Exploring basic spatial units for the Ocean: identifying challenges and potential solutions

This paper identifies the challenges in establishing guidance for BSU within coastal and marine areas and investigates potential solutions. The paper explores the selection of BSU size and geometry, based on data resolution and explore the potential to vary and nest BSU scales and configurations in line with accounting areas and the ecosystem types contained within (e.g., coastal, marine and EEZ). The paper also identifies the role of object-based units as ecosystem ‘patches’ and considers data harmonisation issues related to BSU within different statistical and administrative reporting areas and their boundaries. Advancing BSU enables the linking of multiple environmental economic accounts towards the holistic measurement and management of the ocean domain, where guidance on their selection is key for standardisation and coherence.

This paper was presented at the 28th meeting of the London Group on Environmental Accounting.

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