European marine information system: Eumaris prototype

The present paper summarises the activities developed by ETC/MCE, under European Environment Agency (EEA) contract, on the geographic information system. The aim of present paper is to introduce some general concepts about the geographic information systems and to investigate the potential of GIS as tool for the assessment of the European seas. Care has also been taken to explain the main technical and educational reasons that led to EUMARIS GIS birth, its evolution in the last year, till to its presentation at the InterRegional Forum of the European Conventions held in Venice. GIS is a technological tool phenomenon involving various aspects and different issues; many examples of thematic maps involving that different subjects are shown in the paper.