MarineMap a web-based tool for MPAs

How MarineMap facilitates environmental conflict resolution

MarineMap is a web-based decision support tool for open and participatory spatial planning in the marine environment.
MarineMap offers a simple, flexible and powerful means of gathering expertise from resource managers, scientists, stakeholders and public in a process of collaborative decision making.

The MarineMap Consortium brings together personnel and skills from UC Santa Barbara, Ecotrust, and The Nature Conservancy.
They create open-source spatial tools that integrate and illuminate the human dimensions of marine science and policy.

The 1999 Marine Life Protection Act directs the state of California to design and manage a network of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in order to, among other things, protect marine life and habitats, marine ecosystems, and marine natural heritage, as well as improve recreational, educational and study opportunities provided by marine ecosystems.
Actually, MarineMap is a mashup of the California coastline and MPAs. The map has a large number of features and manages to include a massive amount of data.

The stated aim of MarineMap is to assist organizations involved in mapping of the oceanographic, biological, geological, chemical, and human dimensions of the ocean and coastal areas. They provide organizations with customized solutions for data storage, data sharing, and web-based mapping.

"Because such a diverse range of organizations and individuals have a stake in marine habitat protection, it is critical that MarineMap be accessible to individuals without technical GIS training.

MarineMap allows residents to define scientifically defensible MPAs in a collaborative manner.
"An absolutely critical component to this project is the ability for users to share their proposed marine protected areas and analyses with other stakeholders. Stakeholders can then collaborate and negotiate to come up with the best scenarios," said Matt Merrifield, GIS Manager for The Nature Conservancy.

Whether a stakeholder is a fisherman, a scientist, or environmental advocate, each needs to be able to draw on a map the location of marine resources to be preserved," said Will McClintock, Marine Map Director at the UCSB Marine Science Institute.

A couple of days ago, the U.S. Institute for Environmental Conflict Resolution awarded MarineMap the “Innovation in Technology and Environmental Conflict Resolution”.

Links :

• Introduction to MarineMap / video tour : 1 & 2
  
• North Coast / South Coast MarineMap
• Marine Protected Areas US Center
• Atlantic Arc MPA network : MAIA web GIS
  

UK update in the Marine GeoGarage

1186 (River Thames Canvey Island to Tilbury) updated

27 charts from UK have been updated in the Marine GeoGarage :

• 1796 Barra Head to Point of Ardnamurchan
• 2207 Point of Ardnamurchan to the Sound of Sleat
• 2345 Plans in South-West Cornwall
• 1186 River Thames Canvey Island to Tilbury
• 1765 Old Head of Kinsale to Power Head
• 2053 Kinsale Harbour and Oyster Haven
• 2581 Southern Approaches to Scapa Flow
• 2896 Port Salalah and Approaches
• 1867 Firth of Clyde Hunterston Channel and Rothesay Sound
• 2841 Outer Hebrides, Loch Maddy to Loch Resort
• 3113 Cape Three Points to Saltpond
• 3432 Saltpond to Tema
• 129 Whitby to Flamborough Head
• 134 River Tees to Scarborough
• 1183 Thames Estuary
• 1188 River Humber Spurn Head to Immingham
• 3497 River Humber Immingham to Humber Bridge
• 1543 Winterton Ness to Orford Ness
• 1889 Cromarty Firth Cromarty Bank to Invergordon
• 1890 Cromarty Firth Invergordon to Dingwall
• 1975 Thames Estuary Northern Part
• 2290 River Exe and Approaches including Exeter Canal
• 3781 Ra's Laffan Port
• 105 Cromer Knoll and the Outer Banks
• 1200 The Wash Ports
• 1535 Lowestoft and Approaches
• 1934 East Coast, River Tyne

Note : on April 6th, we officially obtained the rights to publish the maritime charts from Argentina, Belgium, Malta, Netherlands and Oman (countries whose respective Hydrographic Services have signed bilateral agreements with UKHO)

So 721 charts are now included in the UK layer.

Note : don't forget to visit the UKHO Notice to Mariners web page for updates to Admiralty Charts by Chart or NM number

In this way, we plan to include a part of the available UKHO charts for South Africa, Spain and Portugal in our next update.

