242, Barking treefrog, Hyla gratiosa; 243, Chicken turtle, Deirochelys reticularia. Conceptual Consistency 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. This atlas supersedes two separate first edition atlases, Virginia (2005, #25) and Maryland (2007, #47). Nesting and in-water distribution data for diamondback terrapins were provided by VIMS (in-water data set), USGS (nesting data set), and USFWS (pers. comm.). The VIMS data set was based on 2012 and 2013 spring-summer surveys at 165 sites and was conducted to study the relationship between terrestrial-aquatic connectivity and the distribution of an estuarine turtle. The results of the survey included predicted probability of occupancy of diamondback terrapins in the Chesapeake Bay, and the "high" and "low" probabilities of occupancy that were determined during the study were adapted for inclusion and represented as likely terrapin distribution polygons in the ESI. The USGS nesting data set was based on the results of the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center investigation of over 3,000 kilometers of Chesapeake Bay shoreline in 2002 for terrapins, tracks, and active and disturbed nests. Green (FT/MD ST, VA ST), Kemp's ridley (FE/MD SE, VA SE), leatherback (FE/MD SE, VA SE) and loggerhead (FT/MD ST, VA ST) sea turtles were mapped in this atlas. Many barrier island, and some mainland, outer sand beaches are important nesting habitat for loggerhead sea turtle, and potential (but very rare) nesting habitat for Kemp's ridley and green sea turtles. Nesting typically occurs in Virginia and Maryland from May to August with hatching from June-October (loggerhead sea turtle). Data that represent documented nesting in Virginia from 1970-2015 were provided by VDGIF. The concentration values were based on the range of nest counts observed on a particular stretch of beach over time (e.g., 0-8 nests, <10 nests). Beach buffers were used rather than point locations due to the potential for beaches adjacent to known nest sites to also provide suitable nesting habitats. Green sea turtle and Kemp's ridley sea turtle were documented as having 'false crawls' only and no nest counts. Additional nesting and general distribution and seasonality information were provided during interviews with NPS, USFWS, and the VA Aquarium. Distributions for the barking treefrog (VA ST) and chicken turtle (VA SE) were mapped using data provided as part of VDGIF's Wildlife Environmental Review Map Service (WERMS) database. Records of both species were pulled from survey dates between the years 1996 and 2013, with 2013 being the most recent surveys for herpetofauna in the database. The above digital and/or hardcopy sources were compiled by the project biologist to create the HERP 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 HERP data layer are made based on the recommendations of the resource experts, and final hardcopy maps and digital data are created. 2016-09-01T00:00:00 ESI Program Manager orr.esi@noaa.gov processor Source Contribution: HERP INFORMATION | Source Geospatial Form: EXPERT KNOWLEDGE | Type of Source Media: PERSONAL COMMUNICATION DIAMONDBACK TERRAPIN SEASONAL PRESENCE IN CHESAPEAKE BAY 2016-01-01 publication VIRGINIA INSTITUTE OF MARINE SCIENCE (VIMS)- R.E ISDELL III 2016 Source Contribution: HERP INFORMATION | Source Geospatial Form: EXPERT KNOWLEDGE | Type of Source Media: PERSONAL COMMUNICATION DISTRIBUTION AND SEASONAL PRESENCE OF SEA TURTLES IN MARYLAND AND VIRGINIA WATERS 2016-01-01 publication VIRGINIA AQUARIUM AND MARINE SCIENCE CENTER - SUSAN BARCO AND G. LOCKHART 2015 2016 Source Contribution: HERP INFORMATION | Source Geospatial Form: EXPERT KNOWLEDGE | Type of Source Media: PERSONAL COMMUNICATION MARINE MAMMAL DISTRIBUTIONS IN CHESAPEAKE BAY AND THE MID-ATLANTIC OCEAN 2016-01-01 publication VIRGINIA AQUARIUM AND MARINE SCIENCE CENTER - SUSAN BARCO 2016 Source Contribution: HERP INFORMATION | Source Geospatial Form: HARDCOPY TEXT | Type of Source Media: online MONARCH BUTTERFLY (DANAUS PLEXIPPUS) 2016-01-01 publication CHESAPEAKE BAY PROGRAM 2016 Source Contribution: HERP INFORMATION | Source Geospatial Form: EXPERT KNOWLEDGE | Type of Source Media: PERSONAL COMMUNICATION NATURAL RESOURCES OF ASSATEAGUE ISLAND NATIONAL SEASHORE 2015-01-01 publication NATIONAL PARK SERVICE (NPS) - JACK KUMER AND BILL HULSLANDER 2015 Source Contribution: HERP INFORMATION | Source Geospatial Form: EXPERT KNOWLEDGE | Type of Source Media: PERSONAL COMMUNICATION NATURAL RESOURCES OF EASTERN VIRGINIA 2016-01-01 publication RUTH BOETTCHER (VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF GAME AND INLAND FISHERIES), ALEX WILKE (THE NATURE CONSERVANCY), PAM DENMON (UNITED STATES FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE (USFWS), KEVIN HOLCOMB (USFWS), DOT FIELD (VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION AND RECREATION) 2016 Source Contribution: HERP INFORMATION | Source Geospatial Form: vector digital data | Type of Source Media: EMAIL TERP OCCUPANCY GDB 2016-01-01 publication VIRGINIA INSTITUTE OF MARINE SCIENCE (VIMS)- R.E ISDELL III 2016 Source Contribution: HERP INFORMATION | Source Geospatial Form: vector digital data | Type of Source Media: EMAIL TERRAPIN SURVEY 2002 2002-01-01 publication U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY (USGS) 2002 Source Contribution: HERP INFORMATION | Source Geospatial Form: spreadsheet | Type of Source Media: EMAIL VIRGINIA SEA TURTLE NESTS AND FALSE CRAWLS, 1970-2015 2015-01-01 publication VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF GAME AND INLAND FISHERIES (DGIF) - RUTH BOETTCHER 1970 2015 Source Contribution: HERP INFORMATION | Source Geospatial Form: vector digital data | Type of Source Media: EMAIL WILDLIFE ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW MAP SERVICE, SPECIES OBSERVATION DATABASE 2015-01-01 publication VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF GAME AND INLAND FISHERIES (DGIF) - JAY KAPALCZYNSKI 1996 2015 Source Contribution: HERP INFORMATION | Source Geospatial Form: EXPERT KNOWLEDGE | Type of Source Media: PERSONAL COMMUNICATION WILDLIFE OF BACK BAY NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE 2015-01-01 publication U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE (USFWS) - GERALYN MIRELES AND LAUREN BILLODEAUX MOWBRAY 2015 Source Contribution: HERP INFORMATION | Source Geospatial Form: EXPERT KNOWLEDGE | Type of Source Media: PERSONAL COMMUNICATION WILDLIFE OF NANSEMOND NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE 2015-01-01 publication U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE (UWFWS) - DON SCHWAB 2015 Source Contribution: HERP INFORMATION | Source Geospatial Form: EXPERT KNOWLEDGE | Type of Source Media: PERSONAL COMMUNICATION WILDLIFE OF THE EASTERN VIRGINIA RIVERS NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE COMPLEX 2015-01-01 publication U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE (USFWS) - LAUREN BILLODEAUX MOWBRAY 2015