The National Oceanographic Data Committee A short history

The National Oceanographic Data Committee: A short history and a long (and bright) future Taco de Bruin Chair - National Oceanographic Data Committee (NODC) NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research NODC Symposium 20090409

What is data management? General definition of data management: All activities concerning data • to maximize the value of data by preserving data for future (re-)use • in support of policy, science and management Definition according to POGO: The primary objective of data management is to ensure timely, efficient and open access to the best possible data, metadata and associated products, for use and re-use throughout their life-cycle and to prevent loss of data and associated information POGO = Partnership for Observation of the Global Oceans NODC Symposium 20090409

Why a NODC – History of the NL-NODC Conclusions from a workshop on oceanographic data management in The Netherlands in 1995: • Well organized at government agencies (RIKZ, Dienst Hydrografie, etc) • Complete lack of data management in academic community (research institutes, universities) • Largely dispersed within The Netherlands • No national policy or vision • No distinct representation towards outside world (national or international) • Lack of quarantees for preservation of data • No uniform data exchange format Solutions: • Foundation of Data Management Group (DMG) at NIOZ in 1997 (to serve the academic community) • Foundation of NODC in 1997 NODC Symposium 20090409

NODC Objectives: 1) to further data management and the delivery of quality data to a broad user group 2) to lower thresholds and barriers (organisational, technical, financial) for data exchange NODC Symposium 20090409

National Oceanographic Data Committee (NODC) • Committee – no centre • Based on Memorandum of Understanding (Mo. U) (1997 -) • Fully distributed structure Started with 8 Partners in 1997: - Rijks Instituut voor Kust en Zee (RIKZ) - Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ) (Academic community) - TNO – Bouw en Ondergrond (TNO – B & O, previously NITG) - Hydrographic Service (KM-HYD) - Rijkswaterstaat Directie Noordzee (DNZ) - Centre for Estuarine and Marine Ecology (NIOO-CEME) - Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI) - Waterloopkundig Laboratorium/ Delft Hydraulics(WL) - Advisor: Marine Information Services (MARIS) NODC Symposium 20090409

NODC Data Policy: 5. Exchange and availability of data. All oceanographic data such as defined in section 4 are in principle available and accessible for use and this free of charge. In this connection a number of restrictions are to be complied with: 5. 1 The data supplier is to be the rightful owner of the data. 5. 2 The data supplier keeps the copy rights and remains owner of the data 5. 3 The data supplier accepts no liability for the (consequences) of the use of the data supplied. 5. 4 When data are used, e. g. for publication in any form, sources are to be quoted. 5. 5 Etc. NODC Symposium 20090409

National Oceanographic Data Committee (NODC) • Very interesting mix of government agencies (4), research institutes (2) and privatized, former government agencies (2) • Government agencies have specific tasks, limited to territory and EEZ of the Kingdom of The Netherlands, Netherlands Antilles and Aruba. • Other NODC Partners may operate all over the world • Data from all disciplines: Coastal research, bathymetry, geology, biology, ecology, physical oceanography, marine meteorology, etc. • Many different data types • Broad expertise among Partner institutes • Flexible, efficient NODC Symposium 20090409

The NL-NODC is the national platform for oceanographic data management • Representing The Netherlands in international organizations and projects: - IODE - ICES - EU-projects and initiatives as Sea-Search, Sea. Data. Net, EMODNET • The Dutch approach has set an example for the rest of the world: - Australia : AODC-JF - United Kingdom - Italy - Portugal NODC Symposium 20090409

Situation of data exchange within NL-NODC a couple of years ago: Online accessibility and availability of data • Waterbase (RIKZ) • CODIS (NIOZ) • KODAC (KNMI) • Watermarkt (RIKZ, veel andere instituten) • HYDRA (KNMI) • COREBASE (NIOZ) • DINO (TNO- B&O) • Getij. nl (RIKZ) • Waterstat. nl (RIKZ) NODC Symposium 20090409

