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Marine and Coastal Geographic Information
Overview: This page presents geographic information related to coastal and marine resources and environmental conditions. EPA supports the public's right-to-know. This page is intended to help citizens and organizations locate and use important
marine and coastal geographic information, and to contribute to the public’s understanding of environmental issues.
Index of Watershed Indicators |
Beach Conditions |
Shellfish Growing Waters
Marine and Coastal Protected Areas |
Harmful Algal Blooms |
Related Links
Disclaimer: Many of the maps and geographic data sets presented on this page were created by outside agencies, academic institutions, or non-governmental organizations. The inclusion of an outside party's material on this page does not constitute
an endorsement by EPA of any group's policies, practices, activities, or positions. Citizens or organizations wishing to use an outside party's materials should obtain maps or data sets directly from the source, and should obtain permission and include proper citiations as appropriate. EPA makes no guarentees regarding the availablity or accuracy of geographic information created by outside parties.
Index of Watershed Indicators
Source: U.S. EPA Office of Water
Geographic Scope: Lower 48 U.S. States
Date Created: This first version of the Index was released in July, 1997 based on the June 1996 report "Indicators of Water Quality in the United States", developed by EPA in partnership with States, Tribes, private organizations, and other Federal Agencies.
Sample Maps:
Description: The Index of Watershed Indicators (the IWI or Index) is the EPA's first national picture of watershed health. The Index organizes and presents aquatic resource information on a watershed basis. Watersheds are those land areas bounded
by ridge lines that catch rain and snow, and drain to specific marshes, streams, rivers, lakes, or to groundwater. Watersheds are important because activities within them affect water quality. The index includes the following indicators:
- Assessed Rivers Meeting All Designated Uses Set in State Tribal Water Quality Standards (305b)
- Fish and Wildlife Consumption Advisories
- Indicators of Source Water Condition for Drinking Water Systems
- Contaminated Sediments
- Ambient Water Quality Data - Four Toxic Pollutants
- Ambient Water Quality Data - Four Conventional Pollutants
- Wetland Loss Index
- Aquatic / Wetland Species at Risk
- Pollutant Loads Discharged Above Permitted Limits - Toxic Pollutants
- Pollutant Loads Discharged Above Permitted Limits - Conventional Pollutants
- Urban Runoff Potential
- Index of Agricultural Runoff Potential
- Population Change
- Hydrologic Modification Caused by Dams
- Estuarine Pollution Susceptibility Index
Status and Trends: The Index of Watershed Indicators (IWI) shows that:
- 16% of our watersheds nationally have relatively good water quality
- 36% have moderate problems
- 21% of the watersheds have more serious water quality
- 27% do not have enough information to be characterized
- 1 in 14 watersheds nationally is highly vulnerable to further degradation
More Information: Index of Watershed Indicators Home Page
Beach Conditions: "BEACH Watch" and "Testing the Waters"
Sources:
- "BEACH Watch"- U.S. EPA Office of Science and Technology
- "Testing the Waters"- National Resources Defense Council (NRDC)
Geographic Scope: All Coastal U.S. States and Territories including the Great Lakes States ("Testing the Waters" excludes Alaska)
Date Created:
- "BEACH Watch" was initiated in May, 1997. EPA conducted the first annual National Health Protection Survey of Beaches in the spring of 1998.
- NRDC has undertaken a survey of beach closings and beachwater-monitoring programs in coastal and Great Lakes states to produce the annual "Testing the Waters" report since 1988.
Sample Maps:
Description:
- "BEACH Watch": On May 23, 1997, USEPA Administrator Carol Browner formally announced the BEACH Program to strengthen U.S. beach programs and water quality standards, better inform the public, and promote scientific research to further protect the health of beachgoers. The accomplishments of the BEACH Program in its first year of existence are significant and indicate that EPA and its state partners are making progress to achieve the program's goal to "significantly reduce the risk of infection
at the nation's recreational waters through improvements in recreational water programs, communication, and scientific advances."
