This layer features special areas of interest (AOIs) that have been contributed to Esri Community Maps using the new Community Maps Editor app. The data that is accepted by Esri will be included in selected Esri basemaps, including our suite of Esri Vector Basemaps, and made available through this layer to export and use offline. Export DataThe contributed data is also available for contributors and other users to export (or extract) and re-use for their own purposes. Users can export the full layer from the ArcGIS Online item details page by clicking the Export Data button and selecting one of the supported formats (e.g. shapefile, or file geodatabase (FGDB)). User can extract selected layers for an area of interest by opening in Map Viewer, clicking the Analysis button, viewing the Manage Data tools, and using the Extract Data tool. To display this data with proper symbology and metadata in ArcGIS Pro, you can download and use this layer file.Data UsageThe data contributed through the Community Maps Editor app is primarily intended for use in the Esri Basemaps. Esri staff will periodically (e.g. weekly) review the contents of the contributed data and either accept or reject the data for use in the basemaps. Accepted features will be added to the Esri basemaps in a subsequent update and will remain in the app for the contributor or others to edit over time. Rejected features will be removed from the app.Esri Community Maps Contributors and other ArcGIS Online users can download accepted features from this layer for their internal use or map publishing, subject to the terms of use below.

The U.S. Defense Department oversees the USA"s armed forces and manages over 30 million acres of land. With over 2.8 million service members and civilian employees the department is the world"s largest employer.Dataset SummaryPhenomenon Mapped: Lands managed by the U.S. Department of DefenseGeographic Extent: United States, Guam, Puerto RicoData Coordinate System: WGS 1984Visible Scale: The data is visible at all scalesSource: DOD Military Installations Ranges and Training Areas layer. Publication Date: May 2025This layer is a view of the USA Federal Lands layer. A filter has been used on this layer to eliminate non-Department of Defense lands. For more information on layers for other agencies see the USA Federal Lands layer.What can you do with this layer?This layer is suitable for both visualization and analysis across the ArcGIS system. This layer can be combined with your data and other layers from the ArcGIS Living Atlas of the World in ArcGIS Online and ArcGIS Pro to create powerful web maps that can be used alone or in a story map or other application.Because this layer is part of the ArcGIS Living Atlas of the World it is easy to add to your map:In ArcGIS Online you can add this layer to a map by selecting Add then Browse Living Atlas Layers. A window will open. Type "department of defense" in the search box and browse to the layer. Select the layer then click Add to Map.In ArcGIS Pro open a map and select Add Data from the Map Tab. Select Data at the top of the drop down menu. The Add Data dialog box will open on the left side of the box expand Portal if necessary then select Living Atlas. Type "department of defense" in the search box, browse to the layer then click OK.In both ArcGIS Online and Pro you can change the layer's symbology and view its attribute table. You can filter the layer to show subsets of the data using the filter button in Online or a definition query in Pro.The data can be exported to a file geodatabase, a shape file or other format and downloaded using the Export Data button on the top right of this webpage.This layer can be used as an analytic input in both Online and Pro through the Perform Analysis window Online or as an input to a geoprocessing tool, model, or Python script in Pro.The ArcGIS Living Atlas of the World provides an easy way to explore many other beautiful and authoritative maps on hundreds of topics like this one.Questions?Please leave a comment below if you have a question about this layer, and we will get back to you as soon as possible.

