European Atlas of the Seas

The European Atlas of the Seas is an easy-to-use and interactive web-based atlas on the coasts and seas within and around Europe. A new version of the Atlas has been released on the 11 June 2018, offering new features and more content. It is freely accessible on the internet. Next to the English version, it will be consultable in all languages of the European Union, thanks to automatic e-Translation.

The Atlas is provided by the European Commission, Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, in the context of the implementation of the integrated maritime policy [1] (Communication 'An Integrated Maritime Policy for the European Union', COM(2007) 575 final, 10/10/2007).

Other names: European atlas of the oceans, European coastal atlas, European maritime atlas, European marine atlas

Purpose

The European Atlas of the Seas brings statistical data in a comprehensive way to professionals, students and anyone interested in learning more about Europe's seas and coasts, their environment, related human activities and European policies.

Content

In the context of the EU's maritime policy, the European Atlas of the Seas offers a diverse range of information on topics such as:

Coastal regions geography and statistics
Renewable energy and maritime resources
Sea depth, tidal amplitude and coastal erosion
Fishing stocks, quotas and catches
European fishing fleet
Aquaculture
Ports, maritime transport and traffic
Marine protected areas
Coastal tourism
Maritime policies and initiatives…

Most of the data displayed in the atlas has been collected from European Commission departments and European agencies, especially DG MARE, Eurostat, JRC and the EEA. The information source and date appears in each map's description.

Geographical coverage

The European Atlas of the Seas covers the seas and oceans within and around Europe:

Arctic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean, including the Celtic Sea, the Bay of Biscay, and the North Sea
Baltic Sea
Black Sea
Mediterranean Sea
Outermost regions of the European Union
Mediterranean Sea
White Sea

History

October 2007	Adoption of the integrated maritime policy for the European Union and its action plan, including the European Atlas of the Seas
January 2009	Beginning of the atlas development
May 2010	Release of the public beta version of the atlas, followed by a public consultation and user testing
May–August 2010	Public consultation and user testing
April 2011	Release of version 1.0 of the atlas
2012–2013	Release of version 2.0 and 2.1 to ensure a better performance and interoperability
2013–2014	Release of version 3.0 to improve access to new services and features
2015–2017	Development and release of version 4.0 which made an improved atlas also consultable with mobile devices
June 2018	Release of an ergonomic version with an enriched catalogue and enhanced features for sharing, printing and embedding maps.

References

Integrated Maritime Policy, European Union

External links

Atlas of the Seas, European Commission

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[IMP-1] Integrated Maritime Policy, European Union