Private Communication

The marine environment is our last frontier. The need for better data and information is paramount to ensure proper management and sustainable development of this remote, often inhospitable and multi-dimensional environment. New technological advances in our ability to collect and process ocean data have resulted in very rapid growth in the volume of data and information about this environment. Efforts are now underway in many jurisdictions to implement the technical and policy framework required to facilitate access to this geospatial data and information. In Canada, government and industry are collaborating to develop a Canadian Geospatial Data Infrastructure (CGDI) through a national program called GeoConnections. As partners in this initiative, the Canadian Centre for Marine Communications (CCMC) and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) are leading the development and implementation of a Marine Geospatial Data Infrastructure (MGDI) that will facilitate access to inshore, coastal and marine environmental, transportation and resource data and information by a broad range of users. This paper outlines the building blocks required to implement MGDI an