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D.R. Green and S.D. King
decision-making, whilst also providing the option for data should data be required in the
context of a data analysis or modelling scenario.
Other examples include NOAA's Ocean GIS South East site (Fig. 9), which is
in many respects very similar to the Florida Marine Online website, the Australian
Coastal Atlas (Fig. 10), and Interwad (Fig. 11).
Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM)
One of the primary requirements for Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) is
data and information for decision-making and planning. Without access to either it is
very difficult to undertake ICZM. Prior to the development of sophisticated
communications and networking technology, and the desktop computer system, coastal
managers have been reliant upon data and information in the form of paper files,
documents, pictures and computer-based databases. Whilst adequate, the potential of
desktop computers, GIS and the Internet has opened up many new possibilities to
integrate many disparate data sources (archival and new), to store and manipulate huge
quantities of data and information, to utilise remotely sensed imagery and digital maps
in a single work environment. The Internet has extended the possibility to provide
online access to geospatial data and information for ICZM, offering many unique
advantages. This is how the Internet as a technology can help.
Through the provision of simple Internet browser interfaces, comprising taskspecific functionality tools (Back, Forward, Home, Print, Save), together with the
capability to design a sub-interface for the website with navigational buttons, indexes
and pointers to structured information, it is possible to utilise the Internet to provide
access to data and information.
CZM Information System Portals or Gateways
The concept of a portal or gateway is directed access to specific information - a sort of
'one-stop-shop' which acts as a collective signpost to similar or related data and
information. A number have already been developed, with the aim of providing a
directional pointer for the end-user seeking coastal data and information, thereby
avoiding the need to search. In effect a portal or gateway provides the end-user with the
much needed 'index' required.
An attempt to do this is that of SCOTCoast (http://www.abdn.ac.uk/scotcoast/)
(Fig. 12), a single website with links to the Firths Initiative sites: Forth Estuary Forum
(FEF); Solway Firth Partnership (SFP); and the Moray Firth Partnership (MFP). The
idea behind this is to try and initiate a Scottish coastal zone management framework
which will hopefully stimulate both a Scottish and a National interest in developing a
national coastal data and information resource for the UK.
A National Coastal Data and Information Resource
In the last few years, we have at the University of Aberdeen been trying to promote the
idea of the need for a nationally co-ordinated framework for geospatial data and
information for the coastal zone. Why?
D.R. Green and S.D. King
decision-making, whilst also providing the option for data should data be required in the
context of a data analysis or modelling scenario.
Other examples include NOAA's Ocean GIS South East site (Fig. 9), which is
in many respects very similar to the Florida Marine Online website, the Australian
Coastal Atlas (Fig. 10), and Interwad (Fig. 11).
Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM)
One of the primary requirements for Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) is
data and information for decision-making and planning. Without access to either it is
very difficult to undertake ICZM. Prior to the development of sophisticated
communications and networking technology, and the desktop computer system, coastal
managers have been reliant upon data and information in the form of paper files,
documents, pictures and computer-based databases. Whilst adequate, the potential of
desktop computers, GIS and the Internet has opened up many new possibilities to
integrate many disparate data sources (archival and new), to store and manipulate huge
quantities of data and information, to utilise remotely sensed imagery and digital maps
in a single work environment. The Internet has extended the possibility to provide
online access to geospatial data and information for ICZM, offering many unique
advantages. This is how the Internet as a technology can help.
Through the provision of simple Internet browser interfaces, comprising taskspecific functionality tools (Back, Forward, Home, Print, Save), together with the
capability to design a sub-interface for the website with navigational buttons, indexes
and pointers to structured information, it is possible to utilise the Internet to provide
access to data and information.
CZM Information System Portals or Gateways
The concept of a portal or gateway is directed access to specific information - a sort of
'one-stop-shop' which acts as a collective signpost to similar or related data and
information. A number have already been developed, with the aim of providing a
directional pointer for the end-user seeking coastal data and information, thereby
avoiding the need to search. In effect a portal or gateway provides the end-user with the
much needed 'index' required.
An attempt to do this is that of SCOTCoast (http://www.abdn.ac.uk/scotcoast/)
(Fig. 12), a single website with links to the Firths Initiative sites: Forth Estuary Forum
(FEF); Solway Firth Partnership (SFP); and the Moray Firth Partnership (MFP). The
idea behind this is to try and initiate a Scottish coastal zone management framework
which will hopefully stimulate both a Scottish and a National interest in developing a
national coastal data and information resource for the UK.
A National Coastal Data and Information Resource
In the last few years, we have at the University of Aberdeen been trying to promote the
idea of the need for a nationally co-ordinated framework for geospatial data and
information for the coastal zone. Why?