When considering developing a GIS-based macro scale reporting system, one must take into account
the following:
Costs associated with data acquisition, data preparation, and geo-referencing, not to mention updating
of that data on a periodic basis;
Data available or available in a format that meets geographical reporting are not considered all
important;
A single agency never has all data that would be needed in a geo-referenced coastal and marine
environmental information management system; and
Presentation of information in map form requires a basis for locating the information in the map.
Concepts used in a textural document do not readily transfer to a map in a GIS.