GIS for aquatic animal health management: a framework for tailored project development

Although Geographic Information Systems (GIS) have proved to be reliable tools for animal health management, their implementations in the aquatic animal health (AAH) domain are scarce, likely because they require expertise in GIS technologies, the specific characteristics of aquatic environments, and epidemiology. Considering the lack of GIS approaches tailored to AAH, this study presents a framework conceived to guide GIS users through the development of GIS operative designs for disease surveillance and response. Its practical application and actual accessibility within two case studies in an Italian marine environment and in a Brazilian freshwater aquaculture site were investigated. The main take-home message emerging from both the framework and its applications is the key importance of project planning in GIS development. Without a structured planning phase, GIS projects are likely to produce inconsistent, incomplete, or unsustainable outcomes. The framework accompanies GIS users, including those with little GIS knowledge, through all the stages of GIS project development, encouraging them to include the fundamental planning elements based on the principles of applicability, sustainability, appropriateness and opportunity of implementation. However, the framework must be used consciously, not as rigid instructions but, rather, as a tool that provides orientation to navigate GIS planning in the complex aquatic contexts.