The project on Integrating Multiple Demands on Coastal Zones with Emphasis on Aquatic Ecosystems and Fisheries, better known as INCOFISH, has successfully been completed. The project, with financial support from the Commission of the European Communities, was implemented from May 2005 to April 2008.
INCOFISH, selected among the 40 success stories within the purview of Sixth Framework Program (PF6) of the European Commission, brought together about 200 researchers from 35 institutions and private enterprises from 22 countries, working globally in18 large marine ecosystems. The project was organized in 10 thematic workpackages (WPs), such as Data, Tools and Outreach; Shifting Baselines; Biodiversity Mapping; Ecosystem Modeling; Marine Protected Areas; Coastal Transects; Simple Indicators for Sustainable Fisheries; Valuation of Coastal Ecosystems Products and Services; Impact of Ecotourism on Ecosystems; and Legal Instruments for Sustainable Fishing.
The Philippine-based FishBase Information and Research Group, Inc. (FIN) led the implementation of the workpackage on Data, Tools and Outreach (WP1) with Ms. Charlotta Järnmark as WP1 Leader. FIN worked closely with the FishBase team of experienced programmers, data encoders and fishery biologists of The WorldFish Center-Philippine Office under the leadership of Dr. Nicolas Bailly.
The Leibniz Institute of Marine Science (IfM-GEOMAR, Germany) coordinated the INCOFISH project with Drs. Rainer Froese and Silvia Opitz as Project Coordinator and Manager, respectively, under the WP11 Project Management.
WP1 developed the project web portal www.incofish.org, which allows the public to have access to the data, tools and concepts on integrated coastal zone management (ICZM) developed from the INCOFISH research. Throughout the project period, WP1 provided data, tools and internet outreach services to all other INCOFISH WPs and assisted them in their tools development, data collection and repository as well as outreach activities.
Some INCOFISH tools for analysis and visualization of data developed by the project included:
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MPA planning tool for an overview of suitable areas to establish marine protected areas (MPAs) based on the Aquamaps environmental envelopes and Ecopath Ecospace models
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Ecopath models were developed for the Large Marine Ecosystems of the project and for further implementation of MPA management research with the help of Ecospace
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Aquamaps in a mapping system displaying computed species distribution data in a map format, with layers of environmental information applied
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CRIAs Open Modeller is a fundamental niche modeling library, providing a uniform method for modeling distribution patterns using a variety of modeling algorithms
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Ecotourism valuation step by step tool is a tool describing and implementing the process of evaluating MPAs on such aspects as ecotourism, management and their impact on the area
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Ecosystem service valuation tool is a tool with an interface to view a database on values of ecosystem services around the world
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Coastal Transects Analysis Model is a decision-making framework and visual aid as well as a database for collection of coastal data
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Retailers guide allows retailers of seafood, a single interface approach to information necessary for conscious decision-making in sustainable seafood trading
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Seafoodguide.mobi, a cellphone interface for the International Seafood Guide developed for online cellphones, which includes minimum length measures for many species
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Outreach tool kit developed to provide a campaign and information material of the project at a glance.