MassGIS 2003 Massachusetts Designated Shellfish Growing Areas (Polygons) (October 2000)

Author(s):

MassGIS (Office : Mass.) and Massachusetts. Division of Marine Fisheries

Description:

The Designated Shellfish Growing Area (DSGA) datalayer was compiled by the Department of Fisheries, Wildlife and Environmental Law Enforcement's (DFWELE) Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF). Three hundred and three growing areas in Massachusetts have been designated by DMF's Shellfish Project. The data are stored in two feature layers: Designated Shellfish Growing Areas (Arcs) and Designated Shellfish Growing Areas (Polygons). A designated shellfish growing area is an area of potential shellfish habitat, and all three hundred and three DSGA's make up the territorial waters (tidal zone out to the territorial line) of the Commonwealth. Growing areas are managed with respect to shellfish harvest for direct human consumption, and comprise at least one or more classification areas. The classification areas are the management units, and range from being approved to prohibited (six different classification types in all) with respect to shellfish harvest. For example, one growing area may be composed of four classification areas, all of which are managed separately (have a classification type the same or different from the rest in the growing area). This coverage reflects classification areas as of July 1, 2000. The dataset was originally issued in October 2000.

Publisher:

Office of Geographic and Environmental Information (MassGIS)

Collection:

MassGIS data

Place(s):

Massachusetts, Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Maine, and Massachusetts Bay

Subject(s):

Shellfish, Aquatic habitat, Fisheries, Marine resources, oceans, biota, environment, and boundaries

Year:

2000

Held by:

Harvard