European_Atlas_of_the_Seas

European Atlas of the Seas

European Atlas of the Seas

Web-based atlas


The European Atlas of the Seas is an interactive web-based atlas on the coasts and seas within and around Europe and provides information on Europe's marine environment. It is freely accessible on the internet. The latest version of the Atlas was released on the 16 September 2020 in the 24 official languages of the European Union.

The Atlas is provided by the European Commission, Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, in the context of the implementation of the integrated maritime policy [1] (Communication 'An Integrated Maritime Policy for the European Union', COM(2007) 575 final, 10/10/2007).

Other names: European atlas of the oceans, European coastal atlas, European maritime atlas, European marine atlas

Purpose

The European Atlas of the Seas brings statistical data in a comprehensive way to professionals, students and anyone interested in learning more about Europe's seas and coasts, their environment, related human activities and European policies.[citation needed]

Content

The European Atlas of the Seas offers a diverse range of information on topics. Users can view predefined and ready to use maps, covering topics such as environment, tourism, security, energy, transport, litter, sea bottom, fishing activity, aquaculture, and much more. Users can also benefit from an enriched catalogue with more than 250 map layers, covering a wide range of topics, to explore, collate and create their own maps. These maps can be printed, shared and embedded in articles or presentations.

The Atlas is an Open Data platform and benefits from the important contributions of many data providers. These are primarily the European Commission and its agencies (European Environment Agency, Eurostat,…), as well as the European Marine Observation and Data Network ([EMODnet]), which is a network of organisations supported by the EU's integrated maritime policy. The information source and date appears in each map's description.

Geographical coverage

The European Atlas of the Seas covers the seas and oceans within and around Europe:

History

October 2007Adoption of the integrated maritime policy for the European Union and its action plan, including the European Atlas of the Seas
January 2009Beginning of the atlas development
May 2010Release of the public beta version of the atlas, followed by a public consultation and user testing
May–August 2010Public consultation and user testing
April 2011Release of version 1.0 of the atlas
2012–2013Release of version 2.0 and 2.1 to ensure a better performance and interoperability
2013–2014Release of version 3.0 to improve access to new services and features
2015–2017Development and release of version 4.0 which made an improved atlas also available to mobile devices
June 2018Release of an ergonomic version with an enriched catalogue and enhanced features for sharing, printing and embedding maps
September 2020Release of version 6 in 24 EU languages with enhanced features and improved content

See also


References


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