Situation of data exchange within NL-NODC a couple of years ago: Online accessibility and availability of data • Waterbase (RIKZ) • CODIS (NIOZ) • KODAC (KNMI) • Watermarkt (RIKZ, veel andere instituten) • HYDRA (KNMI) • COREBASE (NIOZ) • DINO (TNO- B&O) • Getij. nl (RIKZ) • Waterstat. nl (RIKZ) NODC Symposium 20090409

Situation of data exchange within NL-NODC a couple of years ago: Online accessibility and availability of data • Waterbase (RIKZ) • CODIS (NIOZ) • KODAC (KNMI) • Watermarkt (RIKZ + many other partner institutes) • HYDRA (KNMI) • COREBASE (NIOZ) • DINO (TNO- B&O) • Getij. nl (RIKZ) • Waterstat. nl (RIKZ) • many more …. . - user had no overview of data availability - user had to do all format conversions and syntheses NODC Symposium 20090409

NODC: Organizational structure for data exchange: • Mo. U • Data Policy No technical infrastructure for data exchange: • Different RDBMS • Different formats • Some databases online, others are not NODC Symposium 20090409

National infrastructure for access to oceanographic and marine data and information: NODC-i Objectives of the project: • central index of all data in the partner databases • transparent access via Internet to the partner databases (fully distributed system) Project: • February 2005 – December 2008 ( 2 phases) • 1 M Euro (500 k from Bsik – Ruimte voor Geo-Informatie (RGI)) NODC Symposium 20090409

Sea. Data. Net, consortium of national oceanographic data centres: 35 countries IOC/IODE ICES JRC Total 49 partners, links with JCOMM, WDC, DMAC, MMI, EDIOS, EUMar. BEF (No. E), EU-Seased, ESEAS, Esonet, Euro. Geo. Surveys, POGO, etc. NODC (NODC-i) is the Dutch node in the EU-Sea. Data. Net project NODC Symposium 20090409

Sea. Data. Net (2006 -2011): Sea. Data. Net has very similar objectives as NODC-i, albeit at a different (= European) level Sea. Data. Net is developing techniques, standards and formats, which can be applied within NODC-i and vice versa Sea. Data. Net ensures a high level of standardization Sea. Data. Net is implementing on an European level, what NODC-i has implemented on a national level NODC Symposium 20090409

NL-NODC The NODC web site is the Dutch node in the Sea. Data. Net network, linking the Dutch partner databases directly to the Sea. Data. Net infrastructure NODC Symposium 20090409

As a result from the NODCi-project: • NIOZ was the very first institute in Europe to fully comply to Sea. Data. Net requirements • NODC is the very first node in Europe to become a fully functional node in the Sea. Data. Net Transnational Access network Again the Dutch approach is an example for the rest of the world: - United Kingdom - France - Poland - Norway NODC Symposium 20090409

With the new NODC infrastructure, The Netherlands is much better equipped to grab the opportunities and face the challenges ahead. As a national platform, with its unique mix of government agencies, research institutes and private sector, the NODC can assist in answering national obligations and reporting requirements: - OSPAR - EU Water Directives, resulting in ‘Kaderrichtlijn Water en de Kaderrichtlijn Marien’ - WISE – WISE Marine for environmental reporting - Fisheries monitoring (ICES-EU) - GEOSS - INSPIRE for all geo-referenced data and information - EMODNET – European Marine Observations and Data Network NODC Symposium 20090409

New Memorandum of Understanding will be signed by the directors of the 7 partner institutes on April 9, 2009. - Renewed commitment - New partner: Wageningen IMARES - Cover latest developments - Updated data policy: from internal to external - Ensure sustained maintenance of the NODCi / Sea. Data. Net infrastructure in The Netherlands - Quarantee data preservation and contents maintenance NODC Symposium 20090409

National Oceanographic Data Committee (NODC) 9 april 2009 Official signing of the new NODC Memorandum of Understanding: - Rijkswaterstaat - Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ) (Academic community) - TNO – Bouw en Ondergrond (TNO – B & O) - Hydrographic Service (KM-HYD) - Centre for Estuarine and Marine Ecology (NIOO-CEME) - Wageningen IMARES - Deltares Advisor: Marine Information Services (MARIS) NODC Symposium 20090409