Description: This dataset shows coastal water trails for the states of Connecticut, Maine, New York, and Rhode Island. A water trail is an officially designated water route, or blueway, that is maintained by an agency or association that manages the trail location and any pertinent information. Water trails are deemed coastal if they are located within or have an endpoint in a saline water body. This layer is a high level representation of water trail routes and does not provide information on access points, level of difficulty, tides, navigation.
Definition Expression: N/A
Copyright Text: Bronx River Alliance, Rivers Alliance of Connecticut, Rhode Island Blueways, The Nature Conservancy, Maine Island Trail Association, South Shore Blueway
Description: This layer depicts state, municipal, and privately owned boat launches and marinas within 10 kilometers of the coast in the northeastern U.S. Data were aggregated from numerous authoritative state sources for coastal waters, lakes, ponds, and rivers. This layer is intended to support regional ocean planning activities and any persons interested in using a site must determine accessibility on their own terms.
Definition Expression: N/A
Copyright Text: Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry, Massachusetts Office of Fishing and Boating, New Hampshire Office of Energy and Planning, New York State Office of Parks Recreation and Historic Preservation, South Shore Blueway, Rhode Island Sea Grant Program, Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, Rhode Island Geographic Information System
Description: This layer shows locations where participants in the 2012 Northeast Recreational Boater Survey, conducted by SeaPlan and the Northeast Regional Ocean Council (NROC), participated in various activities during their boating trips. Survey participants could choose from the following categories: fishing, swimming, SCUBA, wildlife viewing, relaxing or other. They could further specify their target fish species, the type of wildlife viewed, or the type of dive site. Survey participants plotted activity points using an interactive mapping tool.
Description: This layer shows locations where participants in the 2012 Northeast Recreational Boater Survey, conducted by SeaPlan and the Northeast Regional Ocean Council (NROC), participated in SCUBA diving activities. Survey participants plotted activity points using an interactive mapping tool.
Description: This layer shows locations where participants in the 2012 Northeast Recreational Boater Survey, conducted by SeaPlan and the Northeast Regional Ocean Council (NROC), participated in fishing activities. Survey participants plotted activity points using an interactive mapping tool.
Description: This layer shows locations where participants in the 2012 Northeast Recreational Boater Survey, conducted by SeaPlan and the Northeast Regional Ocean Council (NROC), participated in relaxing activities. Survey participants plotted activity points using an interactive mapping tool.
Description: This layer shows locations where participants in the 2012 Northeast Recreational Boater Survey, conducted by SeaPlan and the Northeast Regional Ocean Council (NROC), participated in swimming activities. Survey participants plotted activity points using an interactive mapping tool.
Description: This layer shows locations where participants in the 2012 Northeast Recreational Boater Survey, conducted by SeaPlan and the Northeast Regional Ocean Council (NROC), participated in wildlife viewing activities. Survey participants plotted activity points using an interactive mapping tool.
Description: This layer shows locations where participants in the 2012 Northeast Recreational Boater Survey, conducted by SeaPlan and the Northeast Regional Ocean Council (NROC), fished for specific target species during boating trips. Survey participants plotted activity points using an interactive mapping tool. If a participant indicated that they were fishing, they could indicate which species of fish they were targeting.
Description: This layer shows locations where participants in the 2012 Northeast Recreational Boater Survey, conducted by SeaPlan and the Northeast Regional Ocean Council (NROC), viewed specific types of animals during boating trips. Survey participants plotted activity points using an interactive mapping tool. If a participant indicated that they were viewing wildlife at a specific location, they could also choose the type of animal they were viewing. Wildlife categories included: whales, birds, dolphins & porpoise, turtles, seals, and other.
Description: The Individual Ocean Uses layer depicts activity points as mapped in the Northeast Coastal and Marine Recreational Use Characterization Study which was conducted by SeaPlan, the Surfrider Foundation, and Point 97 under the direction of the Northeast Regional Planning Body. This study mapped patterns of recreational use through an online opt-in survey, which allowed participants to choose from 20 different activities, which are generalized into four different activity groupings (shore-based activities, surface water activities, wildlife and sightseeing, and diving) on this map. The survey gathered data from 975 respondents, who mapped 6,137 data points, depicting 19,211 activities. For more information, users are encouraged to consult the metadata and the final report.
Description: This layer shows the locations of shore-based activities as mapped by participants in the Northeast Coastal and Marine Recreational Use Characterization Study. Shore-based activities include beach going, biking/hiking, camping, collection of non-living resources (e.g. beach glass, shells, fossils)/beachcombing, and hang gliding/parasailing. The study was conducted by SeaPlan, the Surfrider Foundation, and Point 97 under the direction of the Northeast Regional Planning Body. Survey participants plotted activity points using an interactive mapping tool.