EPA conducted the first annual National Health Protection Survey of Beaches in the spring of 1998. This voluntary survey of government agencies collected information on beach health activities carried out at local beaches. The survey asked questions like the following: Which beaches are monitored and how frequently? Who conducts the monitoring? Where and how often have advisories been posted? What are likely pollution sources? What are the water quality standards?
The information from this survey was put on the Internet so the public can view detailed beach information on local beaches at EPA's "Beach Watch" web site at www.epa.gov/ost/beaches. The Phase I results are currently available. Next year, EPA will conduct a Phase II survey to fill data gaps, expand the survey to inland waters, and enhance mapping capabilities to help the public locate specific beaches. In future years, EPA will conduct annual surveys and provide up-to-date information on local beaches to the public.
EPA distributed a total of 350 questionnaires to beach health protection agencies requesting information on local beaches. The Agency received 159 responses which included information on about 1,000 beaches. The respondents were almost exclusively local governmental agencies from coastal counties, cities, or towns bordering the Great Lakes, the Atlantic Ocean, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Pacific Ocean, although a few respondents were state or regional (multi-county) districts. Questionnaires were receive
d from 26 states and Guam.
- "Testing the Waters": Every summer for the past eight years, the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) has undertaken a survey of beach closings and beachwater-monitoring programs in coastal and Great Lakes states. In past years, NRDC sent
a survey to more than 230 coastal and Great Lakes communities. This year, the survey was conducted by the EPA as a part of its BEACH Program. The information collected by the EPA was used by NRDC for the preparation of this report. NRDC supplemented the
EPA’s data by sending its own survey to approximately 50 communities.
Status and Trends:
- Note: The "BEACH Watch" web site does not currently present national summary statistics on beach closings or state monitoring programs. Information on specific beaches is available on a state-by-state basis. The 1998 NRDC "Testing the Waters
" Report was based primarily on EPA's BEACH Watch survey results, and presents national summary statistics on beach closings and state monitoring programs.
- "BEACH Watch": The 159 survey respondents said that there are 117 programs in place that monitor beach water quality for bacteria or other pathogens, 124 agencies have advisory or closing programs in place to close the beach or restrict swimming when unsafe water quality conditions are present, and 126 agencies have recreational water quality standards for bacteria or other pathogens in the areas.
- "Testing the Waters" (Selected Findings):
- During 1997, at U.S. ocean, bay, Great Lakes, and some freshwater beaches, there were at least 4,153 individual closings and advisories, 17 extended (6-12 weeks) closings and advisories, and 55 permanent (over 12 weeks) closings and advisories. Including the days of extended closings, the total comes to over 5,199 closings and advisories.
- Major causes of beach closings and advisories in 1997 were as follows:
- 69 percent based on monitoring that detected bacteria levels exceeding beachwater-quality standards (elevated levels are usually due to sewage or stormwater discharges)
- 13 percent in response to a known pollution event (without solely relying on monitoring results)
- 18 percent precautionary due to rain known to carry pollution to swimming waters
- Major pollution sources listed as responsible for 1997 beach closings and advisories include:
- polluted runoff and stormwater -- over 177 closings/advisories, including lagoon openings and 27 permanent advisories
- sewage spills and overflows -- over 648 closings/advisories, including combined sewer overflows (CSOs) and
- sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs)
- rain or preemptive (usually due to polluted stormwater or sewage overflows) -- over 585 closings/advisories
- Five states lack any regular monitoring of beachwater for swimmer safety.
- In 1997, North Carolina and several beach communities in South Carolina began for the first time to implement beachwater-monitoring programs. Mississippi also established a monitoring program, although procedures for public notification have not yet
been established. In 1997, California passed a bill requiring monitoring of beaches beginning in 1999.
