U.S. Virgin Islands and British Virgin Islands ESI: BENTHIC (Benthic Marine Habitats)

Metadata:
Identification_Information:
Citation:
Citation_Information:
Originator:
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Ocean Service, Office of Response and Restoration, Hazardous Materials Response Division, Seattle, Washington; United States Environmental Protection Agency; United States Coast Guard; U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Planning and Natural Resources; British Virgin Islands Conservation and Fisheries Department; and United States Department of the Interior.
Publication_Date: 200108
Title: U.S. Virgin Islands and British Virgin Islands ESI: BENTHIC (Benthic Marine Habitats)
Edition: First
Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: Atlas
Series_Information:
Series_Name: None
Issue_Identification: United States Virgin Islands and British Virgin Islands
Publication_Information:
Publication_Place: Seattle, Washington
Publisher:
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Ocean Service, Office of Response and Restoration, Hazardous Materials Response Division, Seattle, Washington.
Other_Citation_Details:
Prepared by Research Planning, Inc., Columbia, South Carolina for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Ocean Service, Office of Response and Restoration, Hazardous Materials Response Division, Seattle, Washington; United States Environmental Protection Agency; United States Coast Guard; U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Planning and Natural Resources; British Virgin Islands Conservation and Fisheries Department; and United States Department of the Interior.
Description:
Abstract:
This data set comprises the Environmental Sensitivity Index (ESI) data for the Virgin Islands. ESI data characterize estuarine 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. This data set contains sensitive biological resource data for benthic marine habitats.
Purpose:
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.
Time_Period_of_Content:
Time_Period_Information:
Range_of_Dates/Times:
Beginning_Date: 199807
Ending_Date: 200107
Currentness_Reference: Project time span
Status:
Progress: Complete
Maintenance_and_Update_Frequency: None Scheduled
Spatial_Domain:
Bounding_Coordinates:
West_Bounding_Coordinate: -65.167
East_Bounding_Coordinate: -64.065
North_Bounding_Coordinate: 18.943
South_Bounding_Coordinate: 17.467
Keywords:
Theme:
Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: None
Theme_Keyword: ESI
Theme_Keyword: Sensitivity maps
Theme_Keyword: Coastal resources
Theme_Keyword: Oil spill planning
Theme_Keyword: Coastal Zone Management
Theme_Keyword: Benthic
Theme_Keyword: Algae
Theme_Keyword: Coral
Theme_Keyword: Hardbottom
Theme_Keyword: Submersed aquatic vegetation (SAV)
Place:
Place_Keyword_Thesaurus: None
Place_Keyword: US Virgin Islands
Place_Keyword: British Virgin Islands
Access_Constraints: None
Use_Constraints:
DO NOT USE MAPS FOR NAVIGATIONAL PURPOSES. Besides the above warning, there are no use constraints on these data. Acknowledgment of the publishers and contributing sources listed in Data_Set_Credit (below) would be appreciated in products derived from these data.
Browse_Graphic:
Browse_Graphic_File_Name: datafig.jpg
Browse_Graphic_File_Description:
Relationships between spatial data layers and attribute data tables for the Virgin Islands data.
Browse_Graphic_File_Type: JPEG
Data_Set_Credit:
This project was supported by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Ocean Service, Office of Response and Restoration, Hazardous Materials Response Division, Seattle, Washington; United States Environmental Protection Agency; United States Coast Guard; U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Planning and Natural Resources; British Virgin Islands Conservation and Fisheries Department; and United States Department of the Interior.
Native_Data_Set_Environment:
The software packages used to develop the atlas are Environmental Systems Research Institute's ARC/INFO(r) (version 8.0.2) and ORACLE(r) RDBMS (version 8.0.5.0.0). The hardware configuration is Hewlett Packard workstations (models 715/50 and 712/80i with 4 X-terminals) with UNIX operating system (HP-UX Release A.10.20). The following files are included in the data set: benthic.e00, birds.e00, bio_lut.e00, biofile.e00, biores.e00, breed.e00, breed_dt.e00, esi.e00, fish.e00, fishl.e00, habitats.e00, hydro.e00, index.e00, invert.e00, invertl.e00, mgt.e00, m_mammal.e00, reptiles.e00, seasonal.e00, shelfbnd.e00, soc_dat.e00, soc_lut.e00, socecon.e00, sources.e00, species.e00, status.e00, t_mammal.e00, wetlands.e00.
