For those creating metadata for Environmental Sensitivity Index (ESI) maps and data, here is step-by-step guidance on creating metadata using the NOAA InPort platform. These instructions can be used together with the ESI Metadata Templates available in InPort or, for those without access to InPort, used in conjunction with the templates listed below to create thorough, high quality metadata for an ESI data set.  Some metadata elements in InPort are entered as text or numbers, and some are selected from drop-down menus.

All published ESI metadata are publicly available at https://inport.nmfs.noaa.gov/inport/item/37256. These records may also provide some guidance for populating your ESI metadata records. Because of some data structure changes implemented in 2015, it is best to focus on metadata for atlases published in or after 2016.

All metadata records for a single ESI atlas are grouped into a single InPort directory, called a Project (PRJ).

Within the Project, there will be individual Data Set (DS) records for each resource mapped. The Data Set record is the most comprehensive record, describing what’s mapped, geometry types (points, lines, and/or polys), spatial extent, sources, and more.

Each metadata Data Set will have one or more child items (entities) describing the feature data table(s) – one for each geometry mapped, and any related data tables.

ESI Metadata Templates (PRJ)

Go back to the ESI Toolkit.