Natural Geography in Shore Areas (NaGISA)

The Natural Geography In Shore Areas (NaGISA) project was a collaborative effort aimed at inventorying and monitoring habitat specific biodiversity in the global near shore. The international character of the project and its target zone were reflected in the word nagisa, which is Japanese for the narrow coastal zone where the land meets the sea. NaGISA held a unique position in the Census of Marine Life as an ambassador project, linking the Census to local interests around the world. NaGISA's first aim was to draw up a global baseline of nearshore biodiversity and then to use its network to continue monitoring those same shores for the next 50 years.