SeaVoX - Sea Areas Polygons (v19, 2023)

SeaVoX is a combined SeaDataNet and MarineXML vocabulary content governance group, it is moderated by BODC (https://www.bodc.ac.uk/data/codes_and_formats/seavox/). This polygon data set defines the geographic extent of the terms specified by the SeaVoX vocabulary governance to describe coherent regions of the hydrosphere. It includes land masses enclosing freshwater bodies. The coastline data set used in the shapefile is taken from the World Vector Shoreline data set (scale 1:250,000). Reference for the data set: British Oceanographic Data Centre (BODC), United Kingdom; (2023): Polygon dataset of the extent of water bodies from the SeaVoX Salt and Fresh Water Body Gazetteer (v19). Available online at https://www.marineregions.org/. https://doi.org/10.14284/590".

The data file follows a hierarchical structure with each region consisting of one or more polygons. This approach was adopted to avoid the need to have overlapping polygons in regions where a sea area included a number of sub-regions, for example the Mediterranean Sea includes the Aegean Sea, Ionian Sea etc. The following gives the level in the structure at which particular regions, which consist of more than one polygon can be found. This level in the structure is given by the polygon's attributes.
 
Attribute: REGION: ARCTIC OCEAN, ATLANTIC OCEAN,BALTIC SEA,INDIAN OCEAN,MEDITERRANEAN REGION,PACIFIC OCEAN,SOUTH CHINA AND EASTERN ARCHIPELAGIC SEAS,SOUTHERN OCEAN,MAINLAND NORTH AMERICAMAINLAND,EUROPE,MAINLAND ASIA 
Attribute: LEVEL_1: ARAFURA SEA,DAVIS SEA,GREENLAND SEA,GULF OF BOTHNIA,MEDITERRANEAN SEA,NORTH ATLANTIC OCEAN,NORTH PACIFIC OCEAN,ROSS SEA,SOUTH ATLANTIC OCEAN,SOUTH PACIFIC OCEAN,TIMOR SEA, LAURENTIAN GREAT LAKED 
Attribute: LEVEL_2: MEDITERRANEAN SEA, WESTERN BASIN,MEDITERRANEAN SEA,EASTERN BASIN,NORTHEAST ATLANTIC OCEAN (40W),NORTHEAST PACIFIC OCEAN (180W),NORTHWEST ATLANTIC OCEAN (40W),NORTHWEST PACIFIC OCEAN (180W),SOUTHEAST ATLANTIC OCEAN (20W),SOUTHEAST PACIFIC OCEAN (140W),SOUTHWEST ATLANTIC OCEAN (20W),SOUTHWEST PACIFIC OCEAN (140W), LAKE ERIE, LAKE SUPERIOR, DETROIT RIVER, ST. CLAIR RIVER, LAKE ST. CLAIR, NIAGARA RIVER, LAKE HURON, LAKE ONTARIO, LAKE MICHIGAN, ST. MARYS RIVER 
Attribute: LEVEL_3: BERING SEA,BRISTOL CHANNEL,CELTIC SEA,CORAL SEA,ENGLISH CHANNEL,GULF OF MAINE,INNER SEAS OFF THE WEST COAST OF SCOTLAND,IRISH SEA,JAPAN SEA,NORTH SEA,TASMAN SEA,YELLOW SEA 
Attribute: LEVEL_4: CARDIGAN BAY,DOVER STRAIT,FIRTH OF CLYDE,LIVERPOOL BAY,NORTH CHANNEL,POOLE BAY,SOLENT,SOLWAY FIRTH 
Attribute: SUB_REGION: This is the lowest level in the structure. 

This version of the shapefile corresponds to version 19 of the SeaVoX Salt and Fresh Water Body Gazetteer. This version includes the following updates: name sub-region 'Arctic Ocean' has changed to 'Central Arctic Ocean'

Credits
British Oceanographic Data Centre (BODC), United Kingdom; (2023): Polygon dataset of the extent of water bodies from the SeaVoX Salt and Fresh Water Body Gazetteer (v19). Available online at https://www.marineregions.org/. https://doi.org/10.14284/590

Use limitations
The source of the data set should be attributed as: British Oceanographic Data Centre (BODC), United Kingdom; (2023): Polygon dataset of the extent of water bodies from the SeaVoX Salt and Fresh Water Body Gazetteer (v19). Available online at https://www.marineregions.org/. https://doi.org/10.14284/590