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WCMC
Oceans cover some 71% of the world's surface. They play an essential role in the maintenance of life on the planet and yet are often threatened by human activities. The coastal zones, which include some of the most diverse and productive marine ecosystems, such as coral reefs, seagrass beds, mangrove forests, tidal mudflats, and kelp forests, are particularly important and vulnerable. WCMC's marine programme aims to compile information on these ecosystems and the conservation of the species which they harbour. A number of ongoing projects contribute to the overall programme: Coral Reefs Since the publication, in 1988 of the 3-volume Coral Reefs of the World WCMC has been acclaimed as a centre of expertise in these important ecosystems. In support of ReefBase, a project run by the International Center for Living Aquatic Resources Management (ICLARM) in Manila, WCMC has been developing digital maps of coral reefs of the world. Draft maps have been prepared for all countries and for 45, the reefs have now been mapped at scales of 1:250,000 or better. These maps have been incorporated into the CD of Reefbase, a highly detailed database first released in 1996. These maps are also available on Internet at the following address http://www.wcmc.org.uk/marine/data/. The use of GIS for storing the data has enabled the calculation of global and regional estimates of reef area. Mangrove Atlas In association with the International Society for Mangrove Ecosystems and the International Tropical Timber Organization, WCMC has recently completed work on a World Mangrove Atlas, published in 1997. Mangrove Protected Areas In 1993, a survey was undertaken of protected areas with mangrove ecosystems. This resulted in the development of a database of some 1200 protected mangrove sites. Poster Map of Coral Reefs and Mangroves of the World Using mapped coral reef and mangrove data, an educational poster has been published, with support from BHP Ltd. Marine Protected Areas The WCMC Protected Areas Database includes some 35,000 protected areas. Threatened and Endemic Marine Species A large number of threatened marine organisms are recorded in the WCMC species database. Data have also been exchanged with Fishbase, a global database on fish distribution maintained by ICLARM, and with the IUCN Coral Reef Fish Specialist Group. Related publications include Dolphins, Porpoises and Whales of the World; the IUCN Red Data Book and The IUCN Invertebrate Red Data Book. Sea Turtle Nest Sites Preliminary maps of feeding and nesting sites of all species of marine turtles have been produced for the world. Sirenia Similar work is now being undertaken to map the global distribution of Sirenians (manatees and Dugong). IPIECA and the Biodiversity Map Library Biodiversity Map Library (BML) is a user-interface designed to store and access a range of environmental information in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) format. Seagrass Beds In collaboration with IUCN Marine Programme, a global survey of the extent and status of seagrass beds is planned. For more information on the Long-term Monitoring Program "http://www.wcmc.org.uk/marine/projects/marine.htm" or "http://www.wcmc.org.uk/marine/"