Massachusetts Coastal Atlas

Massachusetts Coastal Atlas
Name	Massachusetts Coastal Atlas
Type	Online mapping resource
Jurisdiction	Massachusetts
Agency	Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management
Established	1990s
Access	Public
Website	(see state portal)

Massachusetts Coastal Atlas provides an integrated, interactive geospatial collection of shoreline maps, environmental datasets, and regulatory boundaries for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It aggregates coastal imagery, bathymetry, habitat inventories, and infrastructure layers to support planning by agencies such as the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management, the United States Geological Survey, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Planners, researchers, and the public use the Atlas alongside tools from the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection and regional commissions like the Cape Cod Commission to address hazards and coastal resource management.

Overview

The Atlas compiles map layers including shoreline positions, marshes, eelgrass beds, and floodplains from partners such as the NOAA Office for Coastal Management, the US Army Corps of Engineers, and the Environmental Protection Agency. It incorporates aerial imagery from programs like the National Agriculture Imagery Program and lidar-derived elevation from the USGS 3D Elevation Program, integrating datasets maintained by the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs and municipal data from cities like Boston, New Bedford, and Gloucester. The interface supports overlaid regulatory footprints for authorities including the National Park Service sites on Cape Cod National Seashore and conservation lands stewarded by organizations such as The Trustees of Reservations.

History and Development

The Atlas evolved from coastal mapping initiatives in the 1990s led by the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management in collaboration with federal partners including the NOAA Coastal Services Center and the US Geological Survey. Major updates coincided with statewide studies after events like Hurricane Bob and the Northeast Blizzard of 1978 to improve shoreline change analysis and post-storm response. Investments were accelerated by grant programs administered through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and technology projects supported by the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative. Academic partners such as the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Boston University, and the University of Massachusetts Amherst contributed research and validation datasets.

Data and Map Features

Core layers include shoreline change statistics, marsh migration models, tidal datum surfaces, and bathymetric contours developed with inputs from the US Army Corps of Engineers' National Coastal Mapping Program and the NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Biological layers show distributions of salt marsh, subtidal eelgrass, and shellfish beds derived from surveys by the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries and NGOs like Mass Audubon. Infrastructure datasets map streets and utilities from municipal GIS offices in towns such as Salem and Marshfield and state assets managed by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation. Regulatory overlays include wetland buffers enforced under the Massachusetts Wetlands Protection Act and flood zones consistent with the Federal Emergency Management Agency flood insurance rate maps. Remote sensing products leverage lidar flights coordinated with the Northeast Regional Lidar Initiative.

Uses and Applications

Stakeholders apply the Atlas for coastal resilience planning, hazard mitigation, permitting, and habitat protection. Municipal planners in communities like Quincy and Plymouth use Atlas outputs for adaptation strategies aligned with guidance from the Massachusetts Climate Change Adaptation Report. Emergency managers reference Atlas layers during storm response alongside situational awareness systems used by the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Researchers from institutions including the Scripps Institution of Oceanography (comparative studies) and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (coastal engineering) employ Atlas data in sea level rise projections, coupled with models from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change scenarios and regional analyses by the Northeast Climate Adaptation Science Center.

Governance and Management

Management is coordinated by the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management in partnership with state agencies such as the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection and federal partners including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the United States Geological Survey. Data stewardship follows standards promoted by the Federal Geographic Data Committee and interagency agreements with entities like the National Ocean Service. Funding and oversight have involved legislative actions within the Massachusetts General Court and grant awards from programs administered by the NOAA Coastal Resilience Grants and regional initiatives with the New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission.

Accessibility and Technical Infrastructure

The Atlas is delivered via a web mapping application built on geospatial services and standards from the Open Geospatial Consortium and hosted on infrastructure interoperable with platforms maintained by the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency and the USGS ScienceBase Catalog. Data downloads and web services support formats compatible with desktop GIS software from vendors such as Esri and open-source tools used by researchers at the University of Massachusetts Boston. Accessibility measures reference guidelines from the United States Access Board to support public use; training and outreach are provided in collaboration with regional partners like the Massachusetts Bays Program and nonprofit groups including The Nature Conservancy.

Category:Geographic information systems in Massachusetts