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Habitat--Offshore of Point Conception Map Area, California

Published by U.S. Geological Survey | Department of the Interior | Metadata Last Checked: January 27, 2026 | Last Modified: 2020-10-19T00:00:00Z
This part of DS 781 presents data for the habitat map of the Offshore of Point Conception Map Area, California. The vector data file is included in "Habitat_OffshorePointConception.zip," which is accessible from https://doi.org/10.5066/F7QN64XQ. These data accompany the pamphlet and map sheets of Johnson, S.Y., Dartnell, P., Cochrane, G.R., Hartwell, S.R., Golden, N.E., Kvitek, R.G., and Davenport, C.W. (S.Y. Johnson and S.A. Cochran, eds.), 2018, California State Waters Map Series—Offshore of Point Conception, California: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2018–1024, pamphlet 36 p., 9 sheets, scale 1:24,000, https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20181024. This map shows physical marine benthic habitats in the Offshore of Point Conception map area. Marine benthic habitats represent a particular type of water quality, substrate, geomorphology, seafloor process, or any other attribute that may provide a habitat for a specific species or an assemblage of organisms. Marine benthic habitats are classified using the Coastal and Marine Ecological Classification Standard (CMECS), developed by representatives from a consortium of federal agencies. CMECS is the U.S. government standard for marine habitat characterization. The standard provides an ecologically relevant structure for biologic, geologic, chemical, and physical habitat attributes. This map illustrates the geoform and substrate components of the standard. This map was derived from geologic and geomorphic map units by translation of the unit description into the best-fit values of CMECS classes. The CMECS classes are documented at https://www.fgdc.gov/standards/projects/FGDC-standards-projects/cmecs-folder/CMECS_Version_06-2012_FINAL.pdf.

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