THE NORTHEAST OCEAN DATA PORTAL: DATA AND MAPS FOR NEW ENGLAND'S OCEANS

The Northeast Ocean Data Portal (Portal) was established in 2009 by the Northeast Regional Ocean Council as a centralized, peer-reviewed source of data and maps of the ocean ecosystem and ocean-related human activities in New England. Data providers include state and federal agencies, scientists, ocean industries, non-governmental organizations, and other entities. All of these groups, plus a variety of stakeholders, review Portal data and advise on data presentation and visualization. Portal users can launch interactive thematic maps, view any combination of layers using the data explorer, share maps, and download data for desktop use. In addition to a variety of datasets relating to human uses of the ocean, such as vessel traffic, commercial fishing activity, and offshore renewable energy planning areas, the Portal also contains a robust library of environmental and ecological datasets, including bathymetry, seafloor habitats, and marine wildlife distribution data.

The Portal serves as a common resource for practitioners working in various agencies or institutions on diverse topics and at various scales. For nearly 10 years, the Portal has been used to support regulatory, management, and business decisions, stakeholder engagement, and educational and research activities. An integrated and growing case studies page documents some of the uses of Portal data by entities in the region, as well as how the Portal itself is used as a tool to engage decision-makers and stakeholders in collaborative analysis and interpretation of ocean data. Recently, the Portal has played a key role in facilitating collaboration between agencies, industry, and stakeholders on ocean planning and management issues in New England including offshore wind planning and fisheries management. This presentation will discuss and demonstrate Portal case studies and provide examples of how scientists and practitioners can use and contribute to the Portal's key assets and functions.