Data Management Training and Archival

This project enabled the UK’s expertise in marine data and information management to be shared with stakeholders in all three regions, with the Marine and Environmental Data and Information Network (MEDIN) coordinator providing information and training on data centres, metadata standards and data portals, and examples of how good data management strategies have both economic and social importance. It also facilitated the creation of a data management plan and policy with the British Oceanography Data Centre (BODC), which enabled the incorporation of all relevant marine environmental data acquired, assembled or created through research, survey and monitoring activities conducted by the NOC through the CME Programme. Data archived with BODC in this manner is freely available to interested users.

MEDIN which led the engagement and training components of this project, represents an open partnership of government departments, research institutions and private companies with the objective of improving access to, and stewardship of, UK marine data and information. It also promotes the use of metadata standards, and works with a network of accredited Data Archive Centres like the BODC to ensure the quality, validity and authority of the data made available to users.

BODC is the UK’s National Oceanographic Data Centre (NODC) and sits on the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commissions’ (IOC) Data and Information Exchange (IODE) committee, in addition to supporting many other international working groups and networks.

Countries supported

All programme countries

Outputs

• Engagement by MEDIN coordinator in all three regions (Indian Ocean, Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean) to better understand the current status and future needs of their data and information management strategies.
• Data management training workshops delivered to stakeholders from multiple countries in the Caribbean and Pacific regions, covering: (i) data management best practice; (ii) building regional data networks; (iii) managing national data.
• Development of a data management policy and data management plan with BODC, ensuring the continuing availability of relevant marine environmental data collected by the NOC through the CME Programme
• Archival of AWAC datasets generated during the July-October 2018 deployment (https://www.bodc.ac.uk/data/published_data_library/catalogue/10.5285/8e0a28de-a47f-6e3b-e053-6c86abc07dcf/) and January-March 2019 deployment (https://www.bodc.ac.uk/data/published_data_library/catalogue/10.5285/9386e626-d402-3934-e053-6c86abc06ccd/)

Workshops

• Marine Data Management Training (April 2020; Online). Discussions on marine data policy, protocol and infrastructure conducted with OECS to support the development of marine data infrastructure for the Caribbean.

• Marine Data Management Training (February 2018; St Lucia). Discussions on marine data policy, protocol and infrastructure conducted with OECS to support the development of marine data infrastructure for the Caribbean.

• Marine Data Management Training (October 2017; Fiji). Stakeholder engagement and data management workshops organised in association with the Pacific Community (SPC).