MARINE ECOSYSTEM REFERENCE GUIDE

GETTINGSTARTED

CONTENTSMERG Interface: Overview of Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Displaying the Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Exploring the Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Zooming & Filtering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Printing/Converting to PDF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Uploading Your Own Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Using the Tools: Some Tips. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .FAQs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

2

3

4

5

5

6

6

7

MERG INTERFACE: OVERVIEW OF TOOLS

2

The Marine Ecosystem Reference Guide (MERG) is a web applica�on with over 300 data layers that represent the best available tradi�onal, local and scien�fic knowledge for Barkley and Clayo-quot Sounds. Please refer to this page to gain a quick overview of the different tools in the Marine Ecosystem Reference Guide interface.

Zoom in/out

Re-centre map to default extent

Measure

Bookmark

Draw

Print

Share

Search locations

Scale bar (miles)

Add shapefileAdd your own data to the map

LegendView symbols of currently displayed layers

Layer listChoose data to display on the map

Basemap galleryChoose topographic, ocean, or imagery

Allow map to usemy location

DISPLAYING THE DATA

3

MERG map datasets are referred to as layers. By default, all data layers are turned off, but you can easily turn on one or more layers to view the data.

Turn on data layersTo turn on data layers, first click the Layer List icon. You will see a hierarchy of layers with differ-ent datasets. You can quickly search for a layer by typing in key words in the search bar at the top of the Layer List widget (see screenshot on the right).

Use the arrows to expand different data categories and �ck the checkboxes beside the layers you wish to display. Please note that you will need to travel three levels down within the layer hierarchy to access individual layers (for more informa�on, refer to “Layer hierarchy” below).

Layer hierarchyThe MERG data layers are organized in folders and subfolders to make the data easy to navigate. There are five main folders:

- Boundaries & Basemaps- MERG (Marine Ecosystem Reference Guide)- Physical Oceanography- Ecology- Human Use

Within these main folders are subfolders that group similar layers together. You can expand these subfolders to access the individual layers. For example, the main folder Boundaries and Basemaps contains the subfolder Parks and Protected Areas, which contains layers such as Ecological Reserves and Provincial Parks.

Why can’t I see my layer?Some layers are made up of very large datasets which can take �me to load. If, however, the layer doesn’t appear a�er a minute or two, try the following:

1) Uncheck and recheck the layer checkbox. You can also try refreshing your web browser page.2) Click the down arrow on the right side of the layer and select “Zoom to” from the drop-down menu.

Collapsing menus for easy viewingYou can easily collapse the menus on the right-hand side of the MERG tool to see the map beneath. Just click the double arrow icon and the menu will minimize to a single bar.

Main folder

Subfolders

Layers

QUICK TIP

4

EXPLORING THE DATAMap layers contain more than just the visual representa�on of a boundary or a point loca�on. Each map layer is �ed to an a�ribute table, which can hold a great deal of addi�onal data that are not immediately visible just from looking at the map.

The Sea O�er Survey layer, for example, has an a�ribute table that contains informa�on about how many sea o�ers were observed at each loca�on. A�ribute tables also tend to include infor-ma�on about the source and quality of the data (such as who reviewed the dataset and when it was last updated). A�ribute tables allow for deeper analysis of geographic data, where users can filter the layers based on certain a�ributes. This analysis answers important ques�ons like “How many o�ers were observed in 2016?” or “Which layers were updated in the last two years?”.

Explore an attribute tableOpen the Layer List and navigate to a layer (make sure you’re three levels down in the hierarchy). Click on the grey bu�on with the down arrow located to the right of the layer name. Choose “Open A�ribute Table” from the dropdown menu that appears. The a�ribute table will appear in the bo�om half of your screen.

Now that the table is open, you can zoom to a spe-cific feature, filter the data based on common characteris�cs, or export the data to a CSV file that you can open in a spreadsheet program like Microso� Excel.

Most map layers are datasets made up of multiple features. The Campsites layer, for example, is made up of 178 points, each designating a different campsite. In the attribute table, each row corresponds to a campsite point. If we click on a row, we select the corresponding campsite and can zoom to the location on the map. We can also filter the whole dataset to select certain features based on common characteristics (such as selecting only campground points that have private ownership).

NOTE: MULTIPLE FEATURES IN DATASETS

Campsite C

Campsite B

Campsite A

Data layerIndividual data points Attribute table

ID Name Ownership010203

Camp ACamp BCamp C

PrivateProvincialProvincial

5

ZOOMING & FILTERINGZoom to featuresTo zoom in on a specific feature, select the row in the a�ribute table that corresponds to the feature you’d like to see and click “Zoom to” to enlarge the area around the feature.

Filter dataThere are two tools to help you filter the data. The Filter by map extent op�on allows you to hide rows in the a�ribute table that aren’t located within your current map view (extent). This can be useful if, for example, you only want to see campgrounds within a certain area.