Data_Quality_Information:
Attribute_Accuracy:
Attribute_Accuracy_Report:
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.
Logical_Consistency_Report:
The digitization of shoreline types, biological resources, and human-use resources is a complex and highly quality-controlled process. Existing digital shoreline and wetlands data are integrated into a study-wide basemap. In order to facilitate digitizing, the entire study area is split into individual quadrangles using the INDEX data layer. The first layer of information digitized is the ESI shoreline classification. The ESI habitat ranking is compiled onto 1:24,000 USGS topographic quadrangles by a geomorphologist. The hardcopy maps are then digitized and checked, using both on-screen and hardcopy reviews. The edited maps are updated and checked once again for completeness and topological and logical consistency. Any errors in the shoreline classification are updated prior to digitization of the biological reference so that there are no slivers in the geographic coordinates. The hardcopy biological information is compiled onto 1:24,000 USGS topographic quadrangles by a biological expert using data from regional specialists in the form of maps, tables, charts, written descriptions of wildlife distributions, and personal interviews. Concurrently, digital data sources are imported, projected, checked for quality control, and integrated into the data structure. The hardcopy data are digitized, checked using both digital and on-screen procedures, integrated with existing data, plotted, and sent out for review by the regional specialists. The edited maps are updated, checked once again, and the final product plotted (at approximately 1:55,000 scale). A team of specialists reviews the entire series of maps, checks all data, and makes final edits. The data are then merged to form the study-wide layers. The data merging includes a final quality control check where labels, chains, and polygons are checked for attribute accuracy. To finalize the data checking process, each data layer is checked using a standardized form by two GIS personnel (a technician and the GIS manager), and each attribute database is checked using several programs that test the files for missing or duplicate data, rules for proper coding, GIS topological consistencies (such as dangles, unnecessary nodes, etc.), and ORACLE (r) and ARC/INFO (r) consistencies. A final review is made by the GIS manager, where the data are written to CD-ROM and the metadata are written. After the data are delivered to NOAA, they are again subjected to a number of quality and consistency checks. In the process of checking for topological and database consistencies, new IDs and RARNUMs or HUNUMs are also generated. The new IDs are a combination of atlas number, element number, and record number. In addition, the value used to represent the element is modified to reflect the type of feature being mapped. In the case of an element that is normally represented by a point or polygon, a value of 20 is added to the standard element value for mapping of linear features. In the case where an element usually mapped as a polygon is represented by a point, a value of 30 is added to the regular element value. The RARNUMs are also modified to include the atlas number, so multiple atlases can be combined and RARNUMs remain unique. RARNUMs are redefined on an element basis, so "resource at risk" groupings will contain only a single element. HUNUMs are also modified to include the atlas number. ESI data are processed into multiple formats to make them useful to a wider community of GIS/mapping users. Distribution formats include ARC export, MOSS and Shape files, and MARPLOT map folders. An ArcView ESI project and ESI_Viewer product are also included on the CDs for ease of use of the ESI data. The database files are distributed both in the NOAA standard relational database format (see NOAA Technical Memorandum NOS ORCA 115) and in a simplified desktop flat file format. This metadata document includes information on both of these database formats. The section Spatial_Data_Organization_Information refers to the source files in ARC export format only.
