Caribbean Marine Atlas

Caribbean Marine Atlas

The Caribbean Marine Atlas (CMA) was developed within the framework of the Ocean Data and Information Network for the Caribbean and South America (ODINCARSA) project and under the sponsorship of the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization  (UNESCO/IOC-IODE-ICAM* programmes and the Government of Flanders (Kingdom of Belgium). This pilot project is a joint initiative of nine countries in the Caribbean region. The purpose of the project is to identify, collect and organize geo-spatial datasets into an atlas of coastal and marine-focused environmental themes for the Caribbean region.   Data will be incorporated from both past and present national and regional projects and programmes within each participating country as well as various other sources within and outside the region from the public/private sectors and non-governmental organizations that facilitate data re-distribution. The Atlas will also contain the best metadata available and links to source datasets where applicable. Through various modes of delivery, such as WMS, WFS and WCS** technologies, the CMA will accommodate users from the beginner to the more experienced.   The CMA will be a regional to national scale digital atlas comprising easily viewable and downloadable data on various key themes relevant to the marine and coastal environment of the Caribbean. Among these themes are coastal habitats, fisheries, environmental quality, climate change and sea level rise, oceanography, as well as socio-economic aspects. It is intended to provide essential datasets directly to concerned scientists, coastal zone management practitioners, and natural resource managers, and will also set the stage for the development of decision-makers’ toolkits that rely on geo-spatial information.   For more information, please visit: http://caribbeanmarineatlas.org/