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Background information Second BeNCoRe ConferenceGeographical Information Systems (GIS) are becoming indispensable tools in Coastal and marine Research and Management. This technology is being used across different disciplines for storing, managing, visualizing or integrating geographical data and information. The Second BeNCoRe Conference provides the opportunity to discuss future developments and new perspectives in the field of Coastal and Marine GIS. During this one-day event, case studies related to submarine mapping systems, Coastal remote sensing techniques and the development of Coastal and Marine Atlases will be presented.
Besides the scientific challenges and relevance, GIS is becoming increasingly popular in decision making. The Conference will show, both at national and European level, how Geographic Information Systems are or could be implemented as reporting tools or used to organize Coastal and Marine Geospatial Information.
Additionally, participants have the opportunity to present research posters and promotion material in the field of Coastal and Marine GIS Research. New techniques and applications form both the scientific community and the private sector can be presented during lunch and coffee in the main conference hall.
Session 1:
The first session will give a general overview of geographic information systems used in Coastal and Marine Research. This technology is being used across different disciplines for storing, managing, visualizing or integrating geographical data and information. Coastal and marine studies involving the use of GIS cite their value for storing and managing data input and results; preprocessing of input data including editing, transformation, interpolation and the derivation of parameters; visualization and a computional environment with tools for animation and simulation (Green and King, 1993).
Prof. Dr. Philippe De Maeyer is head of the Cartography and Geographic Information Systems research unit of the Ghent University. His research focuses, amongst others, on historical cartography and Coastal geomorphology i.e. the study of the evolution of beach profiles along the Belgian coast based on topographical and stereoscopic surveys and modeling of the beach evolution.
Prof Dr. David R. Green is president of the European Union of Coastal Conservation – The Coastal Union (EUCC) and deputy chair of the International Cartographic Association. He is an international expert on Coastal and Marine Geo-Information Systems. His presentation will focus on the developments in Coastal and Marine GIS on a European scale.
Session 2:
Session 2 tackles the link between Geographic Information Systems and European directives related to the Coastal and Marine environment. Background information on the INSIRE directive, establishing an Infrastructure for Spatial Information in the European Community will be presented by Ingrid Vanden Berghe, Director General of the National Geographic Institute. This directive creates a general framework for spatial data infrastructure covering metadata, spatial data sets and agreements and procedures on data sharing. Ms. Vanden Bergeh will focus on the opportunities and challenges of this new directive Coastal and Marine Researchers in Belgium.
How Geographic and mapping information systems can or could be used by policy makers for reporting purposes (i.e. Water Framework directive or Maritime Strategy directive) will be presented by Dr. Wendy Bonne from th Federal Public Service, Marine Environment.
Session 3:
Four case studies on Geographic Information Systems both from the scientific community and from the private sector will be presented during the third session. Dr Kevin Ruddick will talk about the Optical teledetecion of Coastal waters, Dr. Bart Deronde will present Airborne remote sensing as a tool to study coastal sediment dynamics. The ambitious European MESH project which aimed at mapping the European Seabed habitats will be presented by Drs. Els Verfaillie. Finally Ir. Frederic Wauters will present a 3D GIS system of the bathymetry of the North Sea and the Scheldt Estuary.
Session 4:
The First BeNCoRe Conference (26 April 2006) provided a State of the Art of Coastal Research in Belgium and focused on issues raised in the Green Paper on a future European Maritime Policy. This document outlined a European Maritime Policy aimed at developing a thriving maritime economy in an environmentally sustainable manner.
EU released four months after the end of the consultation period of the green paper a bluebook: “An ocean of opportunity”, where the Commission proposes an integrated Maritime Policy for the EU. The maritime policy action plan also calls for the establishment of an Atlas of the Seas. If this Atlas materializes as a GIS-type facility, it may well contribute geo-referenced data sets. Therefore, the last session will focus on the current development of Coastal and Marine Atlases both at the national level (Belgium) and at a global scale through the International Oceanographic Data and Information Exchange (IODE) of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC - UNESCO) (African Marine Atlas). The European Environmental Agency will close the conference, presenting the current status of the Blue Book and their vision on how to deal with the organization of Coastal and Marine Information at a European scale – possibly through the creation of a network of Coastal and Marine Atlases.
Poster presenation:
People have the possibility to present research posters on Marine and Coastal GIS
Promotion stands:
Four promotion stand of following institues will be presented during lunch and coffee. Please contact BeNCoRe if your institue is interested to present a promtion stand.
 
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