Completeness_Report:
Biological information presented in this atlas was collected and compiled with the assistance of biologists from the US Fish and Wildlife Service, and various other agencies, organizations, and groups. Information collected and depicted on the maps denotes the key biological resources that are most likely at risk in the event of an oil spill. Seven major categories, or ELEMENTs, of biological resources were considered during data compilation: birds; fish; invertebrates; habitats; marine mammals; terrestrial mammals and reptiles. The ELEMENTs generally correspond to the coverage or geographic data layer names. There are also six attribute or data tables, BIORES, BREED, SEASONAL, SOURCES, SPECIES, and STATUS, that are used to store the complex biological data. The biological polygons (BENTHIC) are linked to the Biological Resources table (BIORES) using the unique ID and the lookup table BIO_LUT, or they can be linked directly using RARNUM. [The ID is a unique combination of the atlas number (for Virgin Islands this is 67), an element specific number (birds are layer 1, fish are layer 2, etc.) and a unique record number. The RARNUM represents a unique combination of species, seasonalities, concentrations, and source information. For each of these groupings, a number is generated. That number is concatenated with the atlas number to create a "resource at risk" number that is unique across atlases.] The items in BIORES include: RARNUM, SPECIES_ID, CONC, SEASON_ID, G_SOURCE, S_SOURCE, ELEMENT, EL_SPE, and EL_SPE_SEA. SPECIES_ID is the numeric identifier of each species and is unique within each ELEMENT. CONC is the concentration of the species and can be descriptive (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH, etc.) or an actual count of the number of individuals or nests associated with a polygon or point. SEASON_ID contains a numeric identifier for the unique monthly presence and life history characteristics of each species at a given location. There can be one seasonality record per species, or the same species can have different monthly presence or breeding activities at different sites. When this occurs, a new record with a different SEASON_ID is referenced. G_SOURCE contains the SOURCE_ID for geographic information, and S_SOURCE contains the SOURCE_ID for seasonality information. Both items link to the SOURCES data table. EL_SPE is a concatenation of ELEMENT and SPECIES_ID and links to the SPECIES and STATUS data tables. EL_SPE_SEA is a concatenation of ELEMENT, SPECIES_ID, and SEASON_ID and links to the SEASONAL and BREED data tables. The SPECIES data table contains the SPECIES_ID (described above), common name (NAME), scientific name (GEN_SPEC), biological element (ELEMENT), biological subelement (SUBELEMENT), Natural Heritage Program global conservation status rank (NHP), date the list of NHP ranks was published (DATE_PUB), and EL_SPE. The item SUBELEMENT refers to the grouping of the species: (ELEMENT, subelement): BENTHIC: algae, coral, hardbottom, sav (submersed aquatic vegetation). The STATUS data table contains records for each species that is threatened or endangered on state or federal lists. The items include: ELEMENT, SPECIES_ID, STATE (two-letter state abbreviation, populated with "VI" for U.S. Virgin Islands), S_F [state (USVI territority) or federal (U.S.) listing], T_E (threatened or endangered status), DATE_PUB (publication date of the source used to assign T or E status), and EL_SPE. The SEASONAL data table indicates the presence of a particular species in a particular location by month (JAN-DEC). The BIORES table is linked to the SEASONAL table using the item EL_SPE_SEA (a concatenation of the first letter of the ELEMENT, SPECIES_ID, and SEASON_ID). The BREED data table contains the life stage or life history data for each unique combination of ELEMENT, SPECIES_ID, and SEASON_ID (or EL_SPE_SEA). It contains up to 12 records corresponding to each month of the year that the species is present in that location. The items BREED1-BREED5 will reflect different life activities, depending on the ELEMENT referenced. There are no BREED activities for BENTHIC. The SOURCES data table contains metadata for each biological and human-use source listed in the ESI atlas. The items in SOURCES include: SOURCE_ID; ORIGINATOR (author); DATE_PUB (date of publication); TITLE (title of the data set); DATA_FORMAT (digital type, hardcopy maps, etc.); PUBLICATION (additional citation); SCALE (source scale denominator); and TIME_PERIOD (beginning and ending dates of original data collection). The SOURCES data table is linked to all biological data at the feature plus species-level and human-use data at the feature-level. Due to the complexity of the relational database model, the biological data items are also post-processed into a flat file format. This file is entitled BIOFILE and it may be used in place of the relational files to ease simple data queries. The items in the flat file are ELEMENT, SUBELEMENT, NAME, GEN_SPEC, S_F, T_E, NHP, DATE_PUB, CONC, JAN, FEB, MAR, APR, MAY, JUN, JUL, AUG, SEP, OCT, NOV, DEC, BREED1, BREED2, BREED3, BREED4, BREED5, RARNUM, G_SOURCE, S_SOURCE, and BREED. All of these items are the same as their counterparts in the individual files described above, except the BREED1-BREED5 items. BREED is a newly generated variable used to link to the BREED_DT file, a modified, more compact version of the aforementioned BREED file. BREED1-BREED5 give a text summary of when each life stage occurs within that polygon. The life stages referred to are the same as those listed in the previous table. The link to the BIOFILE may be made through BIO_LUT using ID to link to RARNUM, or it may be linked directly to the RARNUM in each of the biology cover's attribute files. As mentioned, BREED_DT is an auxiliary support file to the flat file structure, which allows the user to do searches based on month for seasonal breeding activities. The link from the flat file to BREED_DT is the BREED item. A second supporting data file is SOURCES. This is the same as the source file described above, and the link from the flat file is both G_SOURCE and S_SOURCE. It should be noted that although the flat file eases data query, it is not a normalized database structure, and actual updates performed by the states and other responsible agencies should be done using the relational files.
