A number of tools, databases and information systems are now available or in development, aiming to provide the users with an important aid to monitor and assess coastal and marine environments in the context of national, regional and European policies, which would preserve the natural resources and biodiversity, while keeping the marine economic sectors viable. The success of implementing these policies depends on the nature and reliability of scientific data/observations, the aggregation of these data into appropriate information (indicators) maps, as well as the degree of harmonisation in the methods and monitoring tools and on the access of this information.
MCC is providing links to a set of tools specifically dedicated to support the implementation of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD), designed to provide the user community with appropriate information to achieve database creation, monitoring, mapping, modelling and visualisation, with the ultimate goal to report on the state of their marine and coastal regions and prepare programmes of measures to achieve Good Environmental Status, as requested by the Directive.