The US National Park Service manages 84.4 million acres that include the United States" 63 national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties. These lands range from the 13 million acre Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve in Alaska to the 0.02 acre Thaddeus Kosciuszko National Memorial in Pennsylvania.Dataset SummaryPhenomenon Mapped: Administrative boundaries of U.S. National Park Service landsGeographic Extent: 50 United States, District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and Northern Mariana IslandsData Coordinate System: WGS 1984Visible Scale: The data is visible at all scalesSource: NPS Administrative Boundaries of National Park System Units layerPublication Date: April, 2025This layer is a view of the USA Federal Lands layer. A filter has been used on this layer to eliminate non-Park Service lands. For more information on layers for other agencies see the USA Federal Lands layer.What can you do with this Layer?This layer is suitable for both visualization and analysis across the ArcGIS system. This layer can be combined with your data and other layers from the ArcGIS Living Atlas of the World in ArcGIS Online and ArcGIS Pro to create powerful web maps that can be used alone or in a story map or other application.Because this layer is part of the ArcGIS Living Atlas of the World it is easy to add to your map:In ArcGIS Online you can add this layer to a map by selecting Add then Browse Living Atlas Layers. A window will open. Type "national park service" in the search box and browse to the layer. Select the layer then click Add to Map.In ArcGIS Pro open a map and select Add Data from the Map Tab. Select Data at the top of the drop down menu. The Add Data dialog box will open on the left side of the box expand Portal if necessary then select Living Atlas. Type "national park service" in the search box, browse to the layer then click OK.In both ArcGIS Online and Pro you can change the layer's symbology and view its attribute table. You can filter the layer to show subsets of the data using the filter button in Online or a definition query in Pro.The data can be exported to a file geodatabase, a shape file or other format and downloaded using the Export Data button on the top right of this webpage.This layer can be used as an analytic input in both Online and Pro through the Perform Analysis window Online or as an input to a geoprocessing tool, model, or Python script in Pro.The ArcGIS Living Atlas of the World provides an easy way to explore many other beautiful and authoritative maps on hundreds of topics like this one.Questions?Please leave a comment below if you have a question about this layer, and we will get back to you as soon as possible.

The US Fish and Wildlife Service manages the United States" 573 National Wildlife Refuges and thousands of small wetlands and other special management areas. These lands cover more than 150 million acres that protect fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats.Dataset SummaryPhenomenon Mapped: United States lands managed by the US Fish and Wildlife ServiceGeographic Extent: 50 United States plus Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands. The layer also includes Wildlife Refuges in the Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, and the Caribbean Sea.Data Coordinate System: WGS 1984Visible Scale: The data is visible at all scales.Source: USFWS Interest Simplified layerPublication Date: January 2024This layer is a view of the USA Federal Lands layer. A filter has been used on this layer to eliminate non-Fish and Wildlife Service lands. For more information on layers for other agencies see the USA Federal Lands layer.What can you do with this Layer?This layer is suitable for both visualization and analysis across the ArcGIS system. This layer can be combined with your data and other layers from the ArcGIS Living Atlas of the World in ArcGIS Online and ArcGIS Pro to create powerful web maps that can be used alone or in a story map or other application.Because this layer is part of the ArcGIS Living Atlas of the World it is easy to add to your map:In ArcGIS Online you can add this layer to a map by selecting Add then Browse Living Atlas Layers. A window will open. Type "fish and wildlife service" in the search box and browse to the layer. Select the layer then click Add to Map.In ArcGIS Pro open a map and select Add Data from the Map Tab. Select Data at the top of the drop down menu. The Add Data dialog box will open on the left side of the box expand Portal if necessary then select Living Atlas. Type "fish and wildlife service" in the search box, browse to the layer then click OK.In both ArcGIS Online and Pro you can change the layer's symbology and view its attribute table. You can filter the layer to show subsets of the data using the filter button in Online or a definition query in Pro.The data can be exported to a file geodatabase, a shape file or other format and downloaded using the Export Data button on the top right of this webpage.This layer can be used as an analytic input in both Online and Pro through the Perform Analysis window Online or as an input to a geoprocessing tool, model, or Python script in Pro.The ArcGIS Living Atlas of the World provides an easy way to explore many other beautiful and authoritative maps on hundreds of topics like this one.Questions?Please leave a comment below if you have a question about this layer, and we will get back to you as soon as possible.

This dataset contains both large (A0) printable maps of the Torres Strait broken into six overlapping regions, based on a clear sky, clear water composite Sentinel 2 composite imagery and the imagery used to create these maps. These maps show satellite imagery of the region, overlaid with reef and island boundaries and names. Not all features are named, just the more prominent features. This also includes a vector map of Ashmore Reef and Boot Reef in Coral Sea as these were used in the same discussions that these maps were developed for. The map of Ashmore Reef includes the atoll platform, reef boundaries and depth polygons for 5 m and 10 m.