NASA develops enhanced search and rescue satellite system

From ScienceDaily

The next generation of GPS satellites just began existence late Thursday night (see previous post link) with the launch of the new GPS 2F-1, a solar-powered satellite designed for a 12-year mission.
This new satellite has twice the signal accuracy of previous navigation satellites, and the new constellation will also contain a next-generation international search and rescue system called the Distress Alerting Satellite System (DASS).

The DASS alerting system is a combined effort by NASA, NOAA, the U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Coast Guard. The system is in testing now, with instruments aboard 12 satellites that can detect the 406 MHz signal that is generated from beacons on aircraft, vessels and individuals.
The new system can accurate locate the beacons almost immediately using only the frequency signal, overcoming a limitation of the previous system that required an unrealiable GPS signal to assist in determining location.

NASA, which pioneered the technology used for the satellite-aided search and rescue capability that has saved more than 27,000 lives worldwide since its inception nearly three decades ago, has developed new technology that will more quickly identify the locations of people in distress and reduce the risk of rescuers.

The Search and Rescue Mission Office at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., in collaboration with several government agencies, has developed a next-generation search and rescue system, called the Distress Alerting Satellite System (DASS).
NASA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the U.S. Air Force, the U.S. Coast Guard and other agencies, are now completing the development and testing of the new system and expect to make it operational in the coming years after a complete constellation of DASS-equipped satellites is launched.

When it goes online, DASS will be able to almost instantaneously detect and locate distress signals generated by 406 MHz beacons installed on aircraft and vessels or carried by individuals, greatly enhancing the international community's ability to rescue people in distress, said NASA Search and Rescue Mission Manager David Affens.
This improved capability is made possible because the satellite-based instruments used to relay the emergency signals will be installed on the U.S. military's Global Position System (GPS), a constellation of 24 spacecraft operating in mid-Earth orbit (MEO).

Under the current system, which first became operational in the mid-1980s as part of the international COSPAS-SARSAT system, the so-called "repeaters" are placed on NOAA weather satellites operating in low-Earth (LEO) and geostationary orbits.
Although it has proven its effectiveness, as evidenced by the number of persons rescued over the system's lifetime, the current capability does have limitations, Affens said.

The LEO spacecraft orbit the Earth 14 times a day and use the Doppler effect to help pinpoint the location of the signal. However, a satellite may not be in position to pick up a distress signal the moment a user activates the beacon.

NOAA's geosynchronous weather satellites, on the other hand, orbit above the Earth in a fixed location over the equator. Although they do provide continuous visibility of much of the Earth, they cannot independently locate a beacon unless it contains a navigation receiver that encodes and transmits its position. Emergency beacons are offered both with and without GPS location data. Furthermore, the beacon-to-satellite link can be obstructed by terrain.

DASS overcomes these limitations, said Mickey Fitzmaurice, space systems engineer for the NOAA Search and Rescue Satellite-Aided Tracking (SARSAT) program, the organization that operates the U.S. component of the COSPAS-SARSAT system now comprised of 40 nations. "With a mid-Earth orbit search and rescue capability provided by GPS, one emergency signal goes off, and six satellites will be in view," he said. "Almost instantly, I can begin processing the signal to determine its precise location. Right now, it can take an hour or more before we can even act on a signal," he said.

Goddard began work on the new system in 2002, a few years after studies revealed that repeaters placed on a constellation of satellites operating in mid-Earth orbit would significantly enhance search and rescue efforts. With NASA funding, Goddard engineers developed a proof-of-concept instrument and worked with the Air Force to fly it on GPS satellites to demonstrate and evaluate its effectiveness.
Currently, nine GPS satellites are flying the proof-of-concept technology and an additional 12 are planned. Goddard is using the testing to fine tune the technology before transitioning to a final system after 2015, which will be deployed on the Air Force's Block III GPS satellites.

As part of their research and development effort, Goddard engineers also designed and built a new ground-tracking station on the Goddard campus to receive, decode, and locate the 406 MHz distress beacons worldwide. NOAA plans to use the design when it begins constructing a DASS ground station in Hawaii next year and perhaps another in Florida in the future, Fitzmaurice said.

The U.S. will not be alone in using mid-Earth orbiting spacecraft for its search and rescue instruments. Europe has begun development of a search and rescue capability on its Galileo system, Russia, its GLONASS system, and China, its Compass system. All are modeled after the NASA-developed DASS.

