Coastal and Marine Ecological Classification Standard

"The Coastal and Marine Ecological Classification Standard (CMECS) is a catalog of terms that provides a means for classifying ecological units using a simple, standard format and common terminology (CMECS uses the term 'unit' to refer to any defined entity in the standard at any level of the hierarchy; 'units' include seagrass bed, sand, lagoon, and water mass). CMECS offers a way to organize and interpret data about the marine environment, and it provides a common platform for inter-relating data. 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 grow and evolve."