A new marine data model

Summary form only given. The ArcGIS Marine Data Model represents a new approach to spatial modeling improved integration of many important features of the ocean realm, both natural and manmade. The goal is to provide more accurate representations of location and spatial extent, along with a means for conducting more complex spatial analyses of marine and coastal data by capturing the behavior of real-world objects in a geodatabase. The model also considers how marine and coastal data might be more effectively integrated in 3-D space and time. Although currently limited to 2.5-D, the model includes "placeholders" meant to represent the fluidity of ocean data and processes.