A set of web-based public decision support tools for integrated planning and management in aquaculture

We developed a set of web-based tools to meet the demand for spatial planning and help to determine the available space suitable for marine aquaculture activity. These tools were derived from AkvaVis concept, which was initially designed for the management of Norwegian aquaculture. The AkvaVis concept was adapted to different national aquaculture contexts and two other tools were developed in France and China. Besides using GIS maps and thematic layers, interactive functions were added to enable the user to select spatial parameters, build indicators for aquaculture siting and instantly display the requested information. For each tool, we describe the main technical features, input data, data geoprocessing, output products, tool strengths and limits, and applicability to other case studies.