Biogeographic and Physiographic Stratification Scheme for Pacific Coast Groundfish Essential Fish Habitat Review

Identification Information:
Citation:
Citation Information:
Originator: NOAA Fisheries, Northwest Fisheries Science Center, Fishery Resource Analysis and Monitoring Division, Curt Whitmire, Information Technology Specialist
Title: Biogeographic and Physiographic Stratification Scheme for Pacific Coast Groundfish Essential Fish Habitat Review
Geospatial Data Presentation Form: vector digital data
Description:
Abstract: This data layer represents the stratification used in various spatial summaries in the NWFSC Groundfish Essential Fish Habitat Synthesis Report. In order to evaluate habitat distribution and impacts in an ecologically meaningful way, we divided the West Coast into 10 geographic and depth regions, based on biogeographic considerations and depth zones. The biogeographic provinces included the Northern, Central, and Southern coastal areas, along with the Salish Sea. These provinces were selected with an eye toward oceanographic similarities and potential for larval exchange between regions. The Northern and Central provinces were divided at Cape Mendocino, the most prominent headland in California. Cape Mendocino is known to have distinctive oceanographic features such as strong upwelling and cyclonic eddies (Hayward and Mantyla 1990, Magnell et al. 1990), which may act to reduce larval exchange between the provinces and to create phylogeographic breaks (Kelly and Palumbi 2010). Point Conception separated the Central and Southern provinces. This area is widely recognized as an oceanographic convergence zone in which the temperate, southward flowing California Current meets the subtropical Southern California eddy. It is also thought to represent a significant phylogeographic break point for a variety of marine species (Pelc et al. 2009). The final biogeographic province, the Salish Sea, is a semi-enclosed body of marine water subject to strong terrestrial influences from several urban centers (including Vancouver, Canada, and Seattle, Washington, USA) and distinguished by an oceanographic regime unique from the rest of the West Coast (Sutherland et al. 2011). We also included three depth zones: a) Shelf (coastline to continental shelf break), b) Upper Slope (shelf break to 700 ftm, which is the shoreward boundary of the “Bottom Trawl Footprint Closure”), and Lower Slope (700 ftm to the EEZ seaward boundary).
Purpose: The main purpose of this data layer is to help inform a periodic review of groundfish essential fish habitat (EFH) off the U.S. West Coast by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and the Pacific Fisheries Management Council (PFMC). The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA)(16 USC 1801 et seq) defines EFH as “those waters and substrate necessary to fish for spawning, breeding, feeding, or growth to maturity,” and requires Fishery Management Councils (FMCs) to describe and identify EFH in fishery management plans (FMPs). The FMPs should identify EFH based on current distribution, habitat components, historical presence, or other factors; and should also identify habitat requirements at each life stage and research needs. FMPs must evaluate potential adverse impacts from both fishing and non-fishing activities, as well as minimize adverse effects of fishing to the extent practicable. FMPs should also identify habitat areas of particular concern (HAPC) within EFH based on the habitat’s ecological function, sensitivity to human-induced disturbance, rarity, or whether development activities may stress a particular habitat.
Status:
Maintenance and Update Frequency: None planned
Spatial Domain:
Bounding Coordinates:
West Bounding Coordinate: -130.024697
East Bounding Coordinate: -115.830160
North Bounding Coordinate: 49.012802
South Bounding Coordinate: 30.382984
Keywords:
Theme:
Theme Keyword Thesaurus: ISO 19115 Topic Categories
Theme Keyword: oceans
Theme:
Theme Keyword Thesaurus: None
Theme Keyword: essential fish habitat
Theme Keyword: groundfish
Theme Keyword: U.S. West Coast
Theme Keyword: Pacific Ocean
Theme Keyword: California Current Large Marine Ecosystem
Theme Keyword: biogeography
Theme Keyword: physiography
Access Constraints: None
Use Constraints: None.
