Vanuatu Marine Atlas

Vanuatu’s maritime jurisdiction comprises 98% of the nation and includes living and non-living marine resources that contribute significantly to the country’s economy and are fundamental to the wellbeing of its citizens.

The Marine Atlas for the Vanuatu compiles over a hundred datasets from countless data providers and for the first time makes marine and coastal information accessible and usable as data layers and as raw data.

Using the Atlas as a support tool, decision makers from all sectors can appreciate the value of marine ecosystems and the importance of spatial planning in managing these ecosystems. Practitioners can assist these planning processes using the accompanying data layers and raw data in their geographic information systems (GIS).

While the Atlas provides the best data publicly available today, the information about Fiji’s waters is forever growing and changing. In this way the Atlas, should become a living resource updated as needed and required.

The Vanuatu Marine Atlas was prepared by the Marine and Coastal Biodiversity Management in Pacific Island Countries (MACBIO) project.

Funded by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU) for a period of five years through the International Climate Initiative (IKI), the Marine and Coastal Biodiversity Management in Pacific Island Countries (MACBIO) project aims to strengthen the sustainable management of marine and coastal biodiversity by supporting economic ecosystem assessments, marine spatial planning and consultations in regard to marine protected areas (MPAs). MACBIO is being implemented in five Pacific Island countries with the support of the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) in close collaboration with the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) and with technical support from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

The online interactive atlas is complimented by both a hard copy and e-atlas. Please see www.macbio-pacific.info

Base Layers
Exclusive Economic Zone, Archipelagic Baseline, UN Boundary, Divisional Lines
Populated Places

VALUING
Ocean Depth
Geomorphology : Basins, Canyons, Escarpments, Guyots, Seamounts, Rift Valleys, Troughs, Ridges, Spreading Ridges, Trenches, Plateaus, Shelf, Slope, Abyssal
Seamount Morphology
Inactive Volcanoes
Earthquake Centers 2000-2016
Hydrothermal vents
Surface Currents
Salinity
Chlorophyll-a Concentration
Photosynthetically Available Radiation
Reefs,Mangroves
Marine Species Richness
Cold Water Coral Habitats
Key biodiversity and ecologically and biologically significant areas
Special and Unique Marine Areas Inshore
Special and Unique Marine Areas Offshore
Deepwater Bioregions
Reef Associated Bioregions

PLANNING
Tuna Catch
Deep Water Fisheries Catch
Fish Markets
Population Density
Aquaculture
Tourism : Accomodation, Dive sites, Passenger Vessel, Anchorages, Airports, Wharves and Jetties, Live-Aboard Areas, Cruise ship Landings
Deep Sea Mineral Exploration
Submarine Cables
Ports
Vessels Traffic
Phosphate and Nitrate Concentration
Mean Sea Surface Temperature
pH, Calcite Concentration
Cyclones

MANAGING
Marine Management
IMO MARPOL Convention

...

Base Layers
Exclusive Economic Zone, Archipelagic Baseline, Un Boundary, Divisional Lines
Claus S., N. De Hauwere, B. Vanhoorne, F. Souza Dias, P. Oset García, F. Hernandez, and J. Mees (Flanders Marine Institute) (2016). Accessed at http://www.marineregions.org on 2016-10-21.
Populated Places
Natural Earth. (2017). “Populated Places.” Accessed at: www.naturalearthdata.com.

