These data sets show the distribution of key species and habitats, such as seabirds, bathymetry, surficial sediments, deep sea corals, and oceanographic habitats. NOAA?s Biogeography Branch worked with the New York Department of State (DOS) to interpret existing ecological information and create these new data sets. New York plans to integrate this information with other ecological and human use data compiled by others (for example, The Nature Conservancy, Northeast Fisheries Science Center) and apply ecosystem-based management and plan for ocean uses. Many academic, state and federal and non-governmental organization partners contributed to this project with data, analyses and reviews. Project partners included: the University of Alaska, Biology and Wildlife Department; University of Texas, Institute for Geophysics; The Nature Conservancy, Mid-Atlantic Marine Program; the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), Northeast Fisheries Science Center, and the NMFS, Deep-Sea Coral Research and Technology Program.