The first section of this paper deals with the development of marine inform
ation systems relating to the marine environment, uses and industries. The
second section considers the organisational scales of information managemen
t based on the types of organisation and their geographical scales of opera
tion. Key issues arising from the use and handling of marine information in
a digital environment are discussed. The use of the Internet for 'on-line'
pointers to the existing marine information and as a platform for exchange
of ideas and information is reviewed. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All r
ights reserved.