G-P07 · ABOUT · aboutGCRI dossier · service level R0
GCRIOceans and CoastsIn development
Oceans and Coasts · Mandate and publisher

Mandate and publisher

Oceans and Coasts is a specialist platform of The Global Centre for Risk and Innovation (GCRI) for oceans, coastal ecosystems and built shoreline resilience at the junction of science and development. This page sets out its mandate, who publishes it, what it does not do and its current operating state. The platform is in development, and the current service level is R0: information and enquiries.

Make an enquiry Back to Oceans and Coasts
In this dossier6 parts
  1. 01In briefThe short answer
  2. 02MandateWhat the platform exists to do
  3. 03PublisherWho is responsible
  4. 04LimitsWhat the platform does not do
  5. 05Key termsTerms used on this page
  6. 06Operating stateIn development

GCRI · In development · service level R0

STEM methods
7
Canonical methods this field applies
Topics
8
Subject pages in the field
Counterparts
7
Platforms in shared fields at GCRI, GRF and GRA
Report series
2
Nexus Reports series it contributes to
01In brief

The short answer.

Oceans and Coasts is a specialist platform of The Global Centre for Risk and Innovation for oceans and coasts, climate and hazards, and biodiversity and nature. Its mandate covers oceans, coastal ecosystems and built shoreline resilience at the junction of science and development. GCRI publishes it, answers for its content and takes no decision on anyone's behalf. It is in development at service level R0, and activities open as each is ready.

02Canvas

Mandate to authority.

Canvas · mandate to authorityDesign, not a record
How Oceans and Coasts is governedA mandate sets the platform's scope; an editor and reviewers govern what it publishes; programmes and the community supply the work; the integrity route handles corrections; authority over decisions stays outside. Design of the governance, not a record.

Fig.How the platform is governed, from its mandate to the authorities who decide. Design, not a record.

03Geography

People and hazards in Pacific Island states.

Where people live, night-time lights and the floods and fires public institutions answer to, framed on Pacific Island states; each layer is a dated NASA product.

The interactive map needs JavaScript; the layer list and sources are below.

Layers 2

People and hazards

Latest available

NASA GIBS / EOSDIS · ASTER GDEM (METI, NASA) · Natural Earth

Loading the latest NASA imagery.

Drag to move. Ctrl or ⌘ and scroll, pinch or the buttons to zoom; hover for the values under the pointer; reset returns to the region.

Where people live, night-time lights and the floods and fires public institutions answer to, framed on Pacific Island states.Satellite and model products as NASA publishes them, each with its own date; indicators, not assessments of any place; claim ceiling INTEGRATED.

Data: NASA GIBS · ASTER GDEM · Natural EarthSources and licences

  • We acknowledge the use of imagery provided by services from NASA's Global Imagery Browse Services (GIBS), part of NASA's Earth Science Data and Information System (ESDIS). Colours redrawn from the published colour map; values averaged into H3 cells where shown (modified). NASA open data
  • We acknowledge the use of imagery provided by services from NASA's Global Imagery Browse Services (GIBS), part of NASA's Earth Science Data and Information System (ESDIS). Colours redrawn from the published colour map; values averaged into H3 cells where shown (modified). NASA open data
  • Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN), Columbia University. 2018. Gridded Population of the World, Version 4 (GPWv4): Population Density, Revision 11. NASA Socioeconomic Data and Applications Center (SEDAC). Licensed under CC BY 4.0. Colours redrawn from the published colour map; values averaged into H3 cells where shown (modified). CC BY 4.0
  • VIIRS Black Marble night-time lights, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center; distributed by the NASA Level-1 and Atmosphere Archive and Distribution System (LAADS DAAC); imagery via NASA GIBS. Colours redrawn from the published colour map; values averaged into H3 cells where shown (modified). NASA open data
  • VIIRS near-real-time products (flood, land surface temperature, snow cover, corrected reflectance), NASA LANCE; imagery via NASA GIBS. Colours redrawn from the published colour map; values averaged into H3 cells where shown (modified). NASA open data
  • NASA Fire Information for Resource Management System (FIRMS), VIIRS 375 m active fire product, NASA LANCE; vector tiles via NASA GIBS. Colours redrawn from the published colour map; values averaged into H3 cells where shown (modified). NASA open data
  • ASTER GDEM is a product of METI and NASA (ASTER Global Digital Elevation Model V003, NASA LP DAAC); imagery via NASA GIBS. Colours redrawn from the published colour map; values averaged into H3 cells where shown (modified). NASA open data
  • Made with Natural Earth. Free vector and raster map data @ naturalearthdata.com. Public domain
  • Globe: MapLibre GL JS 6.9.1, BSD-3-Clause, © MapLibre contributors.