More Information:
National Shellfish Register of Classified Growing Waters
Source: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Ocean Service (NOS), Office of Ocean Resources Conservation and Assessment (ORCA)
Geographic Scope: Coastal U.S. States with Classified Shellfish Growing Areas, excluding Alaska and Hawaii
Date Created: The National Shellfish Register has been published every five years since 1966. The most current Register was produced in 1995.
Sample Map: National Map of 1995 Classified Shellfish Growing Waters
Description: The National Shellfish Register has been published every five years since 1966 as a cooperative effort among the nation's shellfish-producing states, federal agencies such as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the Interstate Shellfish Sanitation Conference (ISSC). Since 1985 it has been produced in NOAA's Office of Ocean Resources Conservation and Assessment (ORCA). Its purpose is to summarize the status of growing water classifications of the nation's commercial shellfish resources. The 1995 Register includes information on the status of estuarine and non-estuarine commercial
shellfish growing waters as of January 1, 1995, and marks the first time the data has been available on a CD-ROM and the Internet.
The 1995 Register characterizes the status of over 4,200 shellfish growing waters in 21 coastal states, reflecting an assessment of nearly 25 million acres of estuarine and non-estuarine waters. Over 77 million pounds (meat weight) of oysters, clams and mussels were harvested from these waters in 1995, having a dockside value of $200 million. For the first time, the report includes such factors as relative shellfish abundance, the basis for classification, the status of shellfish restoration efforts, and
the potential to upgrade harvest classification for each growing water. The data elements collected in previous Registers are also provided; these include growing water name and location, harvest classification, area, and the types of pollution sources contributing to harvest limitation.
The classification of shellfish growing waters is based on the National Shellfish Sanitation Program (NSSP), a cooperative effort involving states, the shellfish industry, and the FDA. Since 1983, it has been administered through the ISSC. The ISSC was formed to promote shellfish sanitation, adopt uniform procedures, and develop comprehensive guidelines (NSSP Manual of Operations Parts 1 & 2) to regulate the harvesting, processing and shipment of shellfish.
Status and Trends:
- In 1995, 4,230 individual shellfish growing areas containing 24.7 million acres of estuarine and non-estuarine waters were classified in 21 coastal states. Approximately 13% of the 24.7 million acreas were unclassified waters- growing waters that are part of a state's shellfish program, but are inactive. Of the remaining approximately 21.5 million acres of classified waters, 69% were approved for harvest, 8% were conditionally approved, 10% were restricted, less than 1% were conditionally restricted, and 13% were prohibited.
- In 1995, the percentage of harvest-limited acreage was the lowest it had been since the 1980 Register. 31% of all classified waters were harvest-limited, compared to 34% in 1990 and 42% in 1985.
- Nationally, 6.7 million acres (31%) of shellfish growing waters were harvest limited in 1995. For 72% of these waters, the limitation was attributed to water quality. 13% were were attributed to administrative decisions, 8% lacked a complete and up-to-date sanitary survey, and less than 1% were limited for conservation reasons.
- The top five pollution sources reported as contributing to harvest limitations in 1995 were urban runoff (40%), upstream sources (39%), wildlife (38%), individual wastewater treatment systems (32%), and wastewater treatment plants (24%).
- Between the 1966 and the 1995 Registers, the acreage of classified shellfish growing waters increased more than twofold, from 10 million to 24.7 million acres (including unclassified acres). There was an increase of 2.9 million acres (1,058 shellfish growing areas) between the 1990 and the 1995 Registers. The 1995 Register showed the area of approved waters at an all-time high of 14.8 milion acres (69 percent). Only 2.8 million acres of prohibited waters (13 percent- the smallest ever) were reported in 1995.
More Information:
Marine and Coastal Protected Area Database
Source: Created by the Center for Marine Conservation. Funded by U.S. EPA, Office of Wetlands, Oceans, and Watersheds.
Geographic Scope: All Coastal U.S. States and Territories, including Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, American Somoa, and Guam.
