The CCAMLR online Geographical Information System (GIS) is the result of a collaborative development with the British Antarctic Survey in Cambridge, UK. It provides a state-of-the-art repository for managing spatial data for CCAMLR.
Stage 1 of the development was completed in December 2013 providing maps of:
- CCAMLR’s management areas,
- small-scale research units,
- registered vulnerable marine ecosystems (VME) and
- VME risk areas.
Users may also view the latest extent of sea-ice, search for place names, and zoom to specific areas; users with log-in access to the CCAMLR website may also download data layers. Data layers may be selected from a drop-down list (on the right-hand side of the screen), and menu buttons across the top of the screen provide navigation options (hover mouse over each button for a brief description).
Stage 2 was completed in April 2014 and allows:
- All users to download CCAMLR GIS datasets that are in the public domain,
- authenticated users to upload their own datasets,
- user uploaded data sets to be shared with other CCAMLR users,
- greater capacity within the Secretariat for operating the GIS and
- deployment of the GIS on CCAMLR's IT infrastructure.
The Secretariat has also developed a tool, the CCAMLRGIS R Package, to convert georeferenced data into shapefiles. The resulting files can then be uploaded to CCAMLR's online GIS or any other GIS.
CCAMLR will continue to improve the quality and extent of the data being made available through the GIS and will use the system as the primary source for managing spatial data.
For further information, and user feedback, please contact the Secretariat.