Description: This layer shows the locations of surface water activities as mapped by participants in the Northeast Coastal and Marine Recreational Use Characterization Study. Surface water activities include boating/sailing, kayaking or other paddling activity, kiteboarding, skimboarding, surfing, swimming/body surfing, and windsurfing. The study was conducted by SeaPlan, the Surfrider Foundation, and Point 97 under the direction of the Northeast Regional Planning Body. Survey participants plotted activity points using an interactive mapping tool.
Description: This layer shows the locations of wildlife and sightseeing activities as mapped by participants in the Northeast Coastal and Marine Recreational Use Characterization Study. Wildlife and sightseeing activities include phototography, scenic enjoyment/sightseeing, sitting in the car watching the scene, and watching birds, whales, seals, or marine life (from shore, private boat, or charter/party vessel). The study was conducted by SeaPlan, the Surfrider Foundation, and Point 97 under the direction of the Northeast Regional Planning Body. Survey participants plotted activity points using an interactive mapping tool.
Description: This layer shows the locations of diving and snorkeling activities as mapped by participants in the Northeast Coastal and Marine Recreational Use Characterization Study. Diving and snorkeling activities include free diving/snorkeling, and SCUBA diving (from shore, private boat, or charter/party vessel). The study was conducted by SeaPlan, the Surfrider Foundation, and Point 97 under the direction of the Northeast Regional Planning Body. Survey participants plotted activity points using an interactive mapping tool.
Description: This layer shows the full list of sites in the REEF Geographic Zone Code listing for REEF's NE region (Newfoundland - Virginia) from the <a href="https://www.reef.org/programs/volunteer-fish-survey-project" target="_blank">Voluntary Fish Survey Project</a>. Through this project, REEF surveyors record presence and relative abundance of all fish species encountered during their dives using a non-point roving method. In 2020, the database surpassed 250,000 surveys from over 16,000 locations world-wide in ten regions. The REEF program has been active in the Northeast US & Canada (NE) since 2001 and as of April 2020, 4,600 REEF surveys have been conducted at 254 sites in the NE region. In 2014, REEF launched a companion monitoring program in the NE region for a select list of invertebrates and algae (see <a href="https://www.reef.org/northeast-us-eastern-canada-invertebrates-and-algae" target="_blank">https://www.REEF.org/northeast-us-eastern-canada-invertebrates-and-algae</a>).
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Dive reports can be accessed by hovering or clicking on a dive site and clicking on the URL associated with that point. The full database of REEF reports can be accessed here: <a href="https://www.reef.org/database-reports"target="_blank">https://www.reef.org/database-reports</a>.
Definition Expression: N/A
Copyright Text: Christy Semmens, Director of Science, Reef Environmental Education Foundation (REEF), christy@reef.org
Description: The Recreational SCUBA Diving Areas layer is a composite of data collected through several method which include outreach to the SCUBA diving community and mining existing data sources. Data were collected as part of the Northeast Coastal and Marine Recreational Use Characterization Study which was conducted by SeaPlan, the Surfrider Foundation, and Point 97 under the direction of the Northeast Regional Planning Body. Sources include the following:</p><ul><li><strong>State-based online GIS data portals</strong>: Data were downloaded from the New York State Geographic Information Gateway and the Massachusetts Ocean Resource Information System (MORIS)</li><li><strong>SCUBA guides</strong>: Authoritative guides published either online or in print which provide coordinates of sites or detailed descriptions of site locations</li><li><strong>Online survey data</strong>: Data obtained using an online mapping and survey tool which collected information on the location and characteristics of SCUBA sites from diving experts from March – May 2015</li><li><strong>PGIS workshop data</strong>: Data obtained during in-person PGIS (participatory geographic information systems) mapping workshops held in the spring of 2015. Workshop participants used an electronic stylus pen to digitize SCUBA areas on a projected GIS-based map, which allowed the features to be automatically saved and then attributed with information the participants shared during the concurrent session.</li><li><strong>Other</strong>: Data were obtained through other sources, such as phone conversations with SCUBA experts, or derived from a spatial dataset which hasn’t been published or otherwise been made publically available.</li></ul><p>To address data confidentiality and site sensitivity concerns, site-specific areas mapped online or in person were generalized by applying a buffer to the center point of the mapped area. A buffer was also applied to points derived from outside research. Users are encouraged to consult the metadata for additional details.
