Marine Regions, managed by VLIZ, is a globally recognised geographic information system that documents maritime boundaries and geographical entities. Since its establishment in 2012, the system has grown into an essential reference source for maritime data and geographic information, used by scientists, policymakers, international organisations, and other interested parties.
The origins of Marine Regions date back to 2005 with the creation of the VLIMAR gazetteer, followed by the first publication of the global dataset of Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) in 2006. The official launch in 2012 established Marine Regions as a key reference point in the maritime world. The system continued to expand, integrating the GEBCO Sub-Committee on Undersea Feature Names (SCUFN)’s gazetteer in 2013, adding datasets on territorial seas and inland waters in 2016, and collaborating with Land Information New Zealand in 2018. The introduction of Linked Open Data in 2021 enhanced accessibility and usability of information. In 2022, Marine Regions strengthened its cooperation with the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) and incorporated datasets on Extended Continental Shelves under UNCLOS.
Recently, the United Nations recognised Marine Regions as an official Ocean Decade Action within the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development. This recognition underscores the platform's vital role in ocean governance and sustainability. In 2024, the newly formed Editorial Community convened for the first time to ensure the platform's continuity and further development. That same year, Marine Regions released updated versions of various Maritime Boundaries products, including Extended Continental Shelves v2, High Seas v2, EEZ-IHO areas intersect v5, and the union of world country boundaries and EEZs v4. New versions of the maritime boundaries products, such as EEZ, the 24-nautical-mile zone, the 12-nautical-mile zone, inland waters, and archipelagic waters, will be released in 2025.
Marine Regions manages a broad range of datasets, including intersections of EEZs and IHO sea areas, global maritime boundaries, and UNESCO World Heritage Marine Sites. Scientists, governments, and maritime organisations worldwide rely on this information. The datasets are used by organisations such as WoRMS (World Register of Marine Species), Global Fishing Watch, and Sea Around Us for fisheries management, while MarineTraffic utilises them for maritime navigation and shipping monitoring . Furthermore, reports like the 'World Ocean Assessment Report' rely on Marine Regions data, and it serves as a valuable resource for diplomatic and geopolitical discussions on maritime boundaries.
The impact of Marine Regions extends beyond scientific and administrative applications. Diplomatic correspondence and geopolitical analyses use its data to visualise border disputes and maritime conflict resolutions . For example, border conflicts in the South China Sea and around the Falkland Islands are often analysed using Marine Regions data. Prestigious media outlets such as The New York Times and Reuters also employ the system to visualise and document maritime disputes and boundary issues.
Marine Regions continues to evolve as a leading platform for maritime geodata, playing a crucial role in both scientific research and geopolitical matters. More information about the project and its applications can be found at www.marineregions.org. As an Ocean Decade Project, Marine Regions is now part of the OceanData2030 programme, a global system for ocean data and information within the UN Decade of Ocean Science.
1 Maritime Boundaries is not intended for navigation purposes and is not established within an international legal framework (see https://www.marineregions.org/disclaimer.php).