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: "polygon data set of the extent of water bodies from the SeaVoX Salt and Fresh Water Body Gazetteer, http://vocab.ndg.nerc.ac.uk/list/C19/current/" 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,CORAL SEA,ENGLISH CHANNEL,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 16of the SeaVoX Salt and Fresh Water Body Gazetteer. This version includes the following updates:Inclsuion of sub-divisions of the Laurentian Great Lakes in North America. Changes made in version 14:1. Joseph Bonaparte Gulf was incorrectly spelt in version 13 of C19, this has now been corrected. It was correctly spelt in version 13 of the SeaVoX Salt and Fresh Water BodyGazetteer Shapefile data set.2. An additional attribute field 'skos_url' has been added to the shapefile. This provides the web address of the definition of the individual sea areas from the SeaVoX salt and fresh water body gazeteer (http://vocab.nerc.ac.uk/collection/C19/current/).3. Addition of a missing section of the polygon for the Bering Sea region (around 175E, 58N).4. Change of following names:‘Mainland Europe’ changed to ‘European Mainland’‘Mainland Asia’ changed to ‘Asian Mainland’‘Mainland North America’ changed to ‘North America Mainland’‘St Brides Bay’ changed to ‘St. Brides Bay’‘St George’s Channel’ changed to ‘St. George’s Channel’‘St Magnus Bay’ changed to ‘St. Magnus Bay’Changes made in version 13: 1. Inclusion of the FRAM STRAITChanges made in version 12: 1. Bellingshausen Sea was wrongly labelled as Bellinghausen Sea in previous versions of the data set. This has now been corrected.2. A section of the Chukchi Sea, in the area 179 degress 20 minutes East; 70 degrees 3 minutes North, was missing in version 11 of the data set. This has been corrected.

Credits

Polygon data set of the extent of water bodies from the SeaVoX Salt and Fresh Water Body Gazetteer, http://vocab.ndg.nerc.ac.uk/list/C19/current/

Use limitations

The source of the data set should be attributed as: "polygon data set of the extent of water bodies from the SeaVoX Salt and Fresh Water Body Gazetteer, http://vocab.ndg.nerc.ac.uk/list/C19/current/"