New online map shows network of protection for North America’s marine ecosystems

To celebrate this week’s World Oceans Day, the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) has brought together tools and resources to help decision makers, industry, universities and other learning institutions, as well as concerned citizens, better understand North America’s shared ocean resources. These maps and publications include:

• A new map viewer using Google Earth to explore all of the Atlas’ marine ecosystems maps and data.
• Marine Ecoregions of North America: a set of maps and detailed descriptions that provide a platform for sound management and conservation of marine biodiversity.
• Baja California to the Bering Sea: an assessment of 28 priority conservation areas requiring concerted conservation action along North America’s West Coast.
• Conservation action plans for four marine species of common concern for North America: vaquita porpoise, humpback whale, leatherback turtle and pink-footed shearwater.

To explore the CEC’s marine information and view an introductory video, please visit: http://www.cec.org/marine.

The marine protected areas information is provided by the Canadian Council on Ecological Areas (http://www.ccea.org/), Quebec’s Ministry of Sustainable Development, Environment and Parks (http://www.mddep.gouv.qc.ca/), Mexico’s Comisión Nacional de Áreas Naturales Protegidas (http://www.conanp.gob.mx), and the United States’ National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (http://www.noaa.gov).

The Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) is an international organization created under the North American Agreement on Environmental Cooperation (NAAEC) by Canada, Mexico and the United States to address regional environmental concerns, help prevent potential trade and environmental conflicts and promote the effective enforcement of environmental law. NAAEC complements the environmental provisions established in the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) to which it is a side accord.

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New online map shows network of protection for North America’s marine ecosystems