SPAW-RAC MARINE MAMMAL MAPPING APPLICATION

Project "Broad-scale marine spatial planning of mammal corridors & protected areas in Wider Caribbean & Southeast & Northeast Pacific" (2010-2012).

The mapping tool developed by the SPAW-RAC allows the display of different kinds of information about marine mammals in the Wider Caribbean Region (distribution, species richness, threats, protection). The datalayers that can be used by the tool have been built in the framework of the LifeWeb project (see more details below).

To access the mapping tool, please click on the link below:

Access the application

Then, you can choose one of the proposed base maps as well as one or several datalayers. As the different layers are superimposed, it is not possible to display more than five together.

You also have the possibility to add a title and eventually to print your map (the title and legends will appear on the final output).

The LifeWeb project

The two and a half year UNEP-Spain Lifeweb project aims to assist countries develop and apply cross-sectoral ecosystem approaches to management of human threats to marine mammals. The inter-regional initiative was launched by UNEP in June 2010 through financial support from the Government of Spain under the UNEP-Spain Partnership for the LifeWeb Initiative. Initial activities and outputs include mapping of critical marine mammal habitats and regional-scale migration routes together with socio- economic information on human activities to underpin broad-scale spatial planning and management of human impacts on large marine mammals in Caribbean and Southeast and Northeast Pacific waters. The project further aims to assist planners and managers initiate transboundary management and governance of marine resources via capacity building and technical guidance on marine spatial planning.

• The SPAW-RAC mapping application presents the outputs of component 1 (mapping) for the Wider Caribbean Region which are organized into four categories :
•  distribution maps of the 25 marine mammals species encompassed in the project ;
•  maps displaying the species richness in the WCR ;
•  maps representing the major threats and impacts of human activities ;
•  maps that report the main protection measures that have been put in place for marine mammals throughout the region.
• All the maps were prepared and produced by GRID-Arendal (Jean-Nicolas POUSSART), with the assistance, for the distribution and species richness maps, of the Whales and Dolphins Conservation Society (Kristin KASCHNER) and of a number of experts led by Dr Randall REEVES.