SeaSketch

Purpose

SeaSketch's aim is to enable participatory marine spatial planning processes through the collective capture, presentation and analysis of relevant science and information.

Description

SeaSketch is being used around the globe in small agency teams and large community-driven initiatives to support and make better management decisions.                                                                   

SeaSketch is a standalone piece of software developed by researchers and software developers at the University of California with initial funding from the New Zealand Department of Conservation. As a tool it enables the user to explore a large range of perspectives throughout the marine spatial planning process. 

SeaSketch can be configured to support both large participatory projects, or small group exercises. A key aspect of this piece of software is its ease of use. It’s aimed to be utilised by planners, stakeholders and the public throughout the planning process, not just by GIS professionals. This ease of use means that in the development of marine spatial plan, collaboration can occur with multi-sector inputs as well as community and iwi engagement.

SeaSketch is a web-based software tool with a primary focus on coastal and marine spatial planning. Planning occurs over a base map or satellite imagery included in the software starting as simple sketching to outline spatial extents of existing marine uses, boundaries of regulations or planning proposals. It includes the potential to incorporate a higher understanding of planning using built-in reports which allow the user to explore that potential consequences of each design (i.e. does this plan meet certain science or policy guidelines?).

Outside of single user planning applications, SeaSketch has powerful interpersonal uses including discussion forums and surveys. Discussion forums allow collaboration between users including real time chat, sharing of plans - which include maps, map annotations and alterations to planning. Opinion surveys are also a powerful component of this spatial planning tool that engages the community. Project administrators are able to collect information from participants in surveys and then make them available to the public.              

 

Steps of MSP process where SeaSketch is commonly used

 

SeaSketch is a powerful tool which can serves different functions in different steps of the marine spatial planning (MSP) process, and can be used by different types of users. In a typical MSP process, three main user groups are engaged with the SeaSketch tool, although individual users may be included in more than one of these groups:

1. SeaSketch project administrators: (e.g., Lead Agency Personnel, SeaSketch Staff). This group will  be responsible for deploying SeaSketch functionalities according to the needs of “power users”.
2. “Power users”: (e.g., Stakeholder Working Group). This group has privileged access to private data layers, sketching capabilities, discussion forums and surveys. This group may also serve as process-leaders and be on point for determining exactly how SeaSketch will be used during the MSP process. In other words, they may be responsible for choosing from among the different functionalities within the SeaSketch toolbox to inform the structure of or otherwise facilitate the planning and engagement process.
3. General users: This group can be invited to participate in the various phases of the MSP by administrators or “power users.” This might include the public as a whole (invited to see geospatial information used for the project, such as in the sketching phase of developing options), or key stakeholder groups (for example, who might be invited to submit information via an open or restricted-access survey).

These user groups will engage with SeaSketch at various steps within the MSP process. Key steps of the MSP process include:

• Goal identification
• Information gathering
• Sharing of stakeholder interests, priorities, and areas of expertise
• Coordinating with broader stakeholder constituencies and others
• Developing plan options, evaluating, and building agreement
• Periodic presentation of options to decision-making authorities                                                            

                How to apply and what sort of results it provides?

As users sketch areas of interest on a map, SeaSketch will provide analytical feedback about the area within seconds. These reports can identify information such as types and percentage of habitats included in the sketch, and potential social or economic costs and benefits, e.g. what biodiversity, social, cultural and economic values are found in the area I have drawn?

There are simple licensing options and opportunities for training, custom development work, and spatial data hosting. See the SeaSketch Home page for more information:  https://www.seasketch.org/home.html

State of Development	Released and updated

Scope

Outcome Areas	Environmental, Social
Management Domains	Coastal
Intended End Users	General Usability
Spatial Resolutions	10-100m, 100-500m
Spatial Extents	Local (i.e. Catchment or District), Regional
Spatial Dimensions	2D
Temporal Resolutions	Years
Steady State or Dynamic	Steady State
Level of Integration	Environmental, Social

Input & Output Data

Key Input Data	Land Cover , habitats, site of importance
Input Data Formats	GIS compatible files data entered through GUI
Output Data Formats	Image File(s), GIS Compatible Files, Text File(s)

Accessibility

Open/Closed Source	Closed Source
Licence Type	charge a standard US$1,000.00 license fee and an hourly rate for services

User Information

Operating Systems	MS Windows, Mac OS X
Software Needed	Web Browser
User Interface	Graphical desktop
Ease of Use	Easy - Easy to flow web browser interface powered by ESRI mapping
Use in Policy Process	Plan (Policy Formulation), Review (Issue Identification)
Documentation	SeaSketch - Training Manual (2014)
Users Forum	Blog available on SeaSketch website

Technical Considerations

Analytical Techniques	GIS, Scenario Planning
Keywords	coastal planning,
Links	SeaSketch - Website The SeaSketch Platform: Tools for Decision-Support and Managing Public Processes - Online Video
Key References	Raewyn Peart (2017): A ‘Sea Change’ in Marine Planning: the development of New Zealand’s first marine spatial plan, Policy Quarterly – Volume 13, Issue 2 – May 2017

Associated Case Studies