International

ICAN is a project of UNESCO IOC´s IODE Programme, and ICAN members seek to play a leadership role in forging international collaborations of value to the participating nations, thereby optimizing regional governance in coastal zone management and marine spatial planning.

Coastal

We live on a blue planet, with oceans and seas that cover more than 70% of the Earth's surface. The oceans feed us, regulate our climate, and generate most of the oxygen we breathe. Approximately 37% of the world's population lives within 100 km of the coast. (UNEP)

Atlas

CWAs are "...collections of digital maps and datasets with supplementary tables, illustrations, & information that systematically illustrate the coast, oftentimes with cartographic & decision support tools, all of which are accessible via the Internet."  O'Dea et al., 2007

Network

Membership in ICAN is open to all interested parties who agree to the mission & objectives of ICAN, including those with an operational coastal web atlas, as well as those hoping to design and build a coastal web atlas in the future.

Join us!

ICAN 2025:Virtual Workshop

ICAN 2025: Building Knowledge, Taking Action

September 30, October 1-2 2025 
Time: 9am-12pm EST, 1pm-4pm UTC, 4pm-7pm EAT

The 2025 International Coastal Atlas Workshop will be held online from September 30 to October 2, 2025, with a series of live and recorded content. The workshop will provide an opportunity to present and discuss recent innovations in atlases, how atlases are answering the Ocean Decade Challenges and it will also investigate synergies with other initiatives around the world.

The Organizing Committee of ICAN 2025 invites abstracts for online live or recorded presentations for:

  • Session I – Innovative Approaches to Atlas Development: Sharing creative approaches to knowledge production and encouraging action through atlas development

  • Session II – Connections to the Ocean Decade: aiming to explore how our Atlases are answering to the Ocean Decade Challenges 

  • Session III – Knowledge to Action: exploring how projects can encourage various types of actions around the world

The workshop is free and open to all with pre-registration. We welcome submissions that may fit the above themes, and can accomodate both live and pre-recorded presentations.

Submit your Abstract here

(Registration link for the conference coming soon)

ICAN 6 [..] just happened to be occurring at the local university. Not entirely certain that I should be attending, I did. It was a revelation! I discovered that what [we] were really doing was building a coastal atlas. I discovered that groups around the world had done similar things and were significantly further along the learning curve than us. I discovered it was important to design data systems so that sharing was integral. And most importantly, I was made welcome by the international attendees.

  For our Coasts