UNEP-WCMC is pleased to announce the launch of an updated version of the Ocean Data Viewer (ODV). The site has been refreshed to provide a more streamlined, user-friendly tool for viewing and accessing spatial data and relevant information regarding policies and biodiversity.

Presented on 13 November during the IUCN World Parks Congress in Sydney, Australia, the new design of the ODV offers an intuitive, easy-to-use layout that facilitates comparison between datasets. Currently, the website offers 22 global datasets on coastal and marine biodiversity, such as corals, mangroves and seagrasses, as well as data on eco-regions, biodiversity metrics, species distributions, and ocean productivity and temperature.

The site also includes extensive meta-data descriptions to give users contextual information, as well as brief introductions to key international conventions and initiatives of relevance to each dataset. Detailed biodiversity factsheets are available for many of the datasets through the Biodiversity A-Z website.

The website serves as a key source of current and reliable data that can be used to inform marine conservation decisions. The initiative is funded by the Proteus Partnership in collaboration with UNEP-WCMC.

Key updates to the site:

• Much-improved map functionality and clarity;
• Additional information on dataset formats and source organisations;
• Filtering functionality to simplify searches for useful datasets;
• Detailed downloadable dataset-specific metadata sheets; and
• Links to the Marine Biodiversity A-Z website for background ecology information on marine features.