ReefGIS :: Dataset Definitions
Marine Protected Areas
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By IUCN Categories
IUCN Ia
IUCN Ib
IUCN II
IUCN III
IUCN IV
IUCN V
IUCN VI
Unknown

MPAs (Polygons)
Mangroves (Polygons) 		Information originates from the Protected Areas Database compiled by UNEP-WCMC. For application in ReefBase, we have only included those protected areas which
(a) are located in a "ReefBase"country (i.e. have coral reefs)
(b) are located between 35 N and 35 S
(c) include coral reef environments.
All protected areas are represented by a symbol indicating the approximate central point. However, for a number of protected areas, polygons are being displayed as well, indicating the extent of those protected areas.

GIS data on mangroves comes from the UNEP-WCMC Biodiversity Map Library: Global Mangrove Distribution. Mangrove distribution was taken from a variety of sources used in preparation of the World Mangrove Atlas, which was complied by the World Conservation Monitoring Centre as a joint project with the International Society for Mangrove Ecosystems and the International Tropical Timber Organization.
Physical Features
Place Names
Place Names A list of reef-relevant place names was compiled by ReefBase. This list inlcludes: cities, towns, bays, straits, coral reefs, dive sites and other types of locations, and was compiled using a variety of sources.
Countries
Countries The country data layer originally comes from the Vector Map (VMap) Level 0, by the National Imagery and Mapping Agency (NIMA). Vector Map (VMap) Level 0 is an updated and improved version of the Digital Chart of the World (DCW®). The VMap Level 0 database provides worldwide coverage of vector-based geospatial data at 1:1,000,000 scale.
Topography
Topography Land topography data originates from the The Global Land One-kilometer Base Elevation (NOAA, NGDC: GLOBE) digital elevation model. It provides 30 arc second gridded elevation data at 1 km resolution. In ReefBase GIS, the topography-layer (as well as bathymetry) is turned off by default to improve performance. If you want to produce more visually attractive maps, you should click the "Show/Hide Topography" button in the map. For full metadata on GLOBE, please click here.
Bathymetry
The bathymetry (ocean depth) data originates from National Geophysical Data Center TerrainBase Global DTM Version 1.0. This data represent an estimate of depth for each 5-minute cell (~10km horizontal resolution). In ReefBase GIS, the bathymetry-layer (as well as topography) is turned off by default to improve performance. If you want to produce more visually attractive maps, you should click the "Show/Hide Topography" button in the map. For full details on TerrainBase, please click here.