Marine Data Inventory Grids:
Since the earliest days of ocean exploration, the simple fact that the sea is so vast has required special practices to store and locate data. Even as early as the first days of accurate longitude reckoning, mariners were beginning to store surface observations within geographic "bins" based on latitude-longitude boundaries. This practice continues even today, and many major data collections include reference to bin numbers, although several systems exist. Other grid-like boundary systems have been employed for mapping data and fisheries data, as shown below.
The International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) has promulgated a master chart showing the world's ocean areas which are voluntarily covered, for mapping purposes, by designated countries.
IHO Index of Bathymetric Plotting Sheets
Numerous systems have been in use for marine data. The World Meteorological System's "WMO Squares" is the most logical. The 4-digit codes shown below, which denote 10° by 10° squares, can be extended to specify individual 1° by 1° cells within. Note that the first digit of each code applies to a complete global geographic quadrant: 1 = northeast, 3 = southeast, 5 = southwest, 7 = northwest, with respect to the point of origin in the Gulf of Guinea. This 1,3,5,7 system has also appeared in other code systems.
WMO Squares for the Atlantic and Indian Oceans
WMO Squares for the Pacific Ocean
A very similar grid, with an entirely different numbering system, the Modified Canadian Squares, was apparently only used for noting shipdrift data.
The Marsden Squares have been used for decades in coding cruise information in Cruise Summary Report (CSR) metadata records (and of course in its predecessor, hard-copy ROSCOP format).
The UN Food and Agriculture Agency (FAO) Fisheries and Aquaculture Department uses the following zonation system for collecting, analyzing and publishing fisheries data.
