Open OceanMap

Introduction

Open OceanMap is a data collection tool used to gather local expert knowledge in support of spatial planning. It's licensed free and open source under the GNU GPL license. While it's currently being used almost exclusively for marine planning projects, there is nothing marine specific about it and it would work equally well for terrestrial uses.

http://trac.infodrizzle.org/images/fisherman_pointing_at_map.jpg

Open OceanMap is a hybrid tool and entirely browser-based in its current form. Surveys can be deployed either on a desktop for field-based surveys or on a server for web-based surveys. In many projects both are needed and a common code base makes this more efficient. The flexibility of web-based standards and the Django framework that it's built on makes this possible. The original version of Open OceanMap? was developed using Quantum GIS.

http://trac.infodrizzle.org/images/map_front_page_screenshot.jpg

A number of data products can be produced from Open OceanMap surveys including maps. Maps, by themselves provide a lot of information to decision makers (see the video below) but surveys can be used in further quantitative analysis as well. In the California MLPA process, maps fishing value are being used within the MarineMap? decision support tool, which allows stakeholders to draw proposed marine protected areas and calculate the potential socioeconomic impacts in real-time. For more information, visit the Marinemap website.

Learn more about Open OceanMap

Main Menu Screenshot
Questions Screenshot
Fishing Area Drawing (Polygon) Screenshot
Boating Route Drawing (Line) Screenshot
Survey Admin Screenshot

Open OceanMap is a part of Ecotrust's larger OCEAN toolkit which builds transparency into the marine spatial planning process. We incorporate fishermen's knowledge about the economic importance of fishing grounds — effectively bringing these expert voices to the table and ensuring that the best available information is utilized. We help scientists, managers and communities to understand the ecosystem in a social context and to implement management decisions at appropriate scales.

Visit the Main OCEAN Website

Videos:

Status:

  • Summer/Fall 2010 - The north central coast mlpa monitoring effort is underway and spatial surveys will be carried out both over the web and in-person.
  • Summer 2010 - The desktop survey tool has been transitioned to be browser-based. The surveys can now be created once and deployed either over the web (server-based) or in the field (desktop-based).
  • Spring/Summer 2010 - The web-based and desktop survey tool are being used in a variety of efforts including an Oregon coast recreational fishing survey, Oregon coast recreational surveys (non-consumptive) and also the 2010 Massachusetts recreational boater survey.
  • Summer 2009 - The OOM web-based survey tool is refactored to be much more customizable in terms of survey flow and questions. It's becoming much more general purpose. It will be rolling out for the MLPA North Coast and Oregon Central Coast efforts soon.
  • Summer/Fall 2009 - OOM is being used in the California North Coast region for the MLPA initiative.
  • Spring 2009 - OOM is being used in Southern Oregon to assess commercial, charter and sport boat activities in Southern Oregon, particularly Coos Bay.
  • Spring 2009 - OOM Loreto Bay has been released and is being used by Comunidad y Biodiversidad (COBI) in Loreto Bay National Park, Mexico. It is geared towards assessing not only fishing but ecotourism activities, conservation efforts and scientific research. Information will be used to measure the potential benefits and impacts of proposed marine reserves on these communities.
  • 12/8/08 - OOM receives a 2008 Mellon Award for technology collaboration. Articles: OPB, BYM Marine Environment News.
  • Summer/Fall 2008 - OOM is being used in the California MLPA initiative process in the South Coast region. Specifically to interview commercial fisherman and charter boat captains (CPFV).
  • Summer/Fall 2007 - OOM is being used in the California MLPA initiative process in the North Central Coast region. Specifically to interview commercial fisherman.
  • Summer 2007 - Open OceanMap is first created.

License

All source code is licensed under the GPL

Development

  • Tim Welch (Maintainer), twelch at ecotrust.org
  • Aaron Racicot (Original creator)
  • Dane Springmeyer
  • Ken Vollmer
  • Ryan Hodges

If you are interested in using this software, customizing it for your own planning processes or contributing directly in the form of funding, code development, bug fixes, documentation etc. please contact Tim Welch at the address above. We welcome collaboration with other groups and our sincere hope is that you will find this tool useful and want to use it for your own purposes.

Source Code

Current browser-based OOM
Original Quantum GIS based OOM

Downloads

Oregon

Southern Oregon (2009)

Commercial Fishing - Download Windows Installer
Charter Fishing - Download Windows Installer
Sport Fishing - Download Windows Installer

California Marine Life Protection Act

North Coast Region 2009

Commercial Fishing - Download Windows Installer
Commercial Private Fishing Vessels - Download Windows installer
Recreational Fishing - Download Windows installer

South Coast Region (2008)

Commercial Fishing - Download Windows Installer
Commercial Private Fishing Vessels - Download Windows installer

South Coast Base Maps (GeoTiff - included with installation) - Download Zip
South Coast Nautical Charts (GeoTiff - included with installation) - Download Zip

Loreto Bay National Park, Mexico (2008)

Supports collection of fishing, ecotourism and conservations activities. Developed in partnership with Comunidad y Biodiversidad

Download Windows Installer
Loreto Bay Base Layers (Shapefiles, GeoTiff) - Bathymetry, shoreline, protected areas, seamounts, etc.) - Download Zip

North Central Coast Region (2007)

User Guide (3Mb)
Recreational Fishing - Windows Installer