VALUING
Ocean Depth
IHO-IOC GEBCO. (2017). “Gazetteer of Undersea Feature Names”. Accessed at www.gebco.net.
Basins, Canyons, Escarpments, Guyots, Seamounts, Rift Valleys, Troughs, Ridges, Spreading Ridges, Trenches, Plateaus, Shelf, Slope, Abyssal
Harris, P.T., Macmillan-Lawler, M., Rupp, J. and Baker, E.K. (2014). Geomorphology of the oceans. Marine Geology, 352: 4-24.
Seamount Morphology
Macmillan-Lawler, M. and Harris, P.T. (2016) Chapter 17: Multivariate Classification of Seamount Morphology: Assessing Seamount Morphotypes in Relation to Marine Jurisdictions and Bioregions in Ocean Solutions – Earth Solutions, Editor Wright, D.J. ESRI Press.
IHO-IOC GEBCO. (2017). “Gazetteer of Undersea Feature Names”. Accessed at www.gebco.net.
Inactive Volcanoes
Global Volcanism Program. (2013). Volcanoes of the World, v. 4.5.3. Venzke, E (ed.). Smithsonian Institution. Accessed at http://dx.doi.org/10.5479/si.GVP.VOTW4-2013.
Earthquake Centers 2000-2016
Earthquake Hazards Program. (2017). Earthquake epicenters 1980-2016. U.S. Geological Survey. Accessed at http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/search/ on 14 Feb 2017. IHO-IOC GEBCO. (2017). “Gazetteer of Undersea Feature Names”. Accessed at www.gebco.net.
Hydrothermal vents
Beaulieu, S.E. (2015). InterRidge Global Database of Active Submarine Hydrothermal Vent Fields: prepared for InterRidge, Version 3.3. World Wide Web electronic publication. Version 3.4. Accessed at http://vents-data.interridge.org on 2017-01-13.
Surface Currents
ESR. (2009). OSCAR third degree resolution ocean surface currents. Ver. 1. PO. DAAC, CA, USA. Accessed [2017-01-13] at http://dx.doi.org/10.5067/OSCAR-03D01 on 2017-01-13.
Salinity
Tyberghein L., Verbruggen H., Pauly K., Troupin C., Mineur F. & De Clerck O. (2012). “Bio-ORACLE: a global environmental dataset for marine species distribution modeling.” Global Ecology and Biogeography.
Chlorophyll-a Concentration
Tyberghein L., Verbruggen H., Pauly K., Troupin C., Mineur F. & De Clerck O. (2012). “Bio-ORACLE: a global environmental dataset for marine species distribution modeling.” Global Ecology and Biogeography.
Photosynthetically Available Radiation
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Ocean Ecology Laboratory, Ocean Biology Processing Group. (2014). “Moderate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Aqua Photosynthetically Available Radiation Data” NASA OB.DAAC.
Reefs
Andréfouët, S., F. E. Muller-Karger, J. A. Robinson, C. J. Kranenburg, D. Torres-Pulliza, S. A. Spraggins, and B. Murch. (2005). “Global assessment of modern coral reef extent and diversity for regional science and management applications: a view from space.” 10th International Coral Reef Symposium. Japanese Coral Reef Society, Okinawa, Japan.
Mangroves
Spalding M.D., Blasco F. and Field C.D. (1997). “World Mangrove Atlas”. Okinawa (Japan): International Society for Mangrove Ecosystems. 178 pp. Compiled by UNEP-WCMC, in collaboration with the International Society for Mangrove Ecosystems (ISME). (version 3).
Pelagic and Marine Species Richness
Kaschner, K., K. Kesner-Reyes, C. Garilao, J. Rius-Barile, T. Rees, and R. Froese. (2016). “AquaMaps: Predicted range maps for aquatic species.” version 08/2016. Accessed at www.aquamaps.org.
Cold Water Habitat Suitability
Yesson, C., Taylor, M. L., Tittensor, D. P., Davies, A. J., Guinotte, J., Baco, A., Black, J., Hall-Spencer, J. M. and Rogers, A. D. (2012). “Global habitat suitability of cold-water octocorals.” Journal of Biogeography, 39: 1278–1292.
Key Bird and Biodiversity Areas, Ecologically and Biologically Significant Areas
The Convention on Biological Diversity. (2016). “Ecologically or Biologically Significant Marine Areas.”
Special and Unique Marine Areas
Sykes H., LeGrand J., Davey K., Fernandes L., Mangubhai S., Yakub N., Wendt H., Kirmani S., Gauna M. (in prep) “Special, unique marine areas of Vanuatu.” GIZ, IUCN, SPREP: Suva.
Deepwater and Reef Associated Bioregions
Wendt H., Beger M., Sullivan J., LeGrand J., Davey K., Yakub N., Fernandes L. (in prep) “Draft preliminary marine bioregions of the Southwest Pacific.” GIZ, IUCN, SPREP: Suva.

