Northwest Atlantic Marine Ecoregional Assessment

The Northwest Atlantic region spans the area from Cape Hatteras in North Carolina to the northern limit of the Gulf of Maine in Canadian waters, and extends from the mean high tide mark seaward to the foot of the continental slope (depth of 2,500m). The study area includes the shorelines of 11 states and two Canadian provinces inhabited by more than 65 million people.

The Nature Conservancy's goals in conducting the Northwest Atlantic Marine Ecoregional Assessment were to produce a baseline of scientific information on the distribution and status of key habitats and species, and a map and report of priority conservation areas for the region's marine biodiversity.

The first phase of NAM ERA compiled data on marine ecosystems, habitats and species in the Northwest Atlantic. This project synthesized diverse spatial data, designed to meet the needs of a variety of users, including supporting decisions about conservation and resource use. Over 1,200 data files, from over 100 sources, were compiled for this assessment. Every effort was made to understand, and account for, the idiosyncrasies of each dataset, and to respect the value of each source.

Download the data:

Chapter 2 - Coastal ecosystems - Download the data (zip file)

Chapter 3 - Benthic habitats - Download the data (zip file)

Chapter 4 - Physical oceanography - Download the data (zip file)

Chapter 5-8 - Marine fishes - Download the data (zip file)

Chapter 9 - Large pelagic fish - Download the data (zip file)

Chapter 10-11 - Cetaceans and sea turtles - Download the data (zip file)

Explore more data:

View this data and other related data in the Northeast Ocean Data Portal. (Opens in new tab.)

Citation

Greene, J.K., Anderson M.G., Odell J., and Steinberg N., eds. (2010). The Northwest Atlantic Marine Ecoregional Assessment: Species, Habitats and Ecosystems. Phase One. The Nature Conservancy, Eastern U.S. Division, Boston, MA.