Proposed Marine Environmental Protection Product Specification

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Proposed Marine Environmental Protection Product
Specification
Kathryn L. Ries Office of Coast Survey, NOAA
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PROPOSAL

• U.S. (NOAA) has submitted a Proposal to the 19th
  CHRIS Meeting to
• amend S-57 by developing and and adopting a
  Product Specification for marine environmental
  protection (MEP) data

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WHY?

• Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are increasingly
  being used around the world to protect marine
  resources, but information on the location, type
  of resource, and regulations are not easily
  available to the mariner.
• Maritime accidents as well as routine ship
  operations (e.g., discharge and anchoring) can
  injure coral reefs and impact tourism
• The cost of such damage can be millions of
  dollars per incident. Between 1984 and 1987 this
  amounted to 16 million dollars in the United
  States alone

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National Requirements

• The USA (NOAA) Coral Reef Program, and the USA
  national Coral Reef Task Force have asked the US
  hydrographic office for an appropriate
  international standard for coral reef
  information.
• The USA Marine Protected Area Program (MPA), and
  the USA (NOAA) National Marine Sanctuary Program
  have also asked for an international standard to
  more fully exchange data on MPAs.
• Nations around the world are taking more steps to
  regulate and protect their sensitive marine
  resources from shipping impacts.

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Emerging International Requirements

• The IMO Intervention Convention affirms the right
  of a coastal State to take measures ...to
  prevent, mitigate or eliminate danger to its
  coastline from a maritime casualty.
• International donor organizations like the Global
  Environment Facility and the World Bank are
  providing funding to support the development of
  supplemental environmental information layers,
  such as the environment and natural resource
  conservation and management overlays for the
  Marine Electronic Highway in the Straits of
  Malacca and Singapore.

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Emerging International Requirements

• The World Conservation Union (IUCN) has expressed
  great interest in an international standard for
  that purpose because no suitable standard exists.
• The Gulf of Honduras Hydrographic Activity
  Implementation Plan calls for bringing
  environmental data to the mariner so that
  informed decisions may be made to avoid
  environmental damage to the MesoAmerican
  Barrier Reef System

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The Role of IHO

• The IHO is the logical body to address the need
  for an MEP product specification (consistent with
  expanded mission)
• ENCs are a powerful tool to bring this
  information to the mariner without adding
  clutter to the chart
• The additional MEP data could be displayed as a
  supplemental environmental protection information
  overlay to ENCs in an ECDIS.

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International Standard Efforts

• U.S. has developed a draft marine Environmental
  Protection Product Specification
• (initial focus on MPAs and Corals), along
  with
• Object Catalog
• Catalog of Attributes, and
• Presentation Library
• Submitted Product Specification as a Proposal to
  CHRIS (Nov 2007) for consideration
• Formally present Product Specification to CHRIS,
  requesting revision and adoption within a year
• Participate in completion of standard

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U.S. Pilot Project in the Florida Keys

• One of the worlds largest coral reef ecosystems
• Designation as a Particularly Sensitive Sea Area
• More than 40 of the worlds shipping commerce
  transits through the Florida Straits each year.
• Since 1984, 10 large ship groundings have
  occurred in the Florida Keys and the Tortugas.
  Coral reef damage by large ships anchoring has
  occurred at least 17 times since 1997.

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Florida Keys Coral Reef Habitats
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Actions to Date

• Completed ENC coverage for the area
• Converted existing coral reef maps and regulatory
  information into format suitable for use with
  electronic charts
• Developed a Coral Reef/MPA Product Specification
• Produced Prototype environmental supplemental
  data layer

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Still in Process

• Conduct test of layer display in conjunction with
  ENC on Electronic Chart Systems
• Address any required software modifications
• Identify/Contact vessels interested in
  participating in a field demonstration
• Conduct field demonstrations
• Share results

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Florida Keys Coral Reef Habitats
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Coral Reefs
FKNMS Boundary
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FL Keys National Wildlife Refuge
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Benefits

• Proposed Amendment of S-57 will
• Enable mariners to make informed decisions about
  which areas to avoid and/or the regulations,
  fines, delays pertaining to such areas
• Provide Member States an international standard
  for the exchange and use of their environmental
  data
• Serve scientific/environmental users
• Establish IHO leadership in this arena as part
  of its expanded mission to support international
  environmental objectives

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Principal Outcome Reduce damage to ships
and the marine environment
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S-57 BASED MIO STANDARDS
S-57 ENC PRODUCT SPECIFICATION
IHO Standard
MIO GENERIC PRODUCT SPECIFICATION
MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL PRODUCT SPECIFICATION
IHO Standard Approved by CHRIS