Overview of the Tool

The Community Social Vulnerability Indicators mapping and graphing tool helps managers, researchers, and the public explore and analyze the well-being of more than 4,600 coastal fishing communities in the United States. Communities can be compared geographically across 14 individual indicators covering the following categories: fishing dependence, environmental justice, gentrification pressure, economic, and climate change.

The tool’s capabilities have been complemented and expanded upon to develop a new tool—the Community Environmental Justice Explorer.

Notably, the tool helps users to identify coastal communities that may be less resilient to the impacts of change, such as communities more highly engaged in fishing activities. Development of the tool aligns with NOAA Fisheries’  U.S. Ocean Justice Strategy. Example uses include informing analyses and assessments mandated by the National Environmental Policy Act, Magnuson-Stevens Act, and Executive Order 12898 (environmental justice). It also supports integrated ecosystem assessments, climate change analyses, and fishery disaster assessments.

Tool Capabilities

Data Exploration

The tool supports user engagement and data access by making detailed data browsable and available to download. It allows users to tailor the experience to best meet their needs. Users can select filters to specify and explore community and indicator data, and interact with data selections.

Interactive Mapping

The Community Social Vulnerability Indicators Tool includes interactive mapping, allowing for a geographic approach to data queries.

Interactive Graphing

The tool allows for visualization of indicator distribution for individual fishing communities, regions, and nationally.

Tool Information

• Tool: Community Social Vulnerability Indicators Tool
• Other Information: Social indicators work, supporting information, and publications
• Related Tool: Community Environmental Justice Explorer
• Contact Us: nmfs.social.indicators@noaa.gov