Updated and expanded metadata for improving oceanographic capacities in the Canary Current Large Marine Ecosystem

The Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO and the Spanish Oceanographic Institute (IEO) have revised and expanded their flagship publication on the Canary Current Large Marine Ecosystem (CCLME) - a major upwelling region off the coast of northwest Africa.

The second edition of the Directory of Atmospheric, Hydrographic and Biological datasets for the Canary Current Large Marine Ecosystem. 2nd Edition: Revised and Expanded increased the original catalogue of datasets, databases and time-series sites from 85 to 107. The new edition also features new metadata sheets and updated information.

Publications like the CCLME Directory are crucial to enable scientist to explore different data sources, improving their analysis and therefore our understanding of the oceanographic features and processes in the region while also fertilizing cross-national scientific cooperation and helping deliver better services to end-users, from technical authorities to the relevant industries operating in the adjacent countries to the Canary Current LME.

The Canary Current Large Marine Ecosystem extends southwards from Canary Islands (Spain) along the Atlantic coast of Morocco, Western Sahara, Mauritania, Senegal, Gambia and Guinea-Bissau. Cabo Verde and the waters of Guinea are considered adjacent areas within the zone of influence of the CCLME.

The CCLME is a vital food and economic resource not only for coastal populations bordering the ecosystem, but also for much of West Africa and beyond. This Large Marine Ecosystem covers an area of roughly 1.12 million km2 and contains 0.2% of the world's seamounts.

Efforts to update and improve the CCLME Directory are far from over. While the most recent edition proposes an expanded data coverage, more is needed to catalogue further data available in the area. So far, 425 datasets, 27 databases and 21 time-series sites have been identified in the CCLME.

The Directory is the result of a fruitful and close collaboration between the IOC of UNESCO, the Instituto Espa'ol de Oceanograf'a and various institutions to rescue, review and control the quality the information available on the CCLME region. All data compiled in the publication was standardized and validated.

The compilation and publishing effort received strong financial support from the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID), via the projects entitled Enhancing oceanography capacities on Western African countries and Enhancing oceanography capacities on CCLME Western African countries Phase II.

The Directory of Atmospheric, Hydrographic and Biological datasets for the Canary Current Large Marine Ecosystem will be reviewed on a systematic and routine basis. The most updated edition will be always accessible at: www.unesco.org/new/ioc_ts110. All other editions are available on www.oceandocs.org.