Whereas most GIS platforms contain 2D database functionality and high
quality graphical output, few progressed beyond 2+D databases, simple
geostatistical analysis, and Boolean logic-based overlaying and buffering
procedures. These platforms have terrestrial origins and do not have the
capacity of handling or analyzing highly spatiotemporally variant data sets.
As a result there is no generic commercial software that can efficiently
handle fisheries information and its analytical demands. This limits fisheries
GIS. Terrestrial GIS have tackled the problems with specialized analysis
through customized modules. Fisheries GIS equivalents have been noted
in this review.
More than 95% of the papers presented during the First International
Symposium on GIS in Fishery Science, held in Seattle in March 1999, used
terrestrial 2D or 2.5D GIS software. These software platforms could only
handle fisheries and oceanography data to a limited extent, specializing in
only a few specific functions such as simple presentation, navigation systems
(electrical charts), satellite data processing, contour estimation, database,
vertical profiling for oceanographic information, and bathymetry
mapping. Although these systems were functional they could not incorporate
all of these specific functions into one system. The development of
integrated GIS software is required. In addition, such software needs to be
used for conducting spatial numerical analyses and modeling with links to
stock assessments, simulations, and ecosystem management. Furthermore,
such software must be user-friendly and ideally would run without requiring any programming, as fishery scientists in many countries have limited
funding to hire GIS specialists and they cannot spend time on programming
themselves. Several systems are in the developmental stages (Itoh
1999, Kiefer et al. 1999) and we anticipate their release. Itoh’s (1999) menudriven
GIS software (Marine Explorer) is suited to store and manipulate
fisheries and oceanography data. Details on Marine Explorer can be found
at http://www.esl.co.jp.