1. BlueEnvironment Protected Areas Impact Maps VRE – progress update
Levi Westerveld (GRID-Arendal)
BlueBRIDGE 4th TCOM Meeting
9 March 2016
Copenhagen, Denmark

2. Presentation Overview
VRE purpose
Progress since Pisa Tcom regarding
Data
Algorithms
Graphical User Interface
Collaboration with JRC
VRE in action: the Bahamas use case
2017 Work plan

3. Protected Areas Impact Maps VRE
Purpose - to support marine spatial planning projects by:
providing the environmental management sector with quality open data
creating a platform to produce regional maps and information products
developing a baseline set of indicators and models to produce regional overviews

4. Protected Areas Impact Maps VRE
How it works?
Relevant geospatial data stored on the VRE infrastructure (GeoServer, GeoNetwork)
Geospatial data analyzed by algorithms developed specifically for this VRE (R Studio, SAI, Data Miner)
Outputs from analysis presented in the VRE in the form of interactive tables, charts, and maps (GUI)

5. Data Economic Exclusive Zones (EEZs) (updated version)
Ecoregions (MEOW-PPOW)
World Database of Protected Areas (WDPA) (updated version and scale)
Geomorphic Features (shelf, slope, abyss, hadal, seamounts, guyots, canyons, ridges, plateaus, spreading ridges, rift valleys, glacial troughs, shelf valleys, trenches, troughs, terraces, fans, rises, bridges, escarpments)
Coral Reefs, Mangroves, Seagrass (new, integration in progress)

6. Bahamas Use Case - EEZs v.9

7. Bahamas Use Case - Ecoregions MEOW PPOW

8. Bahamas Use Case - Marine Protected Areas

9. Bahamas Use Case - Geomorphic Features

10. Bahamas Use Case - UNEP-WCMC data (seagrass, reefs, mangroves)

11. Intersect Algorithm
User chooses a type of region for analysis (EEZ or Ecoregion) and selects a target region (for example: Bahamas Exclusive Economic Zones)
Algorithm retrieves bounding box of the target region and fetches all the spatial data (MPAs, features) based on the bounding box information
Features geospatial data is intersected with the boundaries of the target region of analysis (for example Bahamas Exclusive Economic Zones) and with all the MPAs in the region of analysis
The area for each intersections is calculated, and the results are organized in a .json or .csv file with areas of each input features (for example geomorphic features) in 1. the target region, 2. All MPAs in the target region, 3. each individual MPA in the target region

12. Intersect Algorithm – issue 1
Overlapping MPAs -> incorrect ‘All MPAs’ area values

13. Intersect Algorithm – issue 2
Geometry issues in the EEZ and WDPA geospatial data leading to errors
The MPA analysis returned an error...
GET Request ' failed!

14. Graphical User Interface
1. Map Explorer
2. Results
3. Report

15. Graphical User Interface – Map Explorer

16. Graphical User Interface – Results

17. Graphical User Interface – Map Explorer

18. Bahamas Use Case

19. The VRE itself
Data Miner, SAI, and Rstudio were added to the Protected Area Impact Maps VRE.

20. Bahamas Use Case

21. Mami Wata Project – Gabon
PAIM VRE presented at an integrated Ocean Management workshop run by GRID-Arendal and the Abidjan Convention Regional Sea in Libreville, Gabon as part of the Mami Wata project. The workshop was attended by 30 experts representing 7 African countries and international organisations. The workshop discussed regional and country approaches to integrated ocean management, including state of marine environment reporting, identification of ecologically or biologically significant areas and marine spatial planning. The benefits of the PAIM VRE was highlighted in the context of supporting marine spatial planning in the region. The next phase of the project will support pilot projects on integrated ocean management in three countries in the region, capacity training on the use of the PAIM VRE will be incorporated into these pilot projects.

22. 2017 Workplan
Integration of the Graphical User Interface in the VRE using the PublicWebAppPortlet (#6139) (by next gCube release)
Fixing algorithm/data issues so that it runs properly on all target regions both EEZ and Ecoregions (by mid April)
Finalize the Graphical User Interface with proper data citations and attributions (by next TCom)
Develop one or two new intersect algorithm accessible through Data Miner that allows user to analyze their own MPA network in context of existing data on the infrastructure (geomorphic features), data created through another VRE (e.g.: AquacultureAtlasGeneration VRE) or data uploaded to the infrastructure by the users themselves (by next TCom)
Update the VRE front page and develop communication material (webinar, VRE tutorials PDF, explanatory video of the interface) (by end of July)