Step 2: Compile Data

  Overview

Marine planning typically relies on both spatial and non-spatial information characterizing the coastal and marine space. An organized collection of information is useful for all types of participants involved in marine planning. Data allow you to visualize the locations of current environments and human activities and serve as a foundation for discussions of future plans. Often, data also serve as inputs to predictive models and marine planning decision-support tools. Other times data are used to visually depict or quantify elements of Scenarios. The uses for the data should be clearly identified before data are collected – often based on the goals established during the Scope and Analyze steps. Generally, useful data include biophysical and oceanographic information such as elevation and bathymetry, maps of human activities such as transportation routes or fishing grounds, the distribution of coastal and marine habitats, and socioeconomic data like those provided by official censuses. When monetary valuation is a part of the assessment, additional data on market prices or property values may also be pertinent.
 

  Tips


 

  Global Databases

There are many useful marine planning data sources available online, including:
  • Blue Habitats - Home to the global seafloor geomorphic features map
  • The International Monetary Fund - A range of time series data on IMF lending, exchange rates and other economic and financial indicators
  • MarineExplore.org - The world's ocean data at your fingertips; access measurements and create datasets
  • MODIS - Products from a variety of disciplines, including oceanography, biology, and atmospheric science
  • Natural Earth - A cartographic dataset available at 1:10m, 1:50m, and 1:110 million scales
  • NCEAS Data Repository - Research datasets collected and collated as part of research synthesis activities
  • BOEM/NOAA - MarineCadastre.gov - Data for the offshore energy and marine planning communities
  • Ocean Health Index - Annual global assessments: data, methods, and code for to represent ocean benefits to humans
  • OpenFisheries.org - A platform for aggregating global fishery data
  • OpenStreetMap - Download points, lines, and polygons representing a wide range of cultural features
  • Reefs at Risk Database - A global database of coral reefs and threats from a wide range of human activities
  • UNEP Ocean Data Viewer - Data for the conservation of marine and coastal biodiversity
  • USGS Global Visualization Viewer - A global, searchable database of historical Landsat imagery
  • USGS/WWF HydroSHEDS - A global, void-filled digital elevation model (DEM) at 90-meter resolution
  • The World Bank - Socioeconomic indicators and microdata by country
  • Worldpop - High resolution, contemporary data on human population distributions

    •   Regional Databases

    Click on the links or hover over the map markers to learn more about these regional marine planning databases.
  • Africa Marine Atlas - Africa
  • Alaska Shorezone Coastal Mapping and Imagery - USA
  • Australian Marine Spatial Information System (AMSIS) - Australia
  • Baltic Sea Bathymetry Database - Northern Europe
  • Biodiversity and Environmental Resource Data System of Belize (BERDS) - Belize
  • British Columbia Marine Conservation Analysis (BCMCA) - Canada
  • C3A - Regional database on the effects of climate change for the coasts of Latin America and the Caribbean
  • California DFW: Marine Region GIS Unit - USA
  • Coral Triangle (CT) Atlas - SE Asia
  • Gulf of Mexico Data Atlas - A catalog of regional datasets for modelers (time-series, climatologies, etc.)
  • Mid-Atlantic Ocean Data Portal (MARCO) - USA
  • NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI)
      - Merges data from the National Climatic Data Center, National Geophysical and Oceanographic Data Centers
  • Northeast Ocean Data Portal - USA
  • US Census Bureau - USA
  • UK Office for National Statistics - England and Wales
  • USGS National Elevation Dataset (NED) - USA


    • Do you know of other global or regional marine planning databases? E-mail us the details!

     

      InVEST Helper Tools


    Spatial and tabular data typically require some amount of processing before they can be plugged into Marine InVEST or other marine planning decision-support tools. Data processing is a challenging but necessary step. NatCap has created a Marine Planning Toolset and documentation to assist InVEST users with preparing and formatting data inputs for analyzing ecosystem service outcomes:
    1. InVEST 3.x Data Requirements - A spreadsheet listing the required and optional inputs for each InVEST model
    2. InVEST 3.x User's Guide - Each chapter includes a "Data Needs" section that outlines input and formatting requirements for InVEST models
    3. Marine Planning Helper Tools - A GIS toolbox for pre-processing data to be used with marine InVEST models (requires ArcGIS 10.x license)
    4. Experimental Software Tools - A discussion thread where NatCap staff and members of our community of practice share details about new software tools

     

      Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

    Q: Where can I find data for marine planning?
    A: We have compiled a select list of global and regional marine planning databases (see above). Environmental NGOs and local government agencies often have data available upon request or through a data sharing agreement. Some partners and collaborators may also have a network of data sources. When requesting data, be clear and transparent about how your team intends to use the information. Another good source is the peer-reviewed scientific literature. Even if you don’t have data from your specific site to parameterize models, you may be able to find data from the larger region around your site in a published paper (e.g., supplemental text in Arkema et al. 2014). Generally, data about the spatial distribution and intensity of human activities that reflect your current and possible future management scenarios (i.e., zones of human uses if relevant to your process) will come from local government agencies. Maps of habitats and species can be acquired from global databases and local or international NGOs. Parameters and other input data for ecosystem service models generally come from scientific experts and their local data, the peer reviewed literature, and global databases.

    Q: How do I handle data gaps?
    A: Lack of data can present a serious challenge. A GIS analyst may be able to compile different sources of information and piece them together as a continuous data set (e.g., seagrass data sets for the United States in Arkema et al. 2013). Also, keep in mind that stakeholders often respond well to qualitative outputs too. Ultimately, it's important to be clear throughout the process as to where there is uncertainty or lack of confidence due to paucity of information.

    Q: How much is enough data?
    A: Revisit the project objectives and methodologies outlined during the scoping process. Begin by collecting enough data to do preliminary analysis or to run the selected decision support tool. It is often easier and more pragmatic to add and refine data throughout the process rather than waiting for "final" data.

    Q: How does InVEST lack of data for model inputs?
    A: InVEST was designed to be flexible and applied at multiple scales. We provide global and regional base data with InVEST to get you started running models in your study area right away. These initial runs can help you identify data gaps and guide future data collection efforts.

     

      Links

     

      Use-Cases

    Use the expand [+] button to learn more about this data compilation step in the context of select NatCap use-cases.top

    Mozambique

    Mozambique is a data limited region. For this project, we worked closely with local partners to map spatial information about human uses, key habitats and animal species. Google Earth was used as a simple platform to create and share maps and enable non-GIS users to generate and edit spatial data. Conversations with local partners were critical in brainstorming simple ways to map key human uses, like artisanal fishing, which had not been mapped explicitly. In this example, by combining information about fishing centers, with estimates of how far fishermen travel from those centers, we were able to create a good representation of different fishing activities.

    Barbados

    Our core Barbados project team was dispearsed throughout four different offices in the United States. Since most of this collaboration was accomplished remotely, careful management of project data and outputs became essential. We used free accounts with Google Drive to store and track data we already had, datasets we could readily access if needed, and information we hoped to acquire. This online system helped our partners document project data sources, including spatial resolution, map units and scale. Preliminary results from InVEST models identified additional data needs and made it clear to our in-country collaborators how these data would be used in the assessment.

    New England

    The team in New England is using a variety of data sources to tackle some wide-ranging research questions. The Northeast Ocean Data Portal is a comprehensive online portal for marine planning-relevant data. The US Geological Survey and Rhode Island Geographic Information System offer detailed digital elevation models (DEMs). We are also using NOAA trawl survey fisheries and oceanographic data.