Abstract

SPARC: A Tool to Spatially Assess Marine Resources
Track: Ocean, Coastal, and Marine Resources
Authors: Ken Buja

The SPARC (Spatial Assessment and Resource Characterization) tool is an ArcGIS 10 extension designed to assess the resources of the nation's Marine Protected Areas. This project is a collaboration between NOAA's National Marine Protected Area Center (MPA Center) and the Center for Coastal Monitoring and Assessment to develop a gap analysis process for MPAs within the framework of the Coastal and Marine Spatial Planning initiative.

A proof of concept will be conducted for the waters off California. An analytical tool is designed and built to allow MPA managers to characterize resources and MPAs to provide a comprehensive analysis of resources protected inside and outside MPA boundaries. This will help managers identify the types of resources inside current MPAs, the resources and features are missed in MPAs, the resources that could be incorporated into a modified MPA system, and the MPAs that have resources of interest.