Data layers with geographic coordinates are provided to allow the data to be integrated into a GIS.  A GIS is defined as a system of hardware and software to support the display, manipulation, and analysis of spatial data for mapping and complex data solving.  This integrated package provides researchers the ability to integrate, analyze, and map data sets to help with economic and social policy-making decisions regarding the environment.

Data layers archived here should not require additional processing to be used in the Environmental Systems Research Institute's (ESRI) ArcGIS software. This does not mean that users will not wish to do additional processing, especially in a different GIS software package or spheroid, but that it is not necessary to do additional processing simply to use the data in its minimum archive format.

For users who do not have the ESRI software or a compatible GIS data browser available on their computer, a free viewer, ArcExplorer, is available from ESRI here. The key functionality of ArcExplorer is the viewing of spatial data.  

Each GIS data layer from this publication is cataloged below for easy access. The descriptions of the individual data layers below include the shapefile name, which is linked to a browse graphic showing the data-layer extent and coverage. Selecting the data-layer name will cause the browse graphic to be displayed in a separate browser window.

Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) metadata for the individual data layers are provided in HTML, FAQ, and text versions. Selecting associated metadata files from the table below will cause the information to appear in a new browser window.

A compressed, downloadable archive file containing the components of the ArcGIS shapefile for each data layer is also provided. Compressed downloadable files were created by using the Windows program WINZIP v9.0.

Quadrangle Boundary of the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary Region

Data-Layer name and description	View	Metadata	Files
quadbnd--shapefile of the 18 quadrangle boundaries		HTML FAQ text	Shapefile (23 KB)

Sediment Textural Analyses from the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary Region

Data-Layer name and description	View	Metadata	Files
sb_sedsamples--shapefile showing the geographic location of each sediment sample grab.		HTML FAQ text	Shapefile and Sediment Excel (801 KB)

Photographic Images from the the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary Region

Data-Layer name and description	View	Metadata	Files
sb_photolocs--shapefile showing the geographic location of each photograph taken.		HTML FAQ text	Shapefile (684 KB)

Zipped JPEG Images of Seafloor in Medium and High Resolution and EXIF Excels