Utility of the Strait of Georgia Data Centre as a Marine Spatial Planning Tool

• Main Author: Skinner, Benjamin
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: Western CEDAR 2020
• Subjects: Fresh Water Studies; Life Sciences; Marine Biology; Natural Resources and Conservation; Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecology; Pacific; Killer Whale; Killer whale
• Online Access: https://cedar.wwu.edu/ssec/2020ssec/allsessions/100; https://cedar.wwu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3158&context=ssec

The Strait of Georgia Data Centre (SGDC) has been developed to serve as a secure repository and archive for marine ecosystem data specific to the Strait of Georgia (www.sogdatacentre.ca) and is a collaborative effort between the Pacific Salmon Foundation and the University of British Columbia. From the website the public can access literature specific to the Strait of Georgia, general information about the ecosystems of the Strait of Georgia, as well as search for and download available data and metadata. One focus of the SGDC has been to provide a centralized hub from which users can search, view and download spatial data. Spatial dataset topics vary from Biota, Oceanography, Society, Economy, Boundaries, and more. Several interactive maps have also been created and added to the SGDC that provide visual platforms to support decision-making. Map topics vary from Killer Whale Habitat & Marine Traffic, Nearshore Habitats & Juvenile Salmon, to Population Change around the Strait of Georgia. The SGDC is now developing a Marine Ecosystem Reference Guide. Based on and building from projects undertaken by partner organizations, the Reference Guide will combine hundreds of marine spatial datasets into one interactive marine atlas map covering Southwestern British Columbia. This marine spatial planning support tool will contain map layers on all varieties of marine ecosystem topics that users will be able to view and compare when deciding how to use marine resources sustainably. One long-term project goal is the seamless integration of the Strait of Georgia based platform with partner reference guides of surrounding regions.