9 Juni 2009

NODC engaged in the EMODNET pilots

The EU's Maritime Policy Blue Book, welcomed by the European Council in December 2007, undertook to take steps towards a European Marine Observation and Data Network (EMODNET) that would improve availability of high quality data. As part of the roadmap and analysis for the future EMODNET the EU launched in July 2008 a call for tenders for creating pilot components of EMODNET. The overall objective is to migrate fragmented and inaccessible data into interoperable, continuous and publicly available data streams for complete maritime basins. The results will help to define processes, best technology and approximate costs of a final operational European Marine Observation and Data Network. It will also provide the first components for a final system which will in themselves be useful to the marine science community.

The call for tenders comprised 4 lots:
1. hydrographic data
2. marine geological data
3. chemical data
4. biological data

The SeaDataNet consortium successfully applied for implementing the EMODNET Chemical portal by using the SeaDataNet network of national data centres and its new V1 infrastructure, thereby demonstrating its abilities for handling and giving users access to the requested chemical data sets and products in combination with other multi-disciplinary data sets. In the coming year the first release of the Chemical pilot will be prepared. The Regional Conventions (OSPAR HELCOM, Black Sea Commission) have agreed to contribute to this process. The NODC will work and contribute for the Netherlands concerning data input and the overall developments. The EMODNET pilot will make use of the underlying data infrastructure, but moreover will add considerable value by producing and providing aggegated data products of chemicals by means of OGC compliant maps and viewing services.    

SeaDataNet and its Netherlands member, NODC, is also involved in the implementation of the other 3 pilots, whereby common standards of SeaDataNet for e.g. vocabularies and metadata will be adopted for ensuring harmonisation between the 4 pilots. Moreover the SeaDataNet Common Data Index (CDI) portal will be populated by all pilots for indexing their background datasets.