This dataset contains all working files used in the development of these maps. This includes all a copy of all the source datasets and all derived satellite image tiles and QGIS files used to create the maps. This includes cloud free Sentinel 2 composite imagery of the Torres Strait region with alpha blended edges to allow the creation of a smooth high resolution basemap of the region.

The base imagery is similar to the older base imagery dataset: Torres Strait clear sky, clear water Landsat 5 satellite composite (NERP TE 13.1 eAtlas, AIMS, source: NASA).

Most of the imagery in the composite imagery from 2017 - 2021.


Method:
The Sentinel 2 basemap was produced by processing imagery from the World_AIMS_Marine-satellite-imagery dataset (01-data/World_AIMS_Marine-satellite-imagery in the data download) for the Torres Strait region. The TrueColour imagery for the scenes covering the mapped area were downloaded. Both the reference 1 imagery (R1) and reference 2 imagery (R2) was copied for processing. R1 imagery contains the lowest noise, most cloud free imagery, while R2 contains the next best set of imagery. Both R1 and R2 are typically composite images from multiple dates.

The R2 images were selectively blended using manually created masks with the R1 images. This was done to get the best combination of both images and typically resulted in a reduction in some of the cloud artefacts in the R1 images. The mask creation and previewing of the blending was performed in Photoshop. The created masks were saved in 01-data/R2-R1-masks. To help with the blending of neighbouring images a feathered alpha channel was added to the imagery. The processing of the merging (using the masks) and the creation of the feathered borders on the images was performed using a Python script (src/local/03-merge-R2-R1-images.py) using the Pillow library and GDAL. The neighbouring image blending mask was created by applying a blurring of the original hard image mask. This allowed neighbouring image tiles to merge together.

The imagery and reference datasets (reef boundaries, EEZ) were loaded into QGIS for the creation of the printable maps.

To optimise the matching of the resulting map slight brightness adjustments were applied to each scene tile to match its neighbours. This was done in the setup of each image in QGIS. This adjustment was imperfect as each tile was made from a different combinations of days (to remove clouds) resulting in each scene having a different tonal gradients across the scene then its neighbours. Additionally Sentinel 2 has slight stripes (at 13 degrees off the vertical) due to the swath of each sensor having a slight sensitivity difference. This effect was uncorrected in this imagery.


Single merged composite GeoTiff:
The image tiles with alpha blended edges work well in QGIS, but not in ArcGIS Pro. To allow this imagery to be used across tools that don't support the alpha blending we merged and flattened the tiles into a single large GeoTiff with no alpha channel. This was done by rendering the map created in QGIS into a single large image. This was done in multiple steps to make the process manageable.

The rendered map was cut into twenty 1 x 1 degree georeferenced PNG images using the Atlas feature of QGIS. This process baked in the alpha blending across neighbouring Sentinel 2 scenes. The PNG images were then merged back into a large GeoTiff image using GDAL (via QGIS), removing the alpha channel. The brightness of the image was adjusted so that the darkest pixels in the image were 1, saving the value 0 for nodata masking and the boundary was clipped, using a polygon boundary, to trim off the outer feathering. The image was then optimised for performance by using internal tiling and adding overviews. A full breakdown of these steps is provided in the README.md in the 'Browse and download all data files' link.

The merged final image is available in export\TS_AIMS_Torres Strait-Sentinel-2_Composite.tif.


