Esri Supports Development of UCSB Ocean Use Application
—
The University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB), has now officially launched
SeaSketch, an ocean planning tool supported by Esri, the world leader in GIS.
Conservationists, planners, and ocean resource managers will use the GIS
application and Esri's ArcGIS Online to plan sustainable ocean use management.
"Helping
people make better decisions in the environmental space is extremely important
to me," said Jack Dangermond, president, Esri. "Our support of the
UCSB SeaSketch project is a component of the Esri Ocean GIS Initiative, which
allows people to positively impact the future through a deeper, geographic
understanding of the ocean."
Researchers
from the UCSB McClintock Lab designed SeaSketch to study human impacts on the
ocean environment and plan responsible resource management. An agency that buys
a SeaSketch subscription from UCSB can set up an online workspace and invite
planners and stakeholders to design and study plan elements such as marine
protected areas, aquaculture sites, and permitted fishing.
ArcGIS
Online, which is a cloud-based, collaborative content management system for
maps, applications, data, and other geospatial information, plays a major role
in SeaSketch. It enables project managers to discover an enormous amount of
geospatial data that may be helpful for their projects. Because SeaSketch
incorporates Esri's ArcGIS web development technology, project managers can
easily move from ArcGIS environments into SeaSketch. Organizations can leverage
existing investments in ArcGIS by directly pulling published map services into
SeaSketch, ensuring the application uses the most current data available.
Adding GIS tools and applications to SeaSketch extends its capabilities. For
example, adding Esri and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's
(NOAA) Benthic Terrain Modeler (BTM) gives users a set of geoprocessing tools
to analyze benthic terrain and classify surficial seafloor characteristics.
The
United Nations Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre
(UNEP-WCMC) will use SeaSketch to facilitate dialog among businesses,
organizations, and governments regarding the use of the high
seas."SeaSketch is a great step forward in interactive marine spatial
planning," said Damon Stanwell-Smith, acting head, marine assessment and
decision support program of UNEP-WCMC. "Marine data can be complicated and
complex to many people who need it. SeaSketch provides a friendly, intuitive
tool to help people understand ocean resources and work together to create a
plan."
For further information
visit: http://www10.giscafe.com/nbc/articles/view_article.php?section=CorpNews&articleid=1137827&printerfriendly=1
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