Date Created: 1998
Sample Maps:
- National Maps (1: 30M):
- Regional Maps Showing All MCPAs (1: 3M):
Description: This is a GIS database of Federal Marine and Coastal Protected Areas (MCPAs) in the United States and its territories, including Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa and other Insular Possessions. The following types of protected areas are included:
- National Estuary Program study areas
- National Park Service sites
- National Estuarine Research Reserves
- National Marine Sanctuaries
- National Wildlife Refuges
- National Marine Fisheries Service areas (for the conterminous U.S. only)
- Man and the Biosphere Reserves
Terrestrial protected areas located partially or completely within the Estuarine Drainage Areas (EDAs) and Coastal Drainage Areas (CDAs) as delineated in NOAA's Coastal Assessment Framework were considered coastal and included in the database. All marine protected areas were included. The database includes the following attributes: protected area name, state, component name, designation, responsible federal agency, year established and acreage. The nominal scale is 1:250,000.
Status and Trends: Phase 2 of the MCPA Database is in progress. Mapping of a pilot State or State(s) MCPAs and classification of Federal MCPAs according to level of protection or type of management are planned for phase 2.
Harmful Algal Blooms
Source: National Office for Marine Biotoxins and Harmful Algal Blooms at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Geographic Scope: Coastal U.S. States and Puerto Rico
Date Created: 1995, with recent updates
Sample Map: Distribution of Harmful Algal Blooms
Description: A series of maps depict the Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) outbreaks known before and after 1972. This is not meant to be an exhaustive compilation of all events, but rather an indication of major or recurrent HAB episodes.
Status and Trends: "Harmful algal blooms (HABs), including highly toxic species, have increased in frequency, intensity, and severity in U.S. coastal areas over the past several decades. Recent outbreaks of fish lesions and fish kills linked to Pfiesteria or related species in the estuaries of the Mid- and South Atlantic States, as well as red tides and fish kills off the Texas coast, are the most recent and visible examples of this growing threat to U.S. coastal resources, coastal economies, and
public health. Fortunately, as a result of significant planning over the past 5 years, the U.S. research and monitoring communities are well-positioned to address these concerns and those from likely HAB events in the future." [From the document National Harmful Algal Bloom Research and Monitoring Strategy: An Initial Focus on Pfiesteria, Fish Lesions, Fish Kills and Public Health, prepared by multiple Federal Agencies, November, 1997.]
More Information:
Related Links
- Surf Your Watershed
Users can locate their watershed by zip code, place names, or an interactive national map. Environmental information is available for each watershed. The site also features a map library, a resource for getting involved called "Adopt Your Watershed", a map library, and a discussion forum called "Speak Out".
- State of the Coast Report
NOAA's State of the Coast Report is a series of topical essays on important coastal issues. In view of the significance of geographic scale, the essays present information from the national, regional and local perspectives. The principal objective of these essays is to provide solid information in a style that is understandable and informative to the widest possible audience, not to present positions or value judgments. Opinions and interpretative elements, voiced by an expert panel, appear in a separate section of each essay. The primary medium for distribution of this report is the World Wide Web.
- NOAA's Office of Ocean Resources Conservation and Assessment
Offers many maine and coastal geographic data sets, including the Shellfish Register, National Status and Trends data, and the Coastal Assessment Framework.
- Better Assessment Science Integrating Point and Nonpoint Sources (BASINS)
Integrates a geographic information system (GIS), national watershed data, and state-of-the-art environmental assessment and modeling tools into one convenient package. Available for download from EPA's Office of Science and Technology.
- USGS Geographic Names Information System
The Geographic Names Information System (GNIS), developed by the USGS in cooperation with the U.S. Board on Geographic Names (BGN), contains information about almost 2 million physical and cultural geographic features in the United States. The Federally recognized name of each feature described in the data base is identified, and references are made to a feature's location by State, county, and geographic coordinates. The GNIS is our Nation's official repository of domestic geographic names information.
This web site includes a Data Base Query form that can produce reports and maps.
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