NatureServe Coastal/Marine Systems of North America: Framework for an Ecological Classification Standard: Version II

http://www.natureserve.org/publications/coastalMarineDraft3.pdf

Coastal and marine planners and managers are faced with a complex environment in which to make difficult decisions about habitat conservation and resource management. Given this complexity and recognizing the vastness of the marine environment for which the United States has jurisdiction, there is an urgent and increasing need for a national habitat classification approach that can be used to develop strategies for resource management and conservation. To meet this need the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and NatureServe developed the Coastal and Marine Ecological Classification Standard (CMECS), a classification standard that is relevant to all U.S. coastal and marine environments and that can be applied on local, regional and continental scales.