Integral Baseline Environmental Assessment of Preliminary Site for Marine Hydrokinetic Device off the Southeast Coast of Florida

This submission contains data and supporting materials developed for the TEAMER-supported Baseline Environmental Assessment of a Preliminary Site for a Marine Hydrokinetic Device off the Southeast Coast of Florida. The project evaluated a proposed marine hydrokinetic turbine deployment area within Outer Continental Shelf Block NG17-06, approximately 18.5 km offshore of southeast Florida within the Gulf Stream corridor. The study was conducted as a desktop-based baseline environmental assessment to support future project planning, environmental review, and permitting. Existing publicly available information was compiled and analyzed to characterize environmental conditions, identify potentially sensitive resources and ocean uses, evaluate potential project-environment interactions, and identify information gaps requiring additional investigation.

This data submission contains the source data, processed datasets, geospatial products, and supporting analytical materials developed for the baseline environmental assessment. Data are organized by technical task and include benthic habitat and seafloor information; pelagic biological resource data; geological, geophysical, oceanographic, wind, wave, and storm-related data; and socioeconomic, cultural-resource, fisheries, navigation, and other marine-use information. Task 5 used the information compiled and analyzed under Tasks 1 through 4 to complete the screening-level environmental analysis presented in the Post Access Report; therefore, no additional dataset was generated specifically for Task 5. Data users should consult the Post Access Report (to be added after publication) and available source documentation for data sources, processing methods, assumptions, and limitations.

The submitted materials consist of a combination of spatial datasets, tabular information, model-derived data, supporting source materials, and processed analytical products. No project-specific field surveys, biological surveys, geophysical surveys, or site-specific measurements were conducted as part of this study. Instead, publicly available datasets, environmental literature, regional model outputs, and regulatory and resource databases were compiled and evaluated to establish a regional, screening-level baseline.

Assumptions and prerequisites for use: These data should be interpreted within the context and limitations described in the PAR and associated source documentation. Underlying datasets vary in spatial and temporal coverage, resolution, collection methodology, and intended purpose. Regional datasets, modeled or reanalysis products, and biological occurrence records should not be interpreted as site-specific measurements or confirmation of conditions, species presence, abundance, or frequency of use within Block NG17-06. Results of the environmental interaction assessment are relative screening indicators and are not quantitative estimates of ecological risk. Users should consult the original data-source documentation and PAR when applying these materials to subsequent analyses. Additional site-specific investigations would be required to support final engineering design, environmental review, or permitting decisions.