The Environmental Sensitivity Index (ESI) is a measure of coastal
zone natural resources as depicted through the use of maps and
atlases. ESI is used in oil spill evaluation, prevention, and clean
up capabilities.
Background
In 1991 the governor of Florida established a legislative task
force to evaluate spill prevention and cleanup capabilities.
Several areas for improvement were identified, and one of the most
significant shortcomings noted was the lack of current and accurate
information on natural resources in the coastal zone. ESI is a
measure of a coastal zone's natural and socio-economic resources as
depicted through the use of maps, atlases, and tables. ESI's
purpose is its use in oil spill evaluation, prevention, clean up,
and contingency planning activities. To date, the focus for ESI has
been on producing atlases depicting marine coastlines and
ESI Maps
There are currently five regional paper ESI atlases covering the
entire marine coastline of Florida. Each one contains a lengthy
introduction that explains the methods used to acquire, synthesize,
and map all the ESI information as well as a detailed listing of
agencies to contact in the event of a spill. The maps themselves
consist of three main types of information:
- Shoreline Classification-a relative
sensitivity ranking, on a scale from 1 to 10, relating to relative
exposure of wave and tidal energy, shoreline slope, substrate type,
biological productivity, and overall shoreline sensitivity to
spilled oil. An ESI ranking of 1 represents a shoreline
least sensitive to oil, while an ESI ranking of 10,
represents a shoreline most sensitive to oil. Each ESI
ranking is represented by a different color on an ESI map, giving
quick reference to the shoreline's ranking. This provides
responders with an idea of which shorelines need to be protected
first.
- Biological Resources-oil-sensitive animals and
habitats such as the American crocodile and coral reefs.
Information on biological resources is very detailed including;
seasonality, threatened/endangered status, activity, and relative
concentration.
- Human-Use Resources-specific areas, such as
water intakes, sand beaches, and archaeological sites, which have
added sensitivity and value because of their cultural significance
or use by humans.
ESI Maps on
the Web (PDF, 1.33 MB, Interactive)-All of Florida's ESI
Atlases may now be viewed and downloaded from the web! These maps
and atlases have recently been reorganized into a more
user-friendly structure with clickable index maps for navigation to
the desired map and biological tables. Now users can download a
complete ESI map as a single document. Please be aware that these
maps are PDF documents and may sometimes be large files. A
high-speed Internet connection is recommended. You must have Adobe
Reader to view and download these maps.
For more information on ESI Maps and ESI Mapping, please contact
Richard Knudsen at FWRI. Phone: (727) 896-8626, Extension 3036.
E-mail: Richard.Knudsen@MyFWC.com
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