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California Ocean Uses Atlas

Dataset Summary

Agency	NOAA's Ocean Service, National Marine Protected Areas Center (MPAC)
Sub-Agency/Organization
Category
Date Released	20100303
Date Updated
Time Period	20100303
Frequency	As needed
Description	This dataset is a result of the California Ocean Uses Atlas Project: a collaboration between NOAA's National Marine Protected Areas Center and Marine Conservation Biology Institute. The Project was designed to enhance ocean management through geospatial data on the full range of significant human uses of California's ocean environment from the shoreline to the 200 nm EEZ boundary. Data was gathered from regional ocean experts and users through participatory GIS methods. For more information on the project scope, background and related data products, please visit www.mpa.gov.

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Dataset Information

Data.gov Data Category Type	Geodata
Specialized Data Category Designation	Geospatial
Keywords	ISO 19115 Topic Category , environment , geoscientificInformation , oceans , society , None , Human Uses , Industrial Use , Non-Consumptive Use , Ocean Use , Fishing , Beach Use , Boating , Paddling , Tidepooling , Sailing , Scuba , Snorkeling , Swimming , Water Sports , Wildlife Viewing , Benthic Fishing with Fixed Gear , Benthic Fishing with Mobile Gear , Commercial Dive Fishing , Commercial Pelagic Fishing , Commercial Kelp and Algae Harvest , Hunting , Kayak Fishing , Shore Fishing , Recreational Dive Fishing , Recreational Boat Fishing , Recreational Harvest , Offshore Alternative Energy , Aquaculture , Underwater Cables , Military Operations , Mining and Mineral Extraction , Offshore Oil and Gas , Shipping , NOS Data Explorer Topic Category , Socioeconomics , None , California , Pacific Ocean , Exclusive Economic Zone , West Coast
Unique ID	3BF862FB-6AE1-A43C-09BC-5CA367B63032

Contributing Agency Information

Citation	Department of Commerce (DOC), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Ocean and Coastal Resource Management (OCRM), National Marine Protected Areas Center (MPAC)
Agency Program Page
Agency Data Series Page	http://www.mpa.gov/dataanalysis/atlas_ca/

Dataset Coverage

Unit of Analysis
Granularity
Geographic Coverage	-128.992767 , -116.314201 , 42.094485 , 30.419074

Data Description

Collection Mode
Data Collection Instrument
Data Dictionary/Variable List	The California Ocean Uses Atlas bins human use data into 3 sectors: fishing, industrial, and non-consumptive. Each sector has a unique dataset within the geodatabase, and expanded information on use definitions and data processes for each sector can be found in each dataset's metadata file. Ancillary datasets used for processing and analysis are also included. Fishing database - contains data on commercial dive fishing, commercial fishing with benthic fixed gear, commercial fishing with benthic mobile gear, commercial kelp and algae harvest, commercial pelagic fishing, hunting for marine animals other than fish or invertebrates, kayak fishing, shore-based fishing, recreational dive fishing, recreation fishing from boats, and shore-based recreational harvest; Industrial database - contains data on aquaculture, military operations, mining and mineral extraction, offshore alternative energy, offshore oil and gas, shipping, and underwater cables; Non-Consumptive database - contains data on beach use, motorized boating, paddling, sailing, scuba and snorkeling, surface water sports, swimming, tidepooling, and wildlife viewing at sea; Ancillary dataset - contains project boundaries and analysis microblocks; All use feature classes contain a field that reflects the use name, and a value of 1 for that field indicates a "yes" for the use's presence. A value of for any use indicates the use was not collected for that region of the study area. In 3 of the 4 regional atlas workshops, an attempt was made to map uses of the ocean by tribal peoples. Two distinct approaches were taken. First, we mapped tribal activities taking place within the existing range of ocean uses addressed by the Atlas project (e.g. tribal pursuit of benthic fishing with fixed gear; beach use by tribal peoples). Most of the resulting tribal use patterns fell within either the general maximum footprint or the dominant use area drawn for those uses by other non-tribal participants and are thus not represented as uniquely tribal activities.Second, we attempted to map distinctly tribal use areas tied to specific geographic locations of special cultural, spiritual or historical significance. Although some tribal participants provided relevant information, not all tribal interests were represented in each workshop and some participants were reluctant to portray use patterns of other tribes. As a result, the resulting maps of tribal activity patterns may depict an incomplete or misleading picture of the full spectrum of tribal uses of the ocean in each region. Consequently, in order to avoid misinterpretation of the tribal use patterns, and to maintain data consistency and integrity throughout the Atlas maps, the tribal use data are not explicitly depicted in the public release of the atlas data or map products. They will, however, be provided to the California Marine Life Protection Act Initiative and to the tribal participants for their use, with appropriate explanatory information about their content and limitations. For additional information on the tribal ocean use data, please contact the MPA Center.

Additional Dataset Documentation

Technical Documentation
Additional Metadata	XML Format

OMB Control No. 3090-0284