Online Atlas of Ocean and Great Lakes Offers Downloadable Data

From a press release from the state of New York, emphasis mine:

Under the auspices of the New York Ocean and Great Lakes Ecosystem Conservation Council, Commissioner of the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Pete Grannis and Secretary of State Lorraine Cortés-Vázquez today announced the launch of the New York Ocean and Great Lakes Atlas, which allows the public to incorporate hundreds of data sets of New York State’s resources into an internet-based atlas.

...
The atlas is an online mapping program that makes it possible to download data into Google Earth Geographic Information System (GIS) software. Currently, more than 200 data sets that contain information on such resources as storm drains, wetland boundaries, underwater vegetation, park locations, and fisheries are available through the atlas. Eventually, more than 900 datasets will be included. The atlas can be accessed at WWW.NYOGLATLAS.ORG .

The data can also be downloaded in shapefile and MapInfo formats. I wonder why if the vision is that users will want to view the data layers in Google Earth, the Council opted to build an atlas on other technology. I can’t tell which technology is in use, in a quick look, but it certainly is not as flashy as Google Maps/Earth.