Ecosystem Management
This dataset shows the global distribution of coral reefs in tropical and subtropical regions. It is the most comprehensive global dataset of warm-water coral reefs to date, acting as a foundation baseline map for future, more detailed, work.
Countries in the Western Indian Ocean are endowed with coastal and marine ecosystems rich in biodiversity and luxuriant resources that are important to the wellbeing of their people. However, these resources are under pressure from a variety of natural and man-made factors, including; resource overexploitation, pollution, unplanned coastal development and climate change. Marine litter is becoming a significant contributor to marine pollution in the World Oceans and Western Indian Ocean (WIO), is not exempt. Over 80% of marine pollution that constitute marine litter
Bioconstructions such as coralligenous outcrops and maërl beds are typical Mediterranean underwater seascapes. Fine-scale knowledge on the distribution of these sensitive habitats is crucial for their effective management and conservation. In the present study, a thorough review of existing spatial datasets showing the distribution of coralligenous and maërl habitats across the Mediterranean Sea was undertaken, highlighting current gaps in knowledge.
Knowing less about the deep sea habitats than the surface of the moon Most scientifi c studies have focused on easily accessible coastal waters and surface ocean. Only a small percentage of the deep seafl oor has been subject to biological investigation. Revealing the natural beauty and ecological value of deep sea habitats With the technological advances of the past few decades, much has been added to our knowledge of deep sea habitats, and people have begun to realize the value and importance of this large and remote habitat to life on Earth.
For the first time, a composite map of the world’s ecosystem assets has been produced, covering both marine and terrestrial realms. In this report for the UNEP Division of Early Warning and Assessment, UNEP-WCMC has combined information about key ecosystem assets into global maps. The assets included are freshwater resources, soil quality, organic carbon, terrestrial and marine biodiversity, and global fish catch (as a proxy for marine fish stocks).
This dataset shows mean global sea surface Net Primary Productivity (NPP) values for the month of June, averaged for the period from 2003 to 2007.
A comprehensive seafloor biomass and abundance database has been constructed from 24 oceanographic institutions worldwide within the Census of Marine Life (CoML) field projects. The machine-learning algorithm, Random Forests, was employed to model and predict seafloor standing stocks from surface primary production, water-column integrated and export particulate organic matter (POM), seafloor relief, and bottom water properties.