Alternative Text Description for Queen Conch Section 7 Consultation Areas

TABLE OF CONTENTS

MAP OVERVIEW

This map shows Section 7 Consultation Areas for Queen Conch under the Endangered Species Act in southern Florida and the Florida Keys. The map identifies locations where federal action agencies are recommended to conduct Section 7 consultations due to the spatial and temporal occurrence of Queen Conch life stages, behaviors, or critical habitat. The consultation areas are shown in relation to major cities, protected lands, and coastal features throughout the region.

GEOGRAPHIC CONTEXT

The map covers southern Florida, extending from Sarasota on the west coast and Port St. Lucie on the east coast southward through the Florida Keys to Dry Tortugas National Park. Major cities shown include Sarasota, Port Charlotte, Cape Coral, Naples, Immokalee, Fort Myers, Miami, Hollywood, Coral Springs, Homestead, and Key West. Protected areas visible include National Wildlife Refuge and Conservation Area in the north, Fisheating Creek Wildlife Management Area, Big Cypress National Preserve, Everglades and Francis S Taylor Wildlife Management Area, Everglades National Park, Florida Keys Overseas Heritage Trail, and Dry Tortugas National Park. The map shows both the Gulf of America coastline on the west and the Atlantic Ocean coastline on the east, with the Florida Keys forming an arc between them.

KEY INSIGHTS

Queen Conch consultation areas are concentrated along the eastern coast of southern Florida and throughout the Florida Keys, with very little presence along the western Gulf of America coast. The most extensive consultation areas form a nearly continuous band along the Atlantic Ocean side of the Florida Keys and the southeastern Florida coastline. There is notable coverage extending along the entire arc of the Florida Keys from the southeastern mainland through Key West and the Dry Tortugas. The consultation areas show a clear preference for Atlantic and Florida Keys waters, with minimal presence in Gulf of America waters north of the Keys.

VISUAL ELEMENTS

Queen Conch Section 7 Consultation Areas

This layer represents locations where NOAA Fisheries Southeast Regional Office recommends federal action agencies conduct consultations due to Queen Conch occurrence.

Queen Conch Consultation Areas (purple diagonal crosshatch pattern)

Appearance:

Purple or magenta colored areas with a diagonal crosshatch or grid pattern overlay.

Distribution:

Primarily distributed along the southeastern Florida coast from Miami south through the Florida Keys. A continuous band follows the Atlantic Ocean side of the Keys and extends around Key West and west through the Dry Tortugas National Park area.

Notable locations:

Spatial patterns:

The consultation areas form linear coastal patterns following the shoreline configuration, particularly prominent along the Atlantic-facing coastlines. The areas appear concentrated in shallow coastal waters and around island formations in the Keys. There is a clear spatial relationship between the consultation areas and offshore waters, with very limited presence in inland areas or along the western Gulf coast north of the Keys.

SYMBOL GUIDE

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

This map is designed to assist federal action agencies in making determinations about whether to initiate Section 7 consultations under the Endangered Species Act. The consultation areas represent the best available scientific and commercial information combined with professional judgment from NOAA Fisheries. Due to data limitations, activities outside a consultation area but within certain proximity may still affect Queen Conch, particularly in small tributaries, shallow areas near marshes, or locations not captured at this spatial resolution. Federal action agencies are encouraged to request technical assistance to verify presence or absence of Queen Conch when making consultation determinations. The map focuses on thematic consultation areas and does not depict all base map features in detail.

DATA CONTEXT

Data Source:

This dataset was developed by NOAA Fisheries Southeast Regional Office (SERO) to provide guidance for federal action agencies in consideration of Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act. The data was created using the best available scientific and commercial information and professional judgment regarding the spatial and temporal occurrence of Queen Conch life stages, behaviors, and critical habitat in the Southeast Region. Data source layer name: CA_NMFS_POLY_SEP24.

Definition Query:

The map displays only areas where SPNAME equals 'QUEEN CONCH', filtering the consultation areas dataset to show consultation zones specific to this species.

Scale Information:

The map shows a regional scale covering hundreds of miles from central Florida through the Florida Keys, appropriate for regional planning and consultation determination purposes. Finer-scale analysis may be needed for specific project locations.

Coordinate System:

NAD_1983_HARN_Florida_GDL_Albers (WKID 3087).

Time Period of Content:

This is version 2b of the consultation areas dataset, dated September 2024 (SEP24).

Limitations:

Due to data limitations, the consultation areas may lack sufficient spatial resolution to capture action areas in very small tributaries, shallow areas near marshes, or other small coastal features. Activities outside a consultation area but within certain proximity may still affect Queen Conch. Users should contact NMFS SERO for technical assistance when more recent information is available or when verification of species presence or absence is needed. Contact: nmfs.ser.esa.consultations@noaa.gov.

Map Coverage:

The map covers the southern portion of Florida from approximately Sarasota and Port St. Lucie southward through the entire Florida Keys to Dry Tortugas National Park. Coverage includes both Gulf of America and Atlantic Ocean coastal waters. The NOAA Southeast Region jurisdiction extends beyond this map area to include states from North Carolina through Texas and their adjacent waters.

The alternative text description of this map was AI-generated and may contain inaccuracies.