Positional_Accuracy:
Horizontal_Positional_Accuracy:
Horizontal_Positional_Accuracy_Report:
The biological data sets are developed primarily using regional experts who estimate concentration areas. Unlike shorelines, which maintain relative spatial stability through time, the biological data by nature vary in distribution across the landscape. Therefore, the 1:24,000 USGS quadrangles are used as a basemap in gathering the data but the data have "fuzzy" boundaries, which must be understood when utilizing this information.
Lineage:
Source_Information:
Source_Citation:
Citation_Information:
Originator: U.S. Geological Survey
Publication_Date: Various
Title: USGS Topographic Quadrangles
Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: Maps
Publication_Information:
Publication_Place: Reston, VA
Publisher: U.S. Geological Survey
Source_Scale_Denominator: 24000
Type_of_Source_Media: Paper
Source_Time_Period_of_Content:
Time_Period_Information:
Range_of_Dates/Times:
Beginning_Date: 1959
Ending_Date: 1984
Source_Currentness_Reference: Date of publication
Source_Citation_Abbreviation: None
Source_Contribution: Benthic data
Source_Information:
Source_Citation:
Citation_Information:
Originator: Boulon, R.H.
Publication_Date: 1999
Title: Shoreline Guide to the U.S. Virgin Islands
Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: Document
Publication_Information:
Publication_Place: St. Thomas, USVI
Publisher:
USVI Department of Planning and Natural Resources, Division of Fish and Wildlife
Type_of_Source_Media: Paper
Source_Time_Period_of_Content:
Time_Period_Information:
Single_Date/Time:
Calendar_Date: 1999
Source_Currentness_Reference: Date of study
Source_Citation_Abbreviation: None
Source_Contribution: Benthic data
Source_Information:
Source_Citation:
Citation_Information:
Originator: Lopez, F., United States Fish and Wildlife Service
Publication_Date: Unpublished Material
Title: Various Natural Resource and Human-use Features for USVI
Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: Expert knowledge
Type_of_Source_Media: Personal communication
Source_Time_Period_of_Content:
Time_Period_Information:
Single_Date/Time:
Calendar_Date: 1999
Source_Currentness_Reference: Date of communication
Source_Citation_Abbreviation: None
Source_Contribution: Benthic data
Source_Information:
Source_Citation:
Citation_Information:
Originator: Goenaga, C. and R.H. Boulon
Publication_Date: Unpublished material
Title:
The State of Puerto Rican and U.S. Virgin Islands Corals and Aid to Managers
Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: Document
Type_of_Source_Media: Paper
Source_Time_Period_of_Content:
Time_Period_Information:
Single_Date/Time:
Calendar_Date: 1992
Source_Currentness_Reference: Date of study
Source_Citation_Abbreviation: None
Source_Contribution: Benthic data
Source_Information:
Source_Citation:
Citation_Information:
Originator: NOAA
Publication_Date: 1981
Title: NOAA Nautical Charts
Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: Maps
Publication_Information:
Publication_Place: Washington, D.C
Publisher: NOAA, National Ocean Service Coast Survey
Source_Scale_Denominator: 100000
Type_of_Source_Media: Paper
Source_Time_Period_of_Content:
Time_Period_Information:
Single_Date/Time:
Calendar_Date: 1981
Source_Currentness_Reference: Date of publication
Source_Citation_Abbreviation: None
Source_Contribution: Benthic data
Source_Information:
Source_Citation:
Citation_Information:
Originator:
Tobias, W., USVI Department of Planning and Natural Resources, Division of Fish and Wildlife
