Publication Abstract

Coastal zone mapping in England and Wales: Where are we now?

F.L. Franklin and V.L. Hurrell

CEFAS is an Executive Agency of the UK Government's Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAFF). Founded in 1902, it was formerly known as the Directorate of Fisheries Research (dfr). It provides advice on, and carries out research into, a wide range of activities in the coastal and marine environment. As much of this information has a geographic component, mapping has a key role to play in enabling users, both within CEFAS and elsewhere, to access information held within various parts of the organisation. CEFAS has been at the forefront of marine and coastal zone mapping since the early 1970s. Previous initiatives have included production of the MAFF-funded Atlas of the Seas around the British Isles and collaboration in the UK Digital Marine Atlas Project (UKDMAP). The organisation currently uses desktop mapping software to produce up-to-date maps of activities in the marine and coastal zone. Integrating this information helps to identify potential conflicts and thus enhances the scientific advice provided to MAFF in fulfilment of its statutory responsibilities. This paper describes how these early activities led to a MAFF-funded project, which began in 1999. The project aims to develop the geographical information held within the various parts of CEFAS into a single, readily accessible source of up-to-the minute data, to forge links between mapping projects being carried out by other UK organisations and to help to determine the future direction of marine and coastal zone.

Reference:

F.L. Franklin* and V.L. Hurrell* (2000) Marine and coastal zone geographic information: mapping the future of the United Kingdom. pp55-64 In: IFREMER CoastGIS 99: geomatics and coastal environment, Brest 9-11 September 1999. IFREMER, Paris.