"DASS technology is the future of international satellite-aided search and rescue," Affens added. "A few years ago, we looked to see how we could improve the system and we concluded that the international search and rescue community would benefit from new technology installed on GPS. We would be able to identify distress signals faster and with a greater level of precision. In the end, this will save more lives, reduce risk to rescuers, and save money because less time will be spent searching."

NOAA, as the lead U.S. agency for the SARSAT program, maintains a national registration database of 406 MHz emergency beacons. "The database is a vital part of the SARSAT program and is used to expedite the search process, especially if the location of the beacon is not immediately known," said Mickey Fitzmaurice, space systems engineer for the NOAA SARSAT program.

Should NOAA receive an alert, the agency can contact names listed on the database to validate the signal and get probable locations of the person in distress. This enhances the overall rescue coordination process and prevents unneeded rescue attempts if the beacon is accidentally activated.

Although commercial vessel and aircraft operators are required by law to carry emergency beacons, recreational users are not. However, anyone who owns an emergency beacon is required to register their names, addresses, vessel or aircraft information and emergency phone numbers with the registration database.

Fitzmaurice encourages recreational boaters, aviators, and hikers to buy beacons and register their information to help assure rapid rescue.
For more information, visit : https://beaconregistration.noaa.gov/rgdb

Links :

• Sailor reflects on NASA technology that saved his life
• US Coast Guard : Emergency Position Indicating Radiobeacon (EPIRB) information
  

South Atlantic map plots Falklands claims

Argentina and UK claims to maritime jurisdiction in the South Atlantic and Southern Oceans

From ScienceDaily

Researchers at Durham University have drawn up new maps to show the competing claims of Argentina and the UK for resources in the South Atlantic and Southern Oceans.

The publication of the maps follows the discovery of oil south of the Falkland Islands by a British company, Rockhopper Exploration, and a series of historical arguments about sovereignty and the rights to resources in the South Atlantic.

Argentina and Britain went to war over sovereignty of the Falklands (also known as Islas Malvinas in Spanish) in 1982, and despite the former's surrender, the South American state has maintained its territorial claims to the islands.

In December 2009, Argentina passed a law declaring its sovereignty of the islands and other British overseas territories in the region.

The Durham map was compiled using data from a variety of sources, including the submissions of the two states to the United Nations Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf. Specialist mapping software (Caris LOTS) was used to construct the jurisdictional limits depicted on the map.

The decision by Durham University to comprehensively map the claims in the area highlights the complicated issues that remain following the British defeat of the Argentineans almost 30 years ago. The information is the first ever comparative map of resource claims in the region.

The Durham map shows:

1. where Argentina claims rights over marine resources
2. where UK claims rights over marine resources
3. competing claims

Director of Research at Durham University's International Boundaries Research Unit (IBRU), Martin Pratt said: "The map is designed to show the extent of the competing claims between the UK and Argentina and highlights the complications that exist in determining the claims for resources in the South Atlantic and Southern Oceans.

An early Spanish map of the Falkland Islands (1769)

"The islands generate rights over the resources of more than 2.5 million square kilometres of sea and seabed in the South Atlantic Ocean alone, and both countries have recently defined the areas over which they claim sovereign rights. IBRU's maps highlight the nature of those claims and identify the areas in which the claims overlap.

With the search for oil in this area continuing to intensify, the potential for conflict over the sovereignty of the waters between Argentina and the UK remains high.
Some oil companies estimate a potential 3.5 billion barrels of oil and nine trillion cubic feet of natural gas exist under the South Atlantic waiting to be extracted. A study by the British Geological Society suggested that up to 60 billion barrels of oil could lie beneath the seas to the north of the Falklands -- a similar-sized deposit to that in the North Sea.
Martin Pratt said: "The discovery of oil in the North Falkland Basin is likely to exacerbate tensions between the UK and Argentina concerning sovereignty over the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands.

"Although sovereignty over the islands remains the key issue, determining maritime jurisdiction around the islands -- and off disputed territory in Antarctica -- will be a complex and challenging task."

Following British claims on the potentially highly lucrative deep sea oil fields within the islands' 200-mile economic zone, Argentinean officials have revived the country's claims to sovereignty over the Falkland Islands.

