MEDIN Progress Update The UK Marine Environmental Data and Information Network – MEDIN David Cotton – “Measure once use many times”

What is MEDIN? MEDIN is a collaborative and open partnership, open to all with an interest in improving our management of marine data and information, and developing better access to our marine data resources. working to reduce costs in sourcing, evaluating and preparing data Sponsors include government departments, research councils, environmental and conservation agencies, trading funds Wide public and private sector involvement ( >30 active partners) Established under, and reports to, the Marine Science Coordination Committee

MEDIN Support to Key Programmes UK Marine Monitoring and