Coastal and Marine Ecological Classification Standard (CMECS)

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  The Coastal and Marine Ecological Classification Standard (CMECS) is a catalog of terms and definitions that provides a means for classifying marine ecological units using a simple, standard format and common terminology. CMECS offers a way to organize and interpret data about the marine environment using a collection of settings (Aquatic and Biogeographic) and components (Biotic, Water Column, Substrate, and Geoform) in a semi-hierarchical framework. It builds upon approaches from published national, regional, and local habitat classification procedures, and it offers an umbrella under which a national coastal and marine ecological classification can evolve. CMECS was endorsed by the U.S. Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) in 2012 comprehensive federal standard for classifying and describing coastal and marine ecosystems.

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