In February 2010, British warships were on standby in response to rising tensions in the area over British firms exploring for oil. Argentina demanded a halt to the drilling which it deemed was illegal and imposed a permit restriction on ships approaching the islands.
Links :

• DailyMail : flashpoint in the Falklands, Argentine anger as British oil rig moves in today and MoD beefs up our forces
• CNN : news report about the political consequences of recent oil exploration activity around the Falkland Islands

NOAA forecasts active 2010 Atlantic hurricane season

GOES satellite animation of Hurricane Katrina (August 2005)

From NOAA

An “active to extremely active” hurricane season is expected for the Atlantic Basin this year according to the seasonal outlook issued Thursday 27th by NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center – a division of the National Weather Service.
As with every hurricane season, this outlook underscores the importance of having a hurricane preparedness plan in place.

Across the entire Atlantic Basin for the six-month season, which begins June 1, NOAA is projecting a 70 percent probability of the following ranges:

• 14 to 23 Named Storms (top winds of 39 mph or higher), including:
• 8 to 14 Hurricanes (top winds of 74 mph or higher), of which:
• 3 to 7 could be Major Hurricanes (Category 3, 4 or 5; winds of at least 111 mph)

“If this outlook holds true, this season could be one of the more active on record,” said Jane Lubchenco, Ph.D., under secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and NOAA administrator. “The greater likelihood of storms brings an increased risk of a landfall. In short, we urge everyone to be prepared.”

The outlook ranges exceed the seasonal average of 11 named storms, six hurricanes and two major hurricanes.

Expected factors supporting this outlook are:

• Upper atmospheric winds conducive for storms : Wind shear, which can tear apart storms, will be weaker since El Niño in the eastern Pacific has dissipated. Strong wind shear helped suppress storm development during the 2009 hurricane season. (see NOAA)
  

• Warm Atlantic Ocean water : Sea surface temperatures are expected to remain above average where storms often develop and move across the Atlantic. Record warm temperatures – up to four degrees Fahrenheit above average – are now present in this region.
  

High activity era continues. Since 1995, the tropical multi-decadal signal has brought favorable ocean and atmospheric conditions in sync, leading to more active hurricane seasons. Eight of the last 15 seasons rank in the top ten for the most named storms with 2005 in first place with 28 named storms.

“The main uncertainty in this outlook is how much above normal the season will be. Whether or not we approach the high end of the predicted ranges depends partly on whether or not La Niña develops this summer,” said Gerry Bell, Ph.D., lead seasonal hurricane forecaster at NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center. “At present we are in a neutral state, but conditions are becoming increasingly favorable for La Niña to develop.”

"FEMA is working across the administration and with our state and local partners to ensure we're prepared for hurricane season," said FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate. "But we can only be as prepared as the public, so it's important that families and businesses in coastal communities take steps now to be ready. These include developing a communications plan, putting together a kit, and staying informed of the latest forecasts and local emergency plans. You can't control when a hurricane or other emergency may happen, but you can make sure you're ready."

The president recently designated May 23-29, 2010, as National Hurricane Preparedness Week. NOAA and FEMA encourage those living in hurricane-prone states to use this time to review their overall preparedness.
More information on individual and family preparedness can be found at www.ready.gov and www.hurricanes.gov/prepare.

NOAA scientists will continue to monitor evolving conditions in the tropics and will issue an updated hurricane outlook in early August, just prior to what is historically the peak period for hurricane activity.

This also means that they could even halt BP's efforts to stem the Gulf of Mexico oil leak.
"If we have a severe storm... my biggest concern is storm surge. Pushing oil up on land even further, up on beach areas in Mississippi, possibly Alabama," said meteorologist Aaron Studwell.
Such a surge would damage beaches and further inundate marshes that authorities are currently straining to protect from the oil leak.
He added that even if BP were to halt further leaking immediately, enough oil is in the sea already to cause an environmental disaster.

Links :

• National Hurricane Center providing detailed location and forecasting of tropical storms and hurricanes
• Tropical cyclone heat potential
  
• NOAA CSC : historial hurricane tracks
• NASA : Sea Surface Temperatures at the start of 2010 Hurricane season
  
• CNN : Hurricane plus oil equals more problems
• DailyScience : Undersea forces from hurricanes may threaten Gulf pipelines