Layers and dates

  • Population density, 2020: Population: CIESIN, Columbia University, Gridded Population of the World v4.11 (2018), NASA SEDAC, CC BY 4.0 · static
  • Night-time lights, daily: VIIRS Black Marble (VNP46A2), NASA LAADS DAAC · 12 Oct 2026
  • Flood water, 3-day composite: VIIRS Global Flood Product, NASA LANCE · 14 Oct 2026
  • Active fires and thermal anomalies, last day: VIIRS NOAA-20 375 m (FIRMS), NASA LANCE FIRMS · 13 Oct 2026
  • True colour: VIIRS NOAA-20 corrected reflectance, NASA LANCE · 13 Oct 2026

04Mandate

What the platform exists to do.

The mandate is scientific: to produce interdisciplinary evidence on coastal and marine risk that planners, scientists and institutions can check and reuse. It exists as a dedicated platform because the marine community it serves is distinct from terrestrial biodiversity work and from port engineering alone.

Field

Scope

Oceans and coasts, climate and hazards, and biodiversity and nature.

Community

Who takes part

Marine scientists, coastal planners, fisheries experts and port specialists.

Outputs

What it is designed to publish

Coastal risk atlas methods, marine dependency briefs and research cases.

The platform's work is organized around eight topics, from sea level and coastal flood to marine pollution, and its methods draw on the STEM Commons, where GCRI stewards ocean and coastal science for the whole network.

05Publisher

Who is responsible.

GCRI publishes Oceans and Coasts and answers for its content. GCRI works across Canada and the United States.

  • Editorial responsibility: a platform editor and named subject reviewers, appointed as the platform opens.
  • Methods: marine observations, coastal inundation analysis and fisheries and habitat evidence, each with its uncertainty published on methods and uncertainty.
  • Corrections: reported and logged on corrections.
06Limits

What the platform does not do.

  • It does not regulate, certify, license or approve any person, project or institution.
  • It does not issue flood, storm or tsunami warnings; those come from competent national authorities.
  • It does not set fishing quotas, permit coastal development or allocate marine space.
  • Taking part gives no authority, appointment or influence over findings, and sponsorship confers no editorial control.
07Key terms

Terms used on this page.

Each term as this page uses it. Where a standard-setting body defines the term, the wording follows that body.

TermDefinition
Service level R0The current service level of Nexus pages: information and enquiries only. An enquiry receives a reference and a named next step; it creates no membership, contract, assignment or commitment.
Conflict of interestA situation in which financial, professional or personal interests could compromise, or appear to compromise, judgement in research or review.
Relative sea levelSea level measured relative to the land, combining ocean change and vertical land motion.
Coastal floodFlooding of coastal land by the sea, caused by high tides, storm surge and waves on top of mean sea level.
08Operating state

In development.

The platform is in development at its canonical address, as a candidate for the second wave after evidence. Its page set is built, and expert groups, research cases and methods open as editors and review capacity are confirmed. Write to the research team at research@therisk.global; the acknowledgement gives a reference and names the next step.

09Questions

Questions and answers.

Is Oceans and Coasts a separate organization?
No. It is a specialist platform of GCRI, which publishes it.
Can I join a working group?
Working groups open when their conveners and terms are in place. Expressions of interest can go to experts@therisk.global.
Does the platform take positions on marine policy?
It publishes evidence with its methods and uncertainty. Policy choices belong to governments, regional bodies and communities; governance dialogue is convened by The Global Risks Forum (GRF).
Related

Around Oceans and Coasts.

Oceans and Coasts

Bring your expertise to this field.

The current service level is R0: information and enquiries. An enquiry receives a reference and names the next step; applications, payments, compute allocations and registrations open only when their team, terms and review capacity exist.

Write to the team See all contact routes