Source datasets:
Complete Great Barrier Reef (GBR) Island and Reef Feature boundaries including Torres Strait Version 1b (NESP TWQ 3.13, AIMS, TSRA, GBRMPA), https://eatlas.org.au/data/uuid/d2396b2c-68d4-4f4b-aab0-52f7bc4a81f5

Geoscience Australia (2014b), Seas and Submerged Lands Act 1973 - Australian Maritime Boundaries 2014a - Geodatabase [Dataset]. Canberra, Australia: Author. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ [license]. Sourced on 12 July 2017, https://dx.doi.org/10.4225/25/5539DFE87D895

Basemap/AU_GA_AMB_2014a/Exclusive_Economic_Zone_AMB2014a_Limit.shp
The original data was obtained from GA (Geoscience Australia, 2014a). The Geodatabase was loaded in ArcMap. The Exclusive_Economic_Zone_AMB2014a_Limit layer was loaded and exported as a shapefile. Since this file was small no clipping was applied to the data.

Geoscience Australia (2014a), Treaties - Australian Maritime Boundaries (AMB) 2014a [Dataset]. Canberra, Australia: Author. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ [license]. Sourced on 12 July 2017, http://dx.doi.org/10.4225/25/5539E01878302
Basemap/AU_GA_Treaties-AMB_2014a/Papua_New_Guinea_TSPZ_AMB2014a_Limit.shp
The original data was obtained from GA (Geoscience Australia, 2014b). The Geodatabase was loaded in ArcMap. The Papua_New_Guinea_TSPZ_AMB2014a_Limit layer was loaded and exported as a shapefile. Since this file was small no clipping was applied to the data.

AIMS Coral Sea Features (2022) - DRAFT
This is a draft version of this dataset. The region for Ashmore and Boot reef was checked. The attributes in these datasets haven't been cleaned up. Note these files should not be considered finalised and are only suitable for maps around Ashmore Reef. Please source an updated version of this dataset for any other purpose.
CS_AIMS_Coral-Sea-Features/CS_Names/Names.shp
CS_AIMS_Coral-Sea-Features/CS_Platform_adj/CS_Platform.shp
CS_AIMS_Coral-Sea-Features/CS_Reef_Boundaries_adj/CS_Reef_Boundaries.shp
CS_AIMS_Coral-Sea-Features/CS_Depth/CS_AIMS_Coral-Sea-Features_Img_S2_R1_Depth5m_Coral-Sea.shp
CS_AIMS_Coral-Sea-Features/CS_Depth/CS_AIMS_Coral-Sea-Features_Img_S2_R1_Depth10m_Coral-Sea.shp

Murray Island 20 Sept 2011 15cm SISP aerial imagery, Queensland Spatial Imagery Services Program, Department of Resources, Queensland
This is the high resolution imagery used to create the map of Mer.

World_AIMS_Marine-satellite-imagery
The base image composites used in this dataset were based on an early version of Lawrey, E., Hammerton, M. (2024). Marine satellite imagery test collections (AIMS) [Data set]. eAtlas. https://doi.org/10.26274/zq26-a956. A snapshot of the code at the time this dataset was developed is made available in the 01-data/World_AIMS_Marine-satellite-imagery folder of the download of this dataset.


Data Location:
This dataset is filed in the eAtlas enduring data repository at: data\custodian\2020-2029-AIMS\TS_AIMS_Torres-Strait-Sentinel-2-regional-maps. On the eAtlas server it is stored at eAtlas GeoServer\data\2020-2029-AIMS.


Change Log:
2025-05-12: Eric Lawrey
Added Torres-Strait-Region-Map-Masig-Ugar-Erub-45k-A0 and Torres-Strait-Eastern-Region-Map-Landscape-A0. These maps have a brighten satellite imagery to allow easier reading of writing on the maps. They also include markers for geo-referencing the maps for digitisation.

2025-02-04: Eric Lawrey
Fixed up the reference to the World_AIMS_Marine-satellite-imagery dataset, clarifying where the source that was used in this dataset. Added ORCID and RORs to the record.

2023-11-22: Eric Lawrey
Added the data and maps for close up of Mer.
- 01-data/TS_DNRM_Mer-aerial-imagery/
- preview/Torres-Strait-Mer-Map-Landscape-A0.jpeg
- exports/Torres-Strait-Mer-Map-Landscape-A0.pdf
Updated 02-Torres-Strait-regional-maps.qgz to include the layout for the new map.

