This page is kept only as a historical reference and is not maintained.

HARMONIZATION GROUP ON MARINE INFORMATION OVERLAYS

Marine Information Overlays (MIO) are additional information layers to be displayed in conjunction with electronic charts on an ECDIS or other chart display system.  They provide the mariner, researcher or other user with additional information about important non-navigation information in a standards based format.

The Harmonization Group on Marine Information Overlays (HGMIO) was established in 2001 as a joint IHO and IEC committee.  It was tasked with recommending additional data and display specifications that may be incorporated into future editions of IHO and IEC standards.  Participants included members from national hydrographic and other organizations, ECDIS and software manufacturers and the marine industry.

The HGMIO developed several documents to guide creation of MIO.  "Recommended Procedures for the Development of MIOs" and the "General Content Specification for MIOs" were approved by the IHO in 2007.   These were used by several other organizations to produce example MIO specifications and datasets.

In 2008, it was decided that HGMIO would become an independent technical group to facilitate the development and implementation of MIOs for prospective producers and users of MIO’s with the following members:

Academic:
    UNH - CCOM

National Organisations:
    UKHO
    NOAA
    Canadian Ice Service
    USCG

Industry:
    CARIS
    ICAN
    IIC
    Jeppesen
    SevenCs

At its first meeting in 2009, the IHO Hydrographic Services and Standards Committee assigned the development of a template Product Specification for MIO based on S-100 to TSMAD.

The HGMIO continued to be active until 2015.

MIO Creation

Basic Steps to Produce MIO
Briefly describes the basic steps required to produce MIOs using the example of marine environmental protection of critical marine habitats such as coral reefs.

Recommended Procedures for Development
This document gives some guidance on steps needing to be undertaken to develop a new MIO sub-type specification.

General Content Specification
This is a 'template' S-57 formatted MIO specification ready for modifying in order to create to create a specific MIO sub-type.

Specific MIO Specifications

Ice Coverage


    S-57 Ice MIO Product Specification
    S-57 Ice MIO Objects
    S-57 Ice MIO Attributes
    S-57 Ice MIO Portrayal Suggestions

Benthic Habitats


    S-57 Benthic Habitat MIO Objects and Attributes

Marine Protected Areas


    S-57 MPA MIO Objects and Attributes

Articles and Information Papers

Introductory Articles

The what, why and how of MIOs, Seaways, 2008

Relationship of MIOs to IHO Standards, International Hydrographic Review, 2007
 

Papers

MIO and ECDIS: Concept and Practice, U.S. Hydrographic Conference, 2003

Coral Reef MIO Initiative, U.S. Hydrographic Conference, 2005
 

Example Presentations

These are some presentations that have been given over the last few years to explain MIO to a variety of audiences.  
Feel free to reuse these (with appropriate attribution).

What & Why?
Relationship to IHO Standards
A shorter combined version of the above
Concepts and Practice, U.S. Hydro, 2003

Annual reports to the IHO/IEC

    2008
    2007
    2006
    2004-9
    2004-5
    2003
    2002
    2001
    2000