Seamless Platform to Facilitate Administration across Land-Sea Interface

As the interface between marine and land environments, coasts have diverse and ever increasing conflicting pressures and demands requiring effective administration and management which is underpinned by the need for access to spatial information. Spatial data is recognised as a critical resource to underpin effective and sustainable management and administration. Spatial Data Infrastructures (SDIs) are developing in many countries to improve coordination and management of spatial data. Until recently SDI concept has largely overlooked the marine and coastal environments, focussing mainly on connecting people with land-related data and information. Some countries have started to develop a Marine SDI but often as a separate initiative from their existing terrestrial SDI. To effectively manage the coastal zone there is a need for access and interoperability with spatial information from both the marine and coastal environments. The extension of a National SDI covering the land and marine environments on a seamless platform would facilitate greater access to more interoperable spatial data and information across the land-sea interface enabling a more integrated and holistic approach to management of the coastal zone. This paper aims to identify and discuss the main characteristics and components for the design of a seamless SDI model. Further it proposes a seamless SDI model using current SDI theory and model that incorporate identified characteristics and components. The ultimate aim will be a refined SDI model that seamlessly covers both land and sea that can be used by jurisdictions to create an enabling platform for the use and delivery of spatial information and services.