2023-03-02: Eric Lawrey
Created a merged version of the satellite imagery, with no alpha blending so that it can be used in ArcGIS Pro. It is now a single large GeoTiff image. The Google Earth Engine source code for the World_AIMS_Marine-satellite-imagery was included to improve the reproducibility and provenance of the dataset, along with a calculation of the distribution of image dates that went into the final composite image. A WMS service for the imagery was also setup and linked to from the metadata. A cross reference to the older Torres Strait clear sky clear water Landsat composite imagery was also added to the record.

One-eighth of the United States (247.3 million acres) is managed by the Bureau of Land Management. As part of the Department of the Interior, the agency oversees the 30 million acre National Landscape Conservation System, a collection of lands that includes 221 wilderness areas, 23 national monuments and 636 other protected areas. Bureau of Land Management Lands contain over 63,000 oil and gas wells and provide forage for over 18,000 grazing permit holders on 155 million acres of land. Dataset SummaryPhenomenon Mapped: United States lands managed by the Bureau of Land ManagementGeographic Extent: Contiguous United States and AlaskaData Coordinate System: WGS 1984Visible Scale: The data is visible at all scales but draws best at scales larger than 1:2,000,000.Source: BLM Surface Management Agency layer, Rasterized by Esri from features May 2025.Publication Date: December 2024This layer is a view of the USA Federal Lands layer. A filter has been used on this layer to eliminate non-Bureau of Land Management lands. For more information on layers for other agencies see the USA Federal Lands layer.What can you do with this layer?This layer is suitable for both visualization and analysis across the ArcGIS system. This layer can be combined with your data and other layers from the ArcGIS Living Atlas of the World in ArcGIS Online and ArcGIS Pro to create powerful web maps that can be used alone or in a story map or other application.Because this layer is part of the ArcGIS Living Atlas of the World it is easy to add to your map:In ArcGIS Online you can add this layer to a map by selecting Add then Browse Living Atlas Layers. A window will open. Type "bureau of land management" in the search box and browse to the layer. Select the layer then click Add to Map.In ArcGIS Pro open a map and select Add Data from the Map Tab. Select Data at the top of the drop down menu. The Add Data dialog box will open on the left side of the box expand Portal if necessary then select Living Atlas. Type "bureau of land management" in the search box, browse to the layer then click OK.In both ArcGIS Online and Pro you can change the layer's symbology and view its attribute table. You can filter the layer to show subsets of the data using the filter button in Online or a definition query in Pro.The data can be exported to a file geodatabase, a shape file or other format and downloaded using the Export Data button on the top right of this webpage.This layer can be used as an analytic input in both Online and Pro through the Perform Analysis window Online or as an input to a geoprocessing tool, model, or Python script in Pro.The ArcGIS Living Atlas of the World provides an easy way to explore many other beautiful and authoritative maps on hundreds of topics like this one.Questions?Please leave a comment below if you have a question about this layer, and we will get back to you as soon as possible.

