Assessments are formal efforts to assemble selected knowledge with a view toward making it publicaly available in a form intended to be useful for decision making (Clark et al, 2006)

(AoA) Established by decision 60/30 of the United Nations General Assembly. It represents the first step in this international initiative to improve our understanding of the oceans and to develop a global mechanism for delivering science-based information to decision makers and public.

Assessments measuring multiple parameters of the ecosystem to give an overall picture of health, such as biological, physical and socio-economic data gathering. This is a "general" assessment, in that it focuses on more than one aspect of the marine environment and may look at some of the linkages between various components.

Focuses on monitoring/measurements and the collation of this data into central holdings.

Global and Regional Marine Assessment Database

(GoE) a group of 20 experts nominated through the UNGA regional groupings to undertake the Assessment of Assessments between 2007 and 2009.

Designated to an activity when insufficient information is available for classification

Assessments narrow in scope that focus on a particular aspect of the marine environmnet, such as fisheries or climate change. This does not relate to geographic cocerage and may cover national, regional and global scales, as in the Reefs at Risk assessment. However it is focuing on only one aspect of the marine environment.

Where the water depth exceeds 200m around the boundaries of the major continental land masses. This definition excludes the marginal enclosed and semi-enclosed seas, but includes all ocean regions bordering lesser island systems regardless of water depth

A summary of technical material produced for policy makers

Geographical sub divisions of the world. The Group of Experts undertaking the Assessment of Assessment Process agreed to the working defition for 21 Regions.Combined these regions cover all the oceans of the world, coastal and high seas. Enclosed seas are not included.

Research designed to answer a specific question, such as whether populations of marine organisms have declined or increased

description of a geographic area spanning more than one region