The general Filter tool (found in the “Op�ons” dropdown menu) uses “filter expressions” to iden�fy features with specific characteris�cs. For example, you could create an expression that selects features from a par�cular source (e.g., “SOURCE is BC Marine Trails Network Associa-�on”). Any features that make this expression true will remain visible in the table, and any that do not sa�sfy this condi�on will be hidden. For a more in-depth discussion of data filtering, please refer to our detailed help guide (the “Help” link at the top of the MERG web app).

PRINTING/CONVERTING TO PDFThe MERG print op�on converts your web map view to a document that can be saved to your com-puter and printed. You can “print” your map to a number of different file formats including PDF, JPG, and PNG. In order to print a physical page, please note that you will need to open or save the docu-ment and use your computer’s print op�ons.

To print your map to a document (save a digital version like a PDF file), first click on the printer icon below the geocoder search bar. This will give you a new window where you can rename your map and select different op�ons. Click on the “Layout” dropdown menu to change the page size of your document, and use “Format” to choose the document format.

Advanced optionsThe default print op�ons will automa�cally display the current map extent. However, you can customize your map by changing op�ons in the Advanced tab. “Preserve map scale” will centre the map around the current map extent but will display a zoomed-in view of the current view, while “Preserve map extent” will display the same extent as you see in your current web map. You can also “force” the scale so that you can display a custom map view.

In the Advanced tab, you can also change the informa�on about the author and the copyright and choose to include a legend. For high-quality prints, please increase the DPI (dots per inch) value.

6

UPLOADING YOUR OWN DATAYou can upload your own datasets to compare and analyze your data with the MERG layers.

View your own data on the mapTo successfully display your data in the MERG web app, you’ll need to upload a zipped shapefile. This zipped file must contain the four files that comprise a shapefile: .shp, .shx, .dbf, and .prj. If you have trouble uploading your shapefile, please refer to the shapefiles help topic for more informa�on (see link in Add shapefile tab).

USING THE TOOLS: SOME TIPSTo learn more about some of the MERG web map tools, please refer to the following �ps.

ESRI World Geocoder

The ESRI World Geocoder allows you to search for places and addresses around the world. To find a loca�on, enter a placename or address and the web map will zoom to that loca�on. Please note that although the ESRI Geocoder allows you to search for placenames around the world, our data layers are limited to our study area of Barkely and Clayoquot Sounds.

MeasurementYou can measure areas and distances on your map or find the precise coordinates of a loca�on. Simply select the “Area”, “Distance”, or “Loca�on” bu�ons in your Measure-ment popup window and click on your map to start measuring. To change your unit of measurement, click the current unit and a dropdown menu will appear.

BookmarkDo you o�en revisit a par�cular region of the map? The Bookmark tool not only pro-vides a default list of commonly-searched landmarks, but also allows you to save your current map extent so that you can zoom back to it at any �me. To create your own

bookmark, zoom in to your area of interest on the map. Click the Bookmark icon, type a name for your bookmark, and click the “+” bu�on. Your bookmark will then be added to the bookmark list.

Your bookmark should remain in your computer’s browsing history un�l you clear your browsing data. If, for example, you visit the MERG web app with Google Chrome and you close Chrome without clearing your browsing data, you should be able to see your bookmark when you next launch the MERG app in Chrome. However, once you clear your search history, your custom bookmarks will be erased.

DrawThe Draw tools can help you call a�en�on to certain details on your map. You can choose from a number of shapes and customize the colour and transparency of your annota�ons. You can also add text to your map. Please note that your drawings will be

erased as soon as you close your browser, even if you don’t clear your browsing data.

7

USING THE TOOLS: SOME TIPS (CONT.)

PrintYou can convert your map to a printable document (such as a PDF) with the print tool. Please refer to the sec�on “Prin�ng/Conver�ng to PDF” for a more detailed descrip�on of this tool.

ShareYou can share a link to your map through email and social media. The Share popup window also gives you an <iframe> tag so that you can embed your map in a website if you choose.

FAQSWhere do the MERG datasets come from? How reliable are they?The MERG datasets were gathered through partnerships with a variety of groups including First Na�ons communi�es, governments, research bodies, and local organiza�ons. These layers repre-sent the best available tradi�onal, local and scien�fic knowledge for Barkley and Clayoquot Sounds. The Guide provides recommenda�ons on how to increase the compa�bility between human ac�vi�es and ecological, social and cultural values, and can be used for be�er deci-sion-making between groups that have a stake in the region.

How can I share my findings with my team?There are a number of ways you can share your data analysis with your colleagues. The MERG web app allows you to convert your map view to a document (such as a PDF) that can be easily shared. We encourage you to use the Draw tools to make annota�ons and highlight areas of importance. You can also send a link so that others can view the web app themselves.

Where can I find more information about MERG?For more detailed list of help topics, please visit the Help link located on the top green toolbar in the MERG interface. To learn more about West Coast Aqua�c and the MERG project, please visit our website: http://westcoastaquatic.ca/