Learn how to use the Portal

This page offers a list of instructional materials and resources for users interested in learning more about our tools and data. Users can also visit our Data Catalog for explanations about any specific map layer.

The Portal is continually under development with new data and features to meet our users’ needs. We encourage users to visit the Portal News blog regularly for details about the latest site updates and see our Calendar page for upcoming sessions of our How Tuesday instructional webinar series.

Full “Portal 101” overview lesson from our June 2025 How Tuesday webinar
Marine Planner Basics: Video tutorial | Diagram (PDF)
How to import GIS files and create polygons, points and lines with the Shapes Tool
How to use the Map Layer Import Tool
How to create and run Portal Groups
How to use the Linear Measurement Tool
How to use the Marine Life Library search tool (video)
How to use the Communities at Sea search tool (video)
How to use the Slider & Animation tool | Video tutorial
How to download and use the Portal mobile app.
Download our fact sheet.