MarineMap and SeaSketch: Collaborative Marine Spatial Planning

MarineMap is web-based application used by stakeholders in California's Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA) Initiative for marine protected area (MPA) planning. Regarded as a significant breakthrough in the process of "GeoDesign", combining science with the unencumbered art of design, MarineMap set a new standard for decision support tools used for marine spatial planning. In 2009, MarineMap won the inaugural innovation In Technology Award from the U.S. Institute for Environmental Conflict Resolution. SeaSketch is a platform for collaborative ocean GeoDesign. Using SeaSketch, anyone with a web browser and Internet connection may design management plans, including marine protected areas, transportation zones, renewable energy sites, and more. SeaSketch is offered as a service so that anyone, regardless of their technical ability, may participate in marine spatial planning, anywhere in the world. Our partnerships with government and non-government agencies, resource managers and academic institutions ensure that SeaSketch reflects the best available science and data for sound decisions for our oceans.