Publication_Date: Unpublished Material
Title: Fisheries and Human-use Resources for St. Croix
Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: Expert knowledge
Type_of_Source_Media: Personal communication
Source_Time_Period_of_Content:
Time_Period_Information:
Single_Date/Time:
Calendar_Date: 1999
Source_Currentness_Reference: Date of communication
Source_Citation_Abbreviation: None
Source_Contribution: Benthic data
Source_Information:
Source_Citation:
Citation_Information:
Originator: Hillis-Starr, Z., National Park Service
Publication_Date: Unpublished Material
Title:
Various Natural and Human-use Resources of Buck Island Reef National Monument
Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: Expert knowledge
Type_of_Source_Media: Personal communication
Source_Time_Period_of_Content:
Time_Period_Information:
Single_Date/Time:
Calendar_Date: 1999
Source_Currentness_Reference: Date of study
Source_Citation_Abbreviation: None
Source_Contribution: Benthic data
Source_Information:
Source_Citation:
Citation_Information:
Originator: Thomson, J., Friends of Sandy Point
Publication_Date: Unpublished Material
Title: Review Edits for St. Croix
Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: Expert knowledge
Type_of_Source_Media: Personal communication
Source_Time_Period_of_Content:
Time_Period_Information:
Single_Date/Time:
Calendar_Date: 1999
Source_Currentness_Reference: Date of communication
Source_Citation_Abbreviation: None
Source_Contribution: Benthic data
Source_Information:
Source_Citation:
Citation_Information:
Originator: BC&E/CH2M-HILL
Publication_Date: Unpublished material
Title: A Sediment Reduction Program for the U.S. Virgin Islands
Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: Maps
Publication_Information:
Publication_Place: US Virgin Islands
Publisher: USVI Department of Conservation and Cultural Affairs
Source_Scale_Denominator: 12000
Type_of_Source_Media: Paper
Source_Time_Period_of_Content:
Time_Period_Information:
Single_Date/Time:
Calendar_Date: 1979
Source_Currentness_Reference: Date of publication
Source_Citation_Abbreviation: None
Source_Contribution: Benthic data
Source_Information:
Source_Citation:
Citation_Information:
Originator:
VI Conservation Data Center (VICDC) Contact: D. Berry, University of the Virgin Islands ECC, VICDC, St. Thomas
Publication_Date: Unpublished Material
Title:
Draft Rapid Ecological Assessment Data for St. Croix (Marine Communities)
Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: Vector Digital Data
Source_Scale_Denominator: 9600
Type_of_Source_Media: Disc
Source_Time_Period_of_Content:
Time_Period_Information:
Single_Date/Time:
Calendar_Date: 1994
Source_Currentness_Reference: Date of study
Source_Citation_Abbreviation: None
Source_Contribution: Benthic data
Source_Information:
Source_Citation:
Citation_Information:
Originator:
VI Conservation Data Center (VICDC) Contact: D. Berry, University of the Virgin Islands ECC, VICDC, St. Thomas
Publication_Date: Unpublished Material
Title: Marine Communities for Virgin Islands National Park, St. John
Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: Vector Digital Data
Source_Scale_Denominator: 9600
Type_of_Source_Media: Disc
Source_Time_Period_of_Content:
Time_Period_Information:
Single_Date/Time:
Calendar_Date: 1994
Source_Currentness_Reference: Date of study
Source_Citation_Abbreviation: None
Source_Contribution: Benthic data
Source_Information:
Source_Citation:
Citation_Information:
Originator: Blair-Myers, C.N., et al.