In the United States, the federal government manages lands in significant parts of the country. These lands include 193 million acres managed by the US Forest Service in the nation's 154 National Forests and 20 National Grasslands, Bureau of Land Management lands that cover 247 million acres in Alaska and the Western United States, 150 million acres managed for wildlife conservation by the US Fish and Wildlife Service, 84 million acres of National Parks and other lands managed by the National Park Service and over 30 million acres managed by the Department of Defense. The Bureau of Reclamation manages a much smaller land base than the other agencies included in this layer but plays a critical role in managing the country's water resources.The agencies included in this layer are:Bureau of Land ManagementBureau of ReclamationDepartment of DefenseNational Park ServiceUS Fish and Wildlife ServiceUS Forest ServiceDataset SummaryPhenomenon Mapped: United States lands managed by six federal agencies Coordinate System: Web Mercator Auxiliary SphereExtent: 50 United States plus Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and Northern Mariana Islands. The layer also includes National Monuments and Wildlife Refuges in the Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, and the Caribbean Sea.Visible Scale: The data is visible at all scales but draws best at scales greater than 1:2,000,000Source: BLM, DoD, USFS, USFWS, NPS, PADUS 2.1Publication Date: Various - Esri compiled and published this layer in May 2022. See individual agency views for data vintage.There are six layer views available that were created from this service. Each layer uses a filter to extract an individual agency from the service. For more information about the layer views or how to use them in your own project, follow these links:USA Bureau of Land Management LandsUSA Bureau of Reclamation LandsUSA Department of Defense LandsUSA National Park Service LandsUSA Fish and Wildlife Service LandsUSA Forest Service LandsWhat can you do with this Layer?This layer is suitable for both visualization and analysis across the ArcGIS system. This layer can be combined with your data and other layers from the ArcGIS Living Atlas of the World in ArcGIS Online and ArcGIS Pro to create powerful web maps that can be used alone or in a story map or other application.Because this layer is part of the ArcGIS Living Atlas of the World it is easy to add to your map:In ArcGIS Online, you can add this layer to a map by selecting Add then Browse Living Atlas Layers. A window will open. Type "federal lands" in the search box and browse to the layer. Select the layer then click Add to Map.In ArcGIS Pro, open a map and select Add Data from the Map Tab. Select Data at the top of the drop down menu. The Add Data dialog box will open on the left side of the box, expand Portal if necessary, then select Living Atlas. Type "federal lands" in the search box, browse to the layer then click OK.In both ArcGIS Online and Pro you can change the layer's symbology and view its attribute table. You can filter the layer to show subsets of the data using the filter button in Online or a definition query in Pro.The data can be exported to a file geodatabase, a shapefile or other format and downloaded using the Export Data button on the top right of this webpage.This layer can be used as an analytic input in both Online and Pro through the Perform Analysis window Online or as an input to a geoprocessing tool, model, or Python script in Pro.The ArcGIS Living Atlas of the World provides an easy way to explore many other beautiful and authoritative maps on hundreds of topics like this one.

The US Forest Service manages 193 million acres including the nation's 154 National Forests and 20 National Grasslands. These lands provide a wide variety of recreational opportunities, protect sources of clean water, and supply timber and forage.Dataset SummaryPhenomenon Mapped: United States lands managed by the US Forest ServiceGeographic Extent: Contiguous United States, Alaska, and Puerto RicoVisible Scale: The data is visible at all scales.Source: USFS Surface Ownership ParcelsPublication Date: May 2025This layer is a view of the USA Federal Lands layer. A filter has been used on this layer to eliminate non-Forest Service lands. For more information on layers for other agencies see the USA Federal Lands layer.What can you do with this Layer?This layer is suitable for both visualization and analysis across the ArcGIS system. This layer can be combined with your data and other layers from the ArcGIS Living Atlas of the World in ArcGIS Online and ArcGIS Pro to create powerful web maps that can be used alone or in a story map or other application.Because this layer is part of the ArcGIS Living Atlas of the World it is easy to add to your map:In ArcGIS Online you can add this layer to a map by selecting Add then Browse Living Atlas Layers. A window will open. Type "forest service" in the search box and browse to the layer. Select the layer then click Add to Map.In ArcGIS Pro open a map and select Add Data from the Map Tab. Select Data at the top of the drop down menu. The Add Data dialog box will open on the left side of the box expand Portal if necessary then select Living Atlas. Type "forest service" in the search box, browse to the layer then click OK.In both ArcGIS Online and Pro you can change the layer's symbology and view its attribute table. You can filter the layer to show subsets of the data using the filter button in Online or a definition query in ProThe data can be exported to a file geodatabase, a shape file or other format and downloaded using the Export Data button on the top right of this webpage..This layer can be used as an analytic input in both Online and Pro through the Perform Analysis window Online or as an input to a geoprocessing tool, model, or Python script in Pro.The ArcGIS Living Atlas of the World provides an easy way to explore many other beautiful and authoritative maps on hundreds of topics like this one.Questions?Please leave a comment below if you have a question about this layer, and we will get back to you as soon as possible.