European Atlas of the Seas
The European Atlas of the Seas is an interactive electronic atlas on the coasts and seas within and around Europe. The atlas is freely accessible on the internet and is available in English, French and German. It is provided by the European Commission, Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, in the context of the implementation of the integrated maritime policy [1] (Communication 'An Integrated Maritime Policy for the European Union', COM(2007) 575 final, 10/10/2007).
Other names: European atlas of the oceans, European coastal atlas, European maritime atlas, European marine atlas
Purpose
The European Atlas of the Seas is intended for anyone interested in Europe's seas and coasts. It is developed to raise awareness and to share geographical information on the European coasts and seas, including on related human activities and relevant policies.
Content
The European Atlas of the Seas presents maps on various topics related to the seas and coasts, to socio-economic specificities of the coasts, to marine and maritime sectors, to administration and management of the coasts and the seas. Specifically:
- Geography of the seas and coasts: bathymetry, ports, land cover, hydrography, drainage basins, etc.
- Natural phenomena: Sea level change, wave height, tidal amplitude, geology (coastal geology and erosion), biology (chlorophyll concentration), physics (sea surface temperature), meteorology (wind speed), marine protected areas, etc.;
- Tourism: Tourist capacity, etc.
- Security and Safety: European pollution response vessels, coastal defence work, etc.
- People and employment: Gross domestic product (GDP), active population by sector, population density, demographic evolution, age characteristics…
- Transport, energy and maritime resources: Energy and transport infrastructure projects, passenger and good transport, etc.
- European governance: International conventions on protection of the marine environment, etc.
- Fisheries and aquaculture: Fisheries quotas by Member States and species, allocation of European fisheries funds, catches, fleet, production, processing, consumption, employment, trade, etc.
Most of the data displayed in the atlas has been collected from European Commission departments and European agencies, especially DG MARE, Eurostat, JRC and the EEA. The information source and date appears in each map's description.
Geographical coverage
The European Atlas of the Seas covers the seas and oceans within and around Europe:
- Arctic Ocean
- Atlantic Ocean, including the Celtic Seas, the Bay of Biscay – Atlantic Iberian Coast
- Baltic Sea
- Black Sea
- Mediterranean
- North Sea
- Outermost regions of the European Union
History
| October 2007 | Adoption of the integrated maritime policy for the European Union and its action plan, including the European Atlas of the Seas |
| January 2009 | Beginning of the atlas development |
| May 2010 | Release of the public beta version of the atlas |
| May–August 2010 | Public consultation and user testing |
| April 2011 | Release of version 1.0 of the atlas |
| Ongoing | Regular improvements and updates |
See also
References
- ↑ Integrated Maritime Policy, European Union
External links
- Atlas of the Seas, European Commission
- Atlas of the Seas news feed