Point of Contact:
Contact Information:
Contact Organization Primary:
Contact Organization: NOAA Fisheries, Northwest Fisheries Science Center, Fishery Resource Analysis and Monitoring Division
Contact Person: Curt Whitmire
Contact Position: Information Technology Specialist
Contact Address:
Address Type: mailing and physical
Address: Hatfield Marine Science Center
Address: Barry Fisher Bldg #955
Address: 2032 SE OSU Drive
City: Newport
State or Province: Oregon
Postal Code: 97365
Country: US
Contact Voice Telephone: 541-867-0535
Contact Facsimile Telephone: 541-867-0505
Contact Electronic Mail Address: Curt.Whitmire@noaa.gov
Hours: Mon-Fri, 0900-1730 Pacific Time Zone
Data Set Credit: NOAA Fisheries (NMFS), Northwest Fisheries Science Center (NWFSC), Fishery Resource Analysis and Monitoring Division (FRAM)
Native Data Set Environment: Version 6.2 (Build 9200) ; Esri ArcGIS 10.8.0.12790
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 chains
Point and Vector Object Count: 10
Raster Object Information:
Raster Object Type: Grid Cell
Spatial Reference Information:
Horizontal Coordinate System Definition:
Planar:
Map Projection:
Map Projection Name: WGS 1984 Transverse Mercator
Transverse Mercator:
Scale Factor at Central Meridian: 1.0
Longitude of Central Meridian: -121.6
Latitude of Projection Origin: 31.96
False Easting: 390000.0
False Northing: 0.0
Planar Coordinate Information:
Planar Coordinate Encoding Method: coordinate pair
Coordinate Representation:
Abscissa Resolution: 0.0001
Ordinate Resolution: 0.0001
Planar Distance Units: meter
Geodetic Model:
Horizontal Datum Name: D WGS 1984
Ellipsoid Name: WGS 1984
Semi-major Axis: 6378137.0
Denominator of Flattening Ratio: 298.257223563
Entity and Attribute Information:
Detailed Description:
Entity Type:
Entity Type Label: Strata_Final_dissSubRegion_PhysType
Attribute:
Attribute Label: OBJECTID
Attribute Definition: Internal feature number.
Attribute Definition Source: ESRI
Attribute Domain Values:
Unrepresentable Domain: Sequential unique whole numbers that are automatically generated.
Attribute:
Attribute Label: Shape
Attribute Definition: Feature geometry.
Attribute Definition Source: ESRI
Attribute Domain Values:
Unrepresentable Domain: Coordinates defining the features.
Attribute:
Attribute Label: SubRegion
Attribute Definition: Biogeographic sub-region; either Northern, Central, Southern, or Salish Sea
Attribute Definition Source: Originator
Attribute:
Attribute Label: PhysType
Attribute Definition: Physiographic stratum based water depth; either shelf, upper slope, or lower slope
Attribute Definition Source: Originator
Attribute:
Attribute Label: Shape_Length
Attribute Definition: Length of feature in internal units.
Attribute Definition Source: ESRI
Attribute Domain Values:
Unrepresentable Domain: Positive real numbers that are automatically generated.
Attribute:
Attribute Label: Shape_Area
Attribute Definition: Area of feature in internal units squared.
Attribute Definition Source: ESRI
Attribute Domain Values:
Unrepresentable Domain: Positive real numbers that are automatically generated.
Metadata Reference Information:
Metadata Date: 20211018
Metadata Contact:
Contact Information:
Contact Organization Primary:
Contact Organization: NOAA Fisheries, Northwest Fisheries Science Center, Fishery Resource Analysis and Monitoring Division
Contact Person: Curt Whitmire
Contact Position: Information Technology Specialist
Contact Address:
Address Type: mailing and physical
Address: Hatfield Marine Science Center
Address: Barry Fisher Bldg #955
Address: 2032 SE OSU Drive
City: Newport
State or Province: Oregon
Postal Code: 97365
Country: UNITED STATES
Contact Voice Telephone: 541-867-0535
Contact Facsimile Telephone: 541-867-0505
Contact Electronic Mail Address: Curt.Whitmire@noaa.gov
Hours: Mon-Frid, 0900-1730, Pacific Time Zone
Metadata Standard Name: FGDC Content Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata
Metadata Standard Version: FGDC-STD-001-1998
Metadata Time Convention: local time