gov.noaa.nmfs.inport:78302 eng UTF8 dataset 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) EPSG::4269 Florida Panhandle: MARINE MAMMALS (Polygons) 2025-09 publication NOAA/NMFS/EDM 78302 https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inport/item/78302 WWW:LINK-1.0-http--link Full Metadata Record View the complete metadata record on InPort for more information about this dataset. information mapDigital This data set contains sensitive biological resource data for manatees, whales and cetaceans in the Florida Panhandle. Vector polygons in this data set represent marine mammal distributions. 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 Florida. 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 provide sensitive areas data for oil spill planning and response and other environmental management and natural resource purposes. The Clean Water Act with amendments by the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 requires response plans for immediate and effective protection of sensitive areas. These data also support other related state and federal regulatory requirements for oil spill prevention, planning, response, and restoration. completed ESI Program Manager 7600 Sand Point Way NE Seattle WA 98115 orr.esi@noaa.gov custodian Coastal Zone Management Coastal resources Environmental Monitoring,ESI Marine Mammal Oil spill planning Sensitivity maps Wildlife biota environment theme Florida 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 Florida Panhandle ESI, 2024 project InPort otherRestrictions Cite As: Office of Response and Restoration, [Date of Access]: Florida Panhandle: MARINE MAMMALS (Polygons) [Data Date Range], https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inport/item/78302. 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 Use Constraints: 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 78302 https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inportserve/waf/noaa/nos/orr/dmp/pdf/78302.pdf WWW:LINK-1.0-http--link NOAA Data Management Plan (DMP) NOAA Data Management Plan for this record on InPort. information crossReference eng; US biota environment -87.53319 -83.69784 29.54792 30.77393 The data were compiled during 2021-2023. The currentness dates for this data range from 2022 to 2023 and are documented in the Lineage section. 2022 2023 ESRI File Geodatabase 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 WWW:LINK-1.0-http--link https://response.restoration.noaa.gov/esi Data access URL 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. The attribute accuracy is estimated to be 'good' given the years of ESI experience, the data input methodology, the quality control review sessions, and the digital logical consistency checks. 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 digital data on SAV, hardbottom, and Sargassum distribution. See also the BENTHICPT data layer, part of the larger Florida Panhandle ESI database, for additional benthic information. These data do not necessarily represent all benthic occurrences in Florida Panhandle. The following species are included in this data set: (Species_ID, Common Name, Scientific Name [n/a if not applicable]): 253, Hardbottom reef, n/a; 317, Sargassums, Sargassum spp.; 609, Submerged aquatic vegetation, n/a. 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 ESI manager, where the data are written to CD-ROM and the metadata are written. RARNUM's are defined on an element basis, so 'resources at risk' groupings will contain only a single element. For full lineage source details, please see metadata xml file in the distribution download file. Marine mammal occurrence and seasonality information displayed in this atlas are based mainly on information gathered via phone/email correspondence with local resource experts from USGS, FWC, NOAA Fisheries, USFWS, and Dauphin Island Sea Lab (DISL). Rice's whales (FE, SE) are found in the Gulf of Mexico between 100- and 400-meters depth. They are represented in this atlas based on the core distribution area provided by NOAA Fisheries. This polygon was created by NOAA to encompass the core distribution area based on Rice’s whale sightings through 2019. West Indian manatees (FT) can be found in the Florida Panhandle year-round; however, manatee distribution changes seasonally. Manatees are more widespread in the area in the warm months (from Spring through Fall). As temperatures drop in the fall, they migrate to warmer waters, either by moving south or to thermal refugia, such as springs. The Wakulla spring run is the only known thermal refuge in the Panhandle AOI. Thermal refuges can contain large concentrations of manatees during cold weather events between the months of December and March. Digital data and expert knowledge provided by USGS, DISL, FWC and USFWS were used to create the map of manatee distribution for the ESI. Panhandle waters were divided into areas and assigned categorical abundances based on a recent movement study (Slone, 2022), sightings data provided by the Dauphin Island Sea Lab (DISL) Manatee Sightings Network, Pensacola and Perdido Bays Estuary Program (PPBEP), and FWC. These areas were refined based on expert knowledge. Categorical concentrations were assigned as follows: “High” concentration areas include winter thermal refugia and areas used heavily for foraging; “Medium” concentration areas are used more commonly for movement or residence while moving between habitats; “Low” concentration areas are areas where manatees can occur but are not known to stay; and “Rare” indicates areas where manatees can be found occasionally but are not likely to occur. Polygonal areas may be assigned different concentrations for different months of the year, representing seasonal changes in distribution. Cetaceans included in the atlas are Atlantic spotted dolphin and bottlenose dolphin. Cetaceans were mapped based on expert opinion and stock assessment reports. Atlantic spotted dolphins were mapped to their described habitat in offshore waters beyond the 10m depth contour. Bottlenose dolphins are ubiquitous throughout the area of interest; however, they are managed as distinct stocks, which are populations of dolphins with common habitat and residency patterns. Animals that primarily use bays, sounds, and estuaries are managed as distinct stocks based on the areas they occupy (e.g. St. Joseph Bay, St. Andrews Bay). These “Estuarine” stocks are especially sensitive to oiling from oil spills because they have high site fidelity and may not leave their resident waters to avoid oil. For this reason, estuarine stocks are indicated in the ESI with the concentration “ESTUARINE-PRESENT”. Dolphins occurring in Gulf of Mexico waters represent individuals that are part of the Coastal and Offshore stocks, which are more transient and less susceptible to oiling impacts. Their distribution is included in the atlas with the concentration PRESENT. The above digital and/or hardcopy sources were compiled by the project biologist to create the M_MAMMAL data layer. 2023-06-01T00:00:00 Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission (727)-896-8626 processor