PLANNING
Tuna Catch
Pauly D. and Zeller D. (2016). “Sea Around Us Concepts, Design and Data”. Accessed at www.seaaroundus.org
Williams, P. (2016). “Tuna Fishery Yearbook 2015.” Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission. Accessed at: https://www.wcpfc.int/system/files/YB_2015.pdf on 13 Jan. 2017
Deep Water Fisheries Catch
Pauly D. and Zeller D. (2016). “Sea Around Us Concepts, Design and Data”. Accessed at www.seaaroundus.org
Aquaculture Sites
Vanuatu Department of Fisheries (2017) pers. comm. Mr C Bosboom
Accomodation, Dive Sites, Anchorages, Wharves and Jetties
Burke, L., Reytar, K., Spalding, M. and Perry, A. (2011). “Reefs at Risk Revisited.” World Resources Institute. Accessed at: http://www.wri.org/publication/reefs-risk-revisited
Live aboard Areas
Crusoe Fishing Adventures. (2015). “Crusoe Fishing Adventures.” Accessed at: http://www.crusoefishing.com.vu/category/live-aboard-trips/.
Number of cruise ship landings
Vanuatu Cruising. (2014). “Vanuatu Cruising.” Accessed at: “http://www.vanuatucruising.info/page4”. Deep Sea Mining And Underwater Cabling
Gràcia, E., Ondréas, H., Bendel, V., STARMER Group. (1994). “Multiscale morphologic variability of the North Fiji Basin ridge (Southwest Pacific).” Marine Geology. 116, pp. 133–151.
Mahlknecht, G. (2016). “Greg's Cable Map.” Accessed at: http://www.cablemap.info/.
Vessel Traffic
Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP). (2013 - 2014). “Exact AIS vessel tracks.”
Phosphate and Nitrate Concentration
Tyberghein L., Verbruggen H., Pauly K., Troupin C., Mineur F. & De Clerck O. (2012). “Bio-ORACLE: a global environmental dataset for marine species distribution modeling.” Global Ecology and Biogeography.
Mean Sea Surface Temperature
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Ocean Ecology Laboratory, Ocean Biology Processing Group. (2014). “Moderate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Aqua Sea Surface Temperature Data.” NASA PO.DAAC. Accessed on 01/13/2017.
pH
Tyberghein L., Verbruggen H., Pauly K., Troupin C., Mineur F. & De Clerck O. (2012). “Bio-ORACLE: a global environmental dataset for marine species distribution modeling.” Global Ecology and Biogeography.
Calcite Concentration
Tyberghein L., Verbruggen H., Pauly K., Troupin C., Mineur F. & De Clerck O. (2012). “Bio-ORACLE: a global environmental dataset for marine species distribution modeling.” Global Ecology and Biogeography.
Cyclones
Knapp, K. R., M. C. Kruk, D. H. Levinson, H. J. Diamond, and C. J. Neumann. (2010). “The International Best Track Archive for Climate Stewardship (IBTrACS): Unifying tropical cyclone best track data.” Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, 91, 363-376.
Weather Underground. (2017). “Tropical Cyclone Winston: 3/10/2016 - 3/24/2016.” Accessed at: https://www.wunderground.com/hurricane/south-pacific/2016/tropical-cyclone-Winston.

MANAGING
Marine Management
IUCN and UNEP-WCMC. (2016). “The World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA).” Accessed at: www.protectedplanet.net. IMO MARPOL Convention
International Maritime Organization. (2011). “MARPOL Consolidated edition 2011: articles, protocols, annexes and unified interpretations of the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, 1973, as modified by the 1978 and 1997 protocols”.

Borough data courtesy of New York City Department of City Planning

MTA Subway data courtesy of the CUNY Mapping Service at the Center for Urban Research

Theater data courtesy of NYC Department of Information & Telecommunications (DoITT)

Museum data courtesy of NYC Department of Information & Telecommunications (DoITT)