Description: The Distance Sailing Race layer depicts race routes as mapped in the Northeast Coastal and Marine Recreational Use Characterization Study which was conducted by SeaPlan, the Surfrider Foundation, and Point 97 under the direction of the Northeast Regional Planning Body. Routes were mapped using a combination of outside research, leveraging existing data sources such as the Rhode Island Ocean Special Area Management Plan (RI OSAMP), and gathering input from race organizers and other industry experts through participatory mapping. For more information, users are encouraged to consult the metadata and final report.
Description: This layer shows mapped routes from the 2012 Northeast Recreational Boater Survey, conducted by SeaPlan and the Northeast Regional Ocean Council (NROC). Survey participants mapped routes using an interactive mapping tool. Routes were clipped to the shoreline using the NOAA Medium Resolution Shoreline dataset.
Description: Both a random and a supplemental sample of Northeast boaters plotted their boating routes throughout the 2012 boating season using an online mapping application. The density map is derived using only the random sample of survey participants and is intended to show the relative density of boating activity throughout the region using a scale from high (red) to low (green). Areas showing low or no activity does not necessarily mean they are not used for recreational purposes. According to the results of the survey, these areas are likely less trafficked than others.
Description: The Board and Paddle Events layer depicts the point locations of competitive board and paddle events as mapped in the Northeast Coastal and Marine Recreational Use Characterization Study which was conducted by SeaPlan, the Surfrider Foundation, and Point 97 under the direction of the Northeast Regional Planning Body. This study mapped event locations through an online opt-in survey, which allowed participants to map the locations of stand up paddleboard (SUP) races, surf contests, triathlons, and kayak, canoe or row boat races. Additional points were mapped based on additional research. Users are encouraged to consult the metadata and final report for additional details.
Description: The Commercial Whale Watching Areas layer depicts activity areas mapped by whale watch industry experts in the Northeast Coastal and Marine Recreational Use Characterization Study which was conducted by SeaPlan, the Surfrider Foundation, and Point 97 under the direction of the Northeast Regional Planning Body. Whale watch owners, operators, naturalists, and data managers attended participatory mapping workshops to map areas where whale watching takes place in the region, while also providing information about seasonality, species, and overall industry trends. The data are classified by the following categories:</p><ul><li><strong>General use areas</strong> reflect the full footprint of whale watch activity in the last 3 – 5 years (2010 – 2014) regardless of frequency or intensity</li><li><strong>Dominant use areas</strong> include all areas routinely used by most users most of the time, according to seasonal patterns.</li><li><strong>Transit routes</strong> include areas used for transit to and from general or dominant use areas</li><li><strong>Supplemental areas</strong> depict areas used for closely-related activities and infrequent specialty trips.</li><li><strong>RI Ocean Special Area Management Plan areas</strong> were mapped as part of the Rhode Island Ocean Special Area Management plan and are symbolized separately to reflect different data collection methodologies.</li></ul><p>Users are encouraged to consult the metadata for additional details.
Definition Expression: N/A
Copyright Text: Northeast Ocean Data Portal Working Group, SeaPlan, Surfrider, and Point 97
Description: The Whale Watching Locations layer depicts the locations of whale watching entities that were invited to participate in data development and review webinars for Whale Watching Areas data in 2020. Additional entities, including research institutions, conservation organizations, Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary staff, and other groups affiliated with whale watching entities were also invited to participate. Users are encouraged to consult the metadata for additional details.
Definition Expression: N/A
Copyright Text: Northeast Ocean Data Portal Working Group, SeaPlan, Surfrider, and Point 97
Description: The Commercial Whale Watching Areas layer depicts activity areas mapped by whale watch industry experts in 2020, using the Northeast Coastal and Marine Recreational Use Characterization Study (conducted in 2015 by SeaPlan, the Surfrider Foundation, and Point 97 under the direction of the Northeast Regional Planning Body) as a starting point. Whale watch owners, operators, naturalists, and data managers attended multiple webinars to review and discuss updates to the original data to best depict where whale watching takes place in the region, while also providing information about seasonality, species, and overall industry trends. The data are classified by the following categories:
</p><ul><li><strong>General use areas</strong> reflect the full footprint of whale watch activity in the last decade (2010 – 2020) regardless of frequency or intensity</li>
<li><strong>Dominant use areas</strong> include all areas routinely used by most users most of the time, according to seasonal patterns.</li>
<li><strong>Transit routes</strong> include areas used for transit to and from general or dominant use areas</li>
<li><strong>Supplemental areas</strong> depict areas used for closely-related activities and infrequent specialty trips.</li>
<li><strong>RI Ocean Special Area Management Plan areas</strong> were mapped as part of the Rhode Island Ocean Special Area Management plan and are symbolized separately to reflect different data collection methodologies.</li>
</ul><p>This map also shows the locations of whale watching entities in the region who have been invited to participate in data development and review. Clicking on the point locations will reveal the name of the entity, its location, and website URL.
