Global Marine Geospatial Information System

Global Marine Geospatial Information System
Name	Global Marine Geospatial Information System
Formation	2006
Type	Intergovernmental initiative
Region served	Worldwide
Headquarters	Monaco
Parent organization	International Hydrographic Organization

Global Marine Geospatial Information System The Global Marine Geospatial Information System is an international initiative to coordinate marine geospatial data, metadata, and services for ocean mapping, coastal management, and maritime navigation. It links multilateral actors such as the United Nations agencies, the International Hydrographic Organization, and regional bodies like the European Union and Association of Southeast Asian Nations with national hydrographic offices including United States Navy, UK Hydrographic Office, and Japan Hydrographic Association. The system supports standards developed by organizations such as the Open Geospatial Consortium, International Organization for Standardization, and Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission.

Overview

The initiative emerged from collaborations among International Hydrographic Organization member states, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, and the World Meteorological Organization to address gaps identified after events involving Deepwater Horizon oil spill, Hurricane Katrina, and Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami of 2004. It emphasizes harmonization across datasets produced by agencies like the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, British Antarctic Survey, Geoscience Australia, and the Canadian Hydrographic Service. Key objectives include facilitating access to bathymetry from programs such as GEBCO, integrating satellite altimetry from missions like TOPEX/Poseidon and Jason (satellite) series, and supporting marine spatial planning initiatives associated with Convention on Biological Diversity commitments.

Governance and Organization

Governance is multi-layered, linking intergovernmental forums such as the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development and advisory groups including the Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) Marine Domain Working Group and the Group on Earth Observations. Operational coordination involves national agencies—National Aeronautics and Space Administration, European Space Agency, China Ocean Mineral Resources Research and Development Association—and regional commissions like the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's science panels and the Arctic Council. Technical working groups mirror standards bodies such as ISO/TC 211 and liaise with programmes like GEOSS and initiatives by World Bank for capacity building. Partnerships include foundations such as the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation and the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation.

Data Standards and Interoperability

Standards align with specifications from the Open Geospatial Consortium, International Hydrographic Organization's S-100 series, and ISO standards including ISO 19115. Interoperability leverages protocols from OGC Web Map Service, OGC Web Feature Service, and concepts endorsed by Group on Earth Observations to enable data exchange between agencies such as NOAA and UK Hydrographic Office. Metadata frameworks are consistent with practices promoted by International Council for the Exploration of the Sea and repositories used by PANGAEA (data publisher) and EMODnet. S-100 compliance supports product specifications for bathymetry, nautical charts, and marine habitat layers used by organizations like International Maritime Organization.

Core Components and Services

Core components include a distributed catalogue model akin to the Global Earth Observation System of Systems, centralized registries modeled on GEBCO Grid, and service endpoints for raster and vector products. Services provide bathymetric datasets from surveys conducted by research vessels such as R/V Knorr and RRS James Cook, real-time oceanographic feeds tied to ARGO (ocean profiling floats), and tide and current predictions interoperable with IERS and International Association for the Physical Sciences of the Oceans datasets. Visualization and dissemination tools integrate platforms used by Esri partners, QGIS community plugins, and marine planning tools similar to those developed under the European Marine Observation and Data Network.

Applications and Use Cases

Use cases span maritime safety for shipping routes monitored by International Maritime Organization conventions, offshore energy siting evaluated by companies and regulators like International Energy Agency analysts, and ecosystem-based management pursued under Convention on Biological Diversity targets. Disaster response leverages interoperable layers for tsunami inundation models used by UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction and coastal resilience planning by institutions such as the World Bank. Fisheries management benefits agencies like the Food and Agriculture Organization and regional bodies including the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization. Scientific research integrates with projects like Census of Marine Life, Global Ocean Observing System, and Marine Strategy Framework Directive assessments.

Implementation and Capacity Building

Implementation combines technical assistance from NOAA and UK Hydrographic Office with funding and training partnerships involving United Nations Development Programme, World Bank, and regional development banks like the Asian Development Bank. Capacity building includes workshops modeled on International Hydrographic Organization training schemes, curriculum contributions from universities such as Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, and University of Southampton, and open-source tool adoption promoted by communities around OpenStreetMap and QGIS. Data-sharing agreements are negotiated among ministries, research institutes like Lamont–Doherty Earth Observatory, and private contractors including Fugro.

Challenges and Future Directions

Challenges include geopolitical tensions affecting data access among parties to agreements like the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, technical hurdles in harmonizing legacy datasets from agencies such as Hydrographic Office of the Republic of Korea, and resource constraints highlighted by reports from Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Future directions emphasize integration with satellite constellations from Copernicus Programme and commercial providers like Planet Labs, advances in machine learning from groups at DeepMind and OpenAI for automated feature extraction, and enhanced governance through forums like United Nations General Assembly resolutions. Continued coordination with initiatives such as GEOSS and investment from philanthropic organizations including the Rockefeller Foundation will shape the program’s evolution.

Category:Marine geospatial information systems