2.1 Ocean asset accounts within the Ocean Accounts Framework 

Ocean environmental asset accounts are a fundamental component of the Ocean Accounts Framework presented in the GOAP Technical Guidance. The Ocean Accounts Framework, as illustrated in Figure 1, is designed to be compatible with a number of international statistical frameworks and standards^[1]. Ocean assets are represented in the ‘Environmental assets’ box (a) of Figure 1. They include ecosystem assets as defined by the SEEA EA^[2] and individual environmental assets as defined by the SEEA CF^[3].

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Figure 1: General structure of the Ocean Accounts Framework as presented in the GOAP Technical Guidance. *In the Figure, ocean assets are described as ‘Environmental assets’.

Following the SEEA EA, Ocean ecosystem assets are classified by type (e.g. mangroves, seagrasses, coral reefs) and characterised by extent (quantity) and condition (quality). Ecosystem extent is accounted for in terms of area of ecosystem types. Ecosystem condition can be assessed in terms of biodiversity, productivity, levels of pollutants, etc. Some of the most frequently assessed key condition variables, as listed in the GOAP Technical Guidance, include:

• Acidification (pH)

• Eutrophication (BOD, COD, Chlorophyll A, or primary productivity

• Biodiversity (species diversity or ecosystem diversity, e.g. Shannon index of diversity)

• Concentration of floating plastics (g/m³)

• Sea surface temperature (SST)

• Coral condition (cover, % living, % bleached)

• Seagrass and mangrove cover (%)

Individual ocean environmental assets are listed in Table 1 as specified in the GOAP Technical Guidance (p. 46, section 2.3.2). This broadly follows the framing of environmental asset accounts described in the SEEA CF.

Table 1: Individual ocean environmental assets as specified in the GOAP Technical Guidance

The quantity and quality of individual environmental assets is determined by measures that are specific to the asset. For example:

• Minerals: quantity in tonnes; quality in high grade/low grade.

• Fish stocks: quantity in tonnes of fish catch, number of fish; quality as healthy/unhealthy.

The global ocean datasets listed in the Inventory are intended to support the development of accounts for the extent and condition of ecosystem assets and the quantity and quality of individual environmental assets. To enable integration of both types of assets into one set of ocean asset accounts, the GOAP Technical Guidance combines ecosystem and individual environmental assets in three physical asset account tables: physical asset extent accounts, physical asset condition accounts (using biophysical variables) and summary asset condition accounts (using condition indicators). These are the accounts tables that the Inventory and Guide aim to inform. The physical asset accounts tables are included in Annex II for reference. It should be noted that some ocean assets can also be presented in monetary accounts (see GOAP Technical Guidance section 2.3.5). However, the current version of the Inventory and this Guide focus only on physical asset accounts.

2.2 Account component typology for the Inventory

The Inventory is structured to assist practitioners in easily identifying data for ocean asset accounts. The approach taken by the Inventory is to consider data relevant to both the direct measurable state of ocean assets, as described in the GOAP Technical Guidance (box a, Figure 1), and the indirect drivers of changes in state. The measures for indirect drivers of change in ocean assets relate to their governance (e.g., designated use, box c, Figure 1), the flows from the economy that can impact on the assets (e.g., pollution, box d, Figure 1) and the level of economic exploitation of these assets (e.g., fishing effort, box b, Figure 1). The relevant account components covered by the Inventory are presented in Table 2.

Table 2: Account component typology for the Global Ocean Asset Data Inventory

For each of the account components listed in Table 2, the ‘Ocean asset’ column in the Inventory identifies different types of ocean assets and indirect drivers of change in ocean assets for which global data are available. This comprises different marine and coastal ecosystem types, ecosystem condition parameters, types of individual environmental assets and carbon parameters. It also includes different types of produced assets, other pressures parameters and types of designated uses. All specific types and conditions for the ‘Ocean asset’ column of the Inventory are listed in full in Table 5, Annex I. In total, the updated Inventory provides 88 datasets for seven distinct account components, covering 59 different ocean asset types or conditions (Table 3).

