SeaDataNet, pan-European infrastructure for ocean and marine data management

1. SeaDataNet, pan-European infrastructure for ocean and marine data management A key component of EMODNet A possible building block for GEOSS By Dick M.A. Schaap – MARIS London, 8-9 February 2011, 5th GEO European Projects Workshop Supported by the European Commission

2. Relevant international context EU DG Research projects for marine and ocean data management EU - INSPIRE Directive – European Spatial Data Infrastructure GMES (Global Monitoring for Environment and Security) from ESA and EU Research as European component of GEOSS Marine Strategy Framework Directive with EMODNet initiative and striving for Good Environmental Status (GES) UNESCO – IOC – IODE – Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission ICES – International Council for Exploration of the Seas GEO-GEOSS initiative from the G8 ad-hoc Group of Earth Observations for a Global Earth Observation System of Systems

3. SeaDataNet, pan-European infrastructure for ocean and marine data management • SeaDataNet is operating and further developing a distributed infrastructure by connecting National Oceanographic Data Centres (NODC’s), national oceanographic focal points, and ocean satellite data centres, in Europe • SeaDataNet sets standards and protocols which are widely adopted in the marine and oceanographic domain • SeaDataNet provides and maintains a range of pan-European directories for research projects, cruises, monitoring, organisations and large data sets • SeaDataNet gives unified access to distributed databases • SeaDataNet standards and services are adopted by related projects and EMODNet resulting in expansion of the number of connected data centres and data coverage in volume and disciplines

4. Cross sector involvement • SeaDataNet cooperates and provides services for many other European and international groups and projects, contributing and safeguarding good data management. Examples: • EuroGOOS, maintaining the European Directory of Ocean observing systems (EDIOS) and quality controlling and archiving long-term data series. • POGO, collecting and providing information on ocean-going research vessels, and their operators, planned and completed cruises. • MoU with MyOcean for adopting SeaDataNet standards and streamlining the provision of long-term archives for optimising marine forecast services • SIMORC Services for the international oil & gas industry for metocean data

5. SeaDataNet Expansion • SeaDataNet standards and services are adopted and adapted by related EU-funded projects, resulting in expansion of the SeaDataNet infrastructure in other regions and disciplines: • Up-Grade Black Sea SCENE project, (2009 – 2011) involving 6 NODCs and 35 other data holding institutes from the 6 Black Sea countries, to provide metadata and data access and to strengthen their national NODC networks. • CASPINFO project, (2009 – 2011) involving 12 institutes and private industry from the Caspian Sea region, to provide metadata and data access and to build their capacity for data management and user services. • Geo-Seas project, (2009-2012) involving 24 geological and geophysical data centres from 16 European countries (EuroGeoSurveys), to provide metadata and data access. • EuroFleets project, (2009-2012) involving 24 research institutes and data centres from 17 European countries, to optimise the management of research vessels and to streamline the flow of data from the research cruises to the data centre infrastructure. • In each project several SeaDataNet NODCs are participating for transfer of knowledge & expertise, to secure interoperability and to learn from new developments

6. EMODNet • EU has adopted a new Marine Directive and Maritime Policy. • It includes taking steps towards an overarching European Marine Observation and Data Network (EMODNet) • EU Taskforce is lead by DG-MARE and comprises also representatives of DG Research, DG Enterprise (GMES), DG Environment, and EEA. • EMODNET will be a network of existing and developing European observation systems, linked by a data management structure covering all European coastal waters, shelf seas and surrounding ocean basins, accessible to everyone. • EMODNet is also considered as important basis for the Water Information System for Europe (WISE-Marine) for the implementation of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive.

7. SeaDataNet and EMODNET

8. SeaDataNet and EMODNET • EU Taskforce launched preparatory actions aiming at setting up portals to grant access to certain types of data over a number of maritime basins. • 3 year data pilots, harvesting from DG Research developments: • Geology – undertaken by EuroGeoSurveys consortium • Chemistry – undertaken by SeaDataNet consortium • Biology – undertaken by EurOBIS – MARBEF consortium • Hydrography – undertaken by sub SeaDataNet consortium • Marine Habitats – undertaken by JNCC consortium • Physics – undertaken by SeaDataNet, EuroGOOS and MyOcean consortium SeaDataNet has been adopted as core element in EMODNet for the data management component and this way is enabled to upgrade its status from project based to sustained operational infrastructure.

9. Common Data Index (CDI) – Data Coverage in SDN CDI coverage at early 2011: > 850.000 CDI entries from 28 countries and 50 connected data centres; connecting another 20 data centres and more countries and extending data coverage is well underway

10. SeaDataNet and GEOSS - required action • Need for action to establish interoperability between the SeaDataNet / EMODNet infrastructure and GEOSS • Will make available a large volume of marine and oceanographic data from various disciplines (physics, chemistry, geology, geophysics, bathymetry, biology)