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Environmental Sensitivity Index (ESI) Data Viewer and Data Services for Atlases

Published by Office of Response and Restoration | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce | Metadata Last Checked: December 19, 2025 | Last Modified: 2023-01-01T00:00:00.000+00:00
ESI data characterize the marine and coastal environments and wildlife based on sensitivity to spilled oil. There are three main components: shoreline habitats, sensitive biological resources, and human-use resources. The shoreline and intertidal areas are ranked based on sensitivity determined by: (1) Shoreline type (substrate, grain size, tidal elevation, origin); (2) Exposure to wave and tidal energy; (3) Biological productivity and sensitivity; and (4) Ease of cleanup. The biology layers focus on threatened/endangered species, areas of high concentration, and areas where sensitive life stages may occur. Supporting data tables provide species-/location-specific abundance, seasonality, status, life history, and source information. Human-use resources mapped include managed areas (parks, refuges, critical habitats, etc.) and resources that may be impacted by oiling and/or cleanup (beaches, archaeological sites, marinas, etc.). ESIs are available for the majority of the US coastline, as well as the US territories. ESI data are available in a variety of GIS formats, as well as PDF maps. For more information or to download complete ESI data sets, go to: https://response.restoration.noaa.gov/esi.

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Biodiversity and Ecosystems Theme NGDA National Geospatial Data Asset NGDAID2 Environmental Monitoring Amphibians Benthic habitats Birds Coastal Zone Management Coastal resources Environmental Sensitivity Index (ESI) Environmental Vulnerability Index (EVI) Faults Fish Geology Geothermal activity Habitats Hydrography Invertebrates Marine mammals National Wetlands Inventory (NWI) Nests Oil spill planning Oil spill response Reptiles Saltponds Sensitivity maps Shorelines Socioeconomic resources Staging Points Terrestrial mammals Volcanoes Wildlife Alabama ESI Aleutian Islands Alaska ESI American Samoa ESI American Samoa shorelines Bristol Bay Alaska ESI Central California ESI Columbia River ESI Cook Inlet Alaska ESI Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania ESI Florida ESI Georgia ESI Great Lakes ESI Guam and Northern Mariana Islands ESI Hawaii ESI Hudson River ESI Kodiak Alaska ESI Louisiana ESI Maine EVI Maryland ESI Massachusetts ESI Mississippi ESI New Hampshire ESI North Carolina ESI North Slope Alaska ESI North Slope Alaska Summary Maps ESI Northern California ESI Northwest Arctic Alaska ESI Prince William Sound Alaska ESI Puerto Rico ESI Puerto Rico shorelines Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey ESI San Francisco Bay California ESI South Carolina ESI Southeast Alaska ESI Southern California ESI Texas Upper Coast ESI U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone U.S. shorelines Virgin Islands ESI Virginia ESI Washington Puget Sound ESI Western Alaska ESI DOC/NOAA/NOS/ORR > Office of Response and Restoration, National Ocean Service, NOAA, U.S. Department of Commerce Environmental Sensitivity Index

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