Publication_Date: 1993
Title: A Coastal Resources Atlas for the British Virgin Islands
Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: Vector Digital Data
Publication_Information:
Publication_Place: United Kingdom
Publisher:
Natural Resources Institute, Overseas Development Administration
Source_Scale_Denominator: 10000
Type_of_Source_Media: Online
Source_Time_Period_of_Content:
Time_Period_Information:
Range_of_Dates/Times:
Beginning_Date: 1991
Ending_Date: 1993
Source_Currentness_Reference: Date of study
Source_Citation_Abbreviation: None
Source_Contribution: Benthic data
Process_Step:
Process_Description:
All the digital data were checked using both digital and on-screen procedures, plotted, checked by the biological expert, edited to remove any errors, and plotted for review by the regional specialists. The reviewed maps were updated on the computer, checked once again, and plotted at final map scale. A team of specialists reviewed the entire series of maps, checked all data, and made final edits. The data were merged to form the study-wide layers that are described in the document. The data merging included a final quality control check where topological consistency, rules for geography, and database to geography were checked and validated for all relationships.
Process_Date: 200108
Process_Contact:
Contact_Information:
Contact_Organization_Primary:
Contact_Organization: NOAA, Office of Response and Restoration
Contact_Person: Jill Petersen
Contact_Address:
Address_Type: Physical address
Address: 7600 Sand Point Way N.E.
City: Seattle
State_or_Province: Washington
Postal_Code: 98115-6349
Contact_Voice_Telephone: (206) 526-6944
Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: (206) 526-6329
Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: jill.petersen@noaa.gov
Spatial_Data_Organization_Information:
Direct_Spatial_Reference_Method: Vector
Point_and_Vector_Object_Information:
SDTS_Terms_Description:
SDTS_Point_and_Vector_Object_Type: GT-polygon composed of rings
Point_and_Vector_Object_Count: 7637
SDTS_Terms_Description:
SDTS_Point_and_Vector_Object_Type: Area point
Point_and_Vector_Object_Count: 7637
SDTS_Terms_Description:
SDTS_Point_and_Vector_Object_Type: Complete chain
Point_and_Vector_Object_Count: 10866
SDTS_Terms_Description:
SDTS_Point_and_Vector_Object_Type: Link
Point_and_Vector_Object_Count: 1073234
SDTS_Terms_Description:
SDTS_Point_and_Vector_Object_Type: Node, planar graph
Point_and_Vector_Object_Count: 9687
Spatial_Reference_Information:
Horizontal_Coordinate_System_Definition:
Geographic:
Latitude_Resolution: 0.00005
Longitude_Resolution: 0.00005
Geographic_Coordinate_Units: Decimal degrees
Geodetic_Model:
Horizontal_Datum_Name: North American Datum of 1927
Ellipsoid_Name: Clarke, 1866
Entity_and_Attribute_Information:
Detailed_Description:
Entity_Type:
Entity_Type_Label: GT-polygon
Entity_Type_Definition:
Four types of benthic marine habitats are depicted in the Virgin Islands atlas: 1) coral reefs, 2) hardbottoms, 3) seagrass beds, and 4) algae. These resources were mapped using a variety of data sources and methods. Geographic sources mainly included: digital Rapid Ecological Assessment (REA) and similar data for St. John and St. Croix (draft) from the University of the Virgin Islands, Eastern Caribbean Center, Virgin Islands Conservation Data Center (VICDC); hardcopy Sediment Reduction Program "blue-line" habitat maps for St. Thomas provided by the USVI Department of Planning and Natural Resources (DPNR) Coastal Zone Management (CZM) office (BC&E/CH2M Hill, 1979); and the digital Coastal Resource Atlas of the British Virgin Islands produced by the Natural Resources Institute (NRI), Overseas Development Administration, provided by the BVI Conservation and Fisheries Department (CFD). Because coral reef and hardbottom habitats were not differentiated in the data provided by the VICDC for St. John and St. Croix, hardcopy maps provided by the USVI DPNR CZM office were used to identify the types of benthic features mapped. More detailed and specific information can be