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Users are encouraged to consult the metadata for additional details.
Definition Expression: N/A
Copyright Text: Northeast Ocean Data Portal Working Group, SeaPlan, Surfrider, and Point 97
Description: This map layer shows shipwrecks, obstructions, and other significant charted features in coastal waters. The layer is visible on the map only at medium to high zoom levels.
Description: This data represents the general locations of federally recognized tribes in the northeast United States and was created for the Northeast Ocean Planning Baseline Assessment.
Definition Expression: N/A
Copyright Text: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 1 Tribal Program
Description: This map layer shows the extent of the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary (SBNMS). Located north of Cape Cod and east of Boston, SBMNS is one of 14 marine sanctuaries nationwide, and it is the only marine sanctuary in the northeast region. The federal government designates national marine sanctuaries to promote comprehensive management of special conservation, recreational, ecological, historical, research, educational, or aesthetic resources.
Definition Expression: N/A
Copyright Text: NOAA National Marine Sanctuary Program
Name: National Register of Historic Places: Sites and Landmarks
Display Field: historicName
Type: Feature Layer
Geometry Type: esriGeometryPoint
Description: This dataset displays Maine, Massachusetts and Rhode Island’s National Register of Historic Places (points: historic sites or landmarks). The National Register of Historic Places was established by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966. The National Register of Historic Places is a listing of sites (buildings, objects, etc.) and areas (large properties, districts, etc.) which have some sort of cultural or historical significance in American history and are noteworthy for preservation (http://www.nps.gov/nr/about.htm). This dataset is a compilation of National Register of Historic Places from state databases. Please be advised that some National Register of Historic Places in this dataset may be missing as the states are currently working on updating their databases and datasets. New Hampshire and Connecticut National Register Sites are missing from these datasets as spatial datasets are currently being developed as many historic sites are found in these states. This regional dataset will be updated as states provide updates to datasets.
Definition Expression: N/A
Copyright Text: Maine Historic Preservation Commission, Massachusetts Historical Commission Preservation Planning Division, and Rhode Island Historic Preservation Commission
Name: National Register of Historic Places: Districts and Properties
Display Field: historicName
Type: Feature Layer
Geometry Type: esriGeometryPolygon
Description: This dataset displays Maine, Massachusetts, New York and Rhode Island National Register of Historic Places (polygons: historic districts or properties). The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) was established by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966. The NRHP database is a listing of sites (buildings, objects, etc.) and areas (large properties, districts, etc.) which have some sort of cultural or historical significance in American history and are noteworthy for preservation (http://www.nps.gov/nr/about.htm). This dataset is a compilation of NRHP from state databases. Please be advised that some NRHP in this dataset may be missing as the states are currently working on updating their databases and datasets. New Hampshire and Connecticut NRHP are not included in this product since spatial datasets are currently being developed. This regional dataset will be updated as states provide updates to datasets. More info on the NRHP program can be found at http://www.nps.gov/nr/about.htm. This dataset shows generalized properties in order to enhance web drawing performance.
Definition Expression: N/A
Copyright Text: Maine Historic Preservation Commission, Massachusetts Historical Commission Preservation Planning Division, New York State Office of Parks Recreation and Historic Preservation: State Historic Preservation Office, and Rhode Island Historic Preservation Commission
Description: This service depicts National Park Service tract and boundary data that was created by the Land Resources Division. NPS Director's Order #25 states: "Land status maps will be prepared to identify the ownership of the lands within the authorized boundaries of the park unit. These maps, showing ownership and acreage, are the 'official record' of the acreage of Federal and non-federal lands within the park boundaries. While these maps are the official record of the lands and acreage within the unit's authorized boundaries, they are not of survey quality and not intended to be used for survey purposes." As such this data is intended for use as a tool for GIS analysis. It is in no way intended for engineering or legal purposes. The data accuracy is checked against best available sources which may be dated and vary by location. NPS assumes no liability for use of this data. The boundary polygons represent the current legislated boundary of a given NPS unit. NPS does not necessarily have full fee ownership or hold another interest (easement, right of way, etc...) in all parcels contained within this boundary. Equivalently NPS may own or have an interest in parcels outside the legislated boundary of a given unit. In order to obtain complete information about current NPS interests both inside and outside a unit’s legislated boundary tract level polygons are also created by NPS Land Resources Division and should be used in conjunction with this boundary data.
Definition Expression: N/A
Copyright Text: National Park Service Land Resources Division