The UK Digital Marine Atlas Project: An Evolutionary Approach Towards a Marine Information System

Abstract

In common with many organizations the United Kingdom Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) collects large quantities of spatial data. Within the marine sciences the cataloguing, promotion, and dissemination of information is a major undertaking. In order to assist with, and develop this task, a recent study has looked at the potential use of computerised information systems, ranging from simple digital catalogues to geographic information systems. This paper discusses the characteristics and problems involved in handling and disseminating marine information and outlines the results of trials with a simple demonstrator system based on a digital version of an existing paper-based marine atlas and the development of an operational digital marine atlas system. More recent experiments with a proprietary Geographic Information System (GIS) suggest that current GIS technology can only go so far in providing a solution and that new techniques must be developed for coping with the diverse spatial nature of marine information