obtained by contacting the VICDC. In addition to these main sources, benthic habitat features were also depicted based on expert information or other hardcopy data sources. Coral reefs depicted in this atlas include the following features: coral patch reef, coral fringing reef, shelf-edge reef, etc. Shelf-edge reef was mapped as a separate category, but was combined with coral reef for depiction on the maps. Hardbottom habitats shown in this atlas include: carbonate pavement, hardground, soft coral substrate, rock reef, etc. Seagrass beds can include different species of seagrass, as well as mixed-species beds. Density or cover of seagrasses is not differentiated in this atlas. The algae category includes areas where macroalgae beds or calcareous algae predominate. In addition to the benthic habitats described above, St. Croix (and perhaps other areas) has several "algal ridges", which were too small to depict in this atlas. Algal ridges are important linear features oriented parallel to the shoreline and reef tract that occur just inshore of reef flats and Elkhorn coral reef zones. On the east end of St. Croix, the following algal ridges are present (listed west to east along the northern shore, and then east to west along the southern shore): Boiler Bay Ridge, Lamb Insipient Ridge, East Point Ridge, Isaac's Ridge, Jack Incipient Ridge, Beach Ridge, Robin Ridge, Robin Bay Incipient Ridges, Fancy Ridge, and Fancy Incipient Ridge. Other ridges may be present in other areas as well.
Entity_Type_Definition_Source: Research Planning, Inc.
Attribute:
Attribute_Label: ID
Attribute_Definition:
A unique identifier that links to the BIO_LUT table. ID is a concatenation of atlas number (67), element number (8), and record number. ID values of 9999 are holes in polygons and do not contain information. The following BENTHIC species are found in the Virgin Islands ESI data set (SPECIES ID, NAME): 85, seagrass; 253, hardbottom reef; 1028, algae; 1030, coral reef; 1031, hardground; 1033, shelf-edge reef.
Attribute_Definition_Source: NOAA
Attribute_Domain_Values:
Range_Domain:
Range_Domain_Minimum: 670800002
Range_Domain_Maximum: 670807699
Attribute_Units_of_Measure: Ordered
Beginning_Date_of_Attribute_Values: 199807
Ending_Date_of_Attribute_Values: 200107
Attribute:
Attribute_Label: RARNUM
Attribute_Definition:
An identifier that links directly to the BIORES table or the flat format BIOFILE table. RARNUM values of 0 are holes in polygons and do not contain information.
Attribute_Definition_Source: NOAA
Attribute_Domain_Values:
Range_Domain:
Range_Domain_Minimum: 67000143
Range_Domain_Maximum: 67000206
Beginning_Date_of_Attribute_Values: 199807
Ending_Date_of_Attribute_Values: 200107
Distribution_Information:
Distributor:
Contact_Information:
Contact_Person_Primary:
Contact_Person: John Kaperick
Contact_Organization: NOAA, Office of Response and Restoration
Contact_Address:
Address_Type: Physical Address
Address: 7600 Sand Point Way N.E.
City: Seattle
State_or_Province: Washington
Postal_Code: 98115-6349
Contact_Voice_Telephone: (206) 526-6400
Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: (206) 526-6329
Resource_Description: ESI Atlas for Virgin Islands
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.
Custom_Order_Process:
Contact NOAA for distribution options (see Distribution_Information).
Metadata_Reference_Information:
Metadata_Date: 200108
Metadata_Review_Date: 200108
Metadata_Contact:
Contact_Information:
Contact_Person_Primary:
Contact_Person: Jill Petersen
Contact_Organization: NOAA, Office of Response and Restoration
Contact_Position: GIS Manager
Contact_Address:
Address_Type: Physical Address
Address: 7600 Sand Point Way N.E.
City: Seattle
State_or_Province: Washington
Postal_Code: 98115-6349
Contact_Voice_Telephone: (206) 526-6944
Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: (206) 526-6329
Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: jill.petersen@noaa.gov
Metadata_Standard_Name: Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Metadata
Metadata_Standard_Version: FGDC-STD-001-1998