Die Küste, 81 (2014), 29-43 
31 
2008/56/EC (European Parliament and Council 2008). It also supports the continuous 
reporting obligations for the Water Framework Directive WFD, 2000/60/EC (European 
Parliament and Council 2000) and NATURA 2000 sites, 97/266/EC (COMMISSION 
1997). 
Figure 1: The network of the Marine Data Infrastructure MDI-DE in the German coastal zone. 
Lead partners : Al: BAW, A2: BSH, A3: BfN, A4: Uni Rostock. Partners : PI: LKN, P2: LWKN, 
P3: NLPV, P4: WSD NW, P5: WSD N, P6: LLUR, P7: LUNG. 
The new MDI-DE Web portal provides standardized access to specialized data. It im 
plements a uniform technical data base and relieves the partner offices from routine 
service work. The information integrated in MDI-DE represents quality-assured official 
information on die German coastal zone of the Nordi and Baltic Sea and the adjacent 
marine regions supplied by die responsible Federal and State audiorities. 
In particular, the interfaces to provide data for INSPIRE and for die German Spatial 
Data Infrastructure, GDI-DE (GeodateninfrastrukTUR Deutschland 2008), are 
essential components of tiiis infrastructure. Following international technical standards 
facilitates widespread dissemination of information offered by die participating partners. 
1.1 Motivation for a new data infrastructure 
Federal and State agencies collecting information and data from monitoring and survey 
ing programs for different objectives use their respective authorities’ portals to present 
their sectoral data. Coastal data usually play only a minor role for die higher Federal 
authorities Federal Waterways and Engineering Research Institute BAW (ivww.baw.de), 
Federal Maritime and Flydrograpilic Agency BSF1 (ivww.bsh.de) and Federal Agency for 
Nature Conservation BfN (ivww.bfn.de) as well as for die Waterways and Shipping 
Administration of die Federal Government WSV (ivww.wsv.de). 
The same situation is found in the State portals of die Lower Saxony Water Manage 
ment, Coastal Defence and Nature Conservation Agency (NLWKN, ivww.nlwkn.de), die 
Administration of die Wadden Sea National Park of Lower Saxony (NLPV, 
ivww.nationalpark-wattenmeer.de/nds), the Schleswig-Holstein State Agency for Coastal 
Defence, National Park and Marine Conservation (LKN, ivwwsclilesivig-holstein. 
de/LKN), the State Agency for agriculture, environment and rural areas of die State of 
Schleswig-Holstein (LLLTR, ivww.schlesivig-holstein.de/LLLIR,) and die State Agency of 
Environment, Nature conservation and Geology in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania 
(LLTN G, www. lung, mv-regierung. de).