Table 3: Overview of the number of datasets in the updated Global Ocean Asset Data Inventory by account component and ocean asset (type/condition)

2.3 Data needs for ocean asset accounts

The Inventory supports the development of physical ocean asset accounts using data on the direct measurable state of ocean assets and the indirect drivers of changes in state. Types of data needed for this include:

• Georeferenced location and spatial extent of marine and coastal ecosystems,

• Georeferenced condition variables and indicators for marine and coastal ecosystems,

• Statistics on the quantity and quality of marine and coastal natural resources,

• Georeferenced location of areas at sea with specific designations (marine protected areas, fishing zones, shipping lanes, etc.),

• Georeferenced location and statistics for man-made structures on the coast, at sea, on the seafloor or on the seabed (wind farms, ports, wrecks, subsea cables, oil and gas platforms, mariculture installations, artificial reefs, etc.),

• Spatially explicit carbon storage, sequestration and release rates.

• Spatially explicit information on flows of economic residuals to the ocean environment, such as pollution release and atmospheric deposition rates.

• Georeferenced information on the level of use of different ocean assets, such as fishing effort or recreational diving activity.

The Inventory lists spatially explicit and spatially independent datasets (e.g. statistical data) for these data needs. These datasets are selected based on fulfilling the following fundamental data requirements for ocean asset accounting:

1. Ocean asset accounts track change over time. They compare the state in ocean asset stocks at the beginning and end of the accounting period. This requires timeseries data for at least two points in time.

2. Ocean ecosystem accounts are spatially explicit and require georeferenced data. This may be vector data (point, polyline, polygon)^[4], raster data or spatially referenced data in tabular format.

3. To enable meaningful comparisons, accounts require data on ocean assets that are generally consistent over space and time.

2.4 Ecosystem classifications for ocean asset accounts

Ecosystem classifications play an important role for ocean ecosystem accounts. Ecosystem extent and condition are determined by ecosystem type. Classifications ensure that these ecosystem types are defined consistently. Applying internationally agreed classifications ensures alignment and comparability of national ocean accounts across countries.

Currently, there is no agreed international standard classification for ocean ecosystems. To enable international comparisons, the SEEA EA recommends the use of the International Union for Conservation of Nature Global Ecosystem Typology (IUCN GET) as a reference classification.

The GOAP Technical Guidance suggests the United States’ National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Coastal and Marine Ecological Classification System (CMECS) as another useful option. The CMECS may provide more detailed classes for some marine ecosystems.

The Inventory does not apply any specific typology for describing ecosystem asset types. Instead, it uses the indicative list provided in the GOAP Technical Guidance of coastal and marine ecosystems often considered in assessments. These ecosystems, as listed below, are used in the ‘Ocean asset’ column of the Inventory to describe datasets on ecosystem extent:

• Coastal: Beaches, coastal dunes, coastal flats, coastal water bodies (e.g. bays), estuaries, mangroves, rocky shores, warm water coral.

• Marine (to shelf): cold water coral, lagoons, seagrass beds (by type), seaweed, warm water coral reefs, pelagic and benthic.

• Marine (shelf to exclusive economic zone (EEZ)): Cold water/deep water coral, crustacean habitat, fish habitat, glass sponges, sea cucumber habitat, uninhabited sand, uninhabited rock, pelagic and benthic.

2.5 Inventory structure

The Inventory is structured around a) key data needs for physical asset accounts and b) generally established data quality assessment criteria for national statistics. The updated structure seeks to provide national ocean account compilers with information that can be used to rapidly assess the relevance, utility, strengths and weaknesses of each dataset. The information should enable the users to decide whether a dataset is of suitable quality for their specific national context and ocean accounting priorities. Table 4 presents an overview of the Inventory structure, including explanations of the information captured under each column. The Inventory covers five high-level data quality assessment criteria:

1. Relevance: Is the dataset relevant for different national ocean asset accounting requirements?

2. Interpretability: Is information available to enable correct interpretation of the dataset?

3. Institutional environment: Is the production and provision of the dataset impartial, objective and authoritative?

4. Accuracy: Is the dataset reliable, valid and consistent?

5. Accessibility: Is the dataset easy to access and use? Are there any use restrictions?

Each of the five high-level criteria is broken down into a set of sub-criteria. These sub-criteria address key data requirements for ocean asset accounts as well as user needs that were identified during the consultation process for the Inventory with national ocean accounting and GOAP pilot studies (for more information about the consultation process see in Annex I).

Table 4: Overview of the updated Inventory structure. The structure is hierarchical, with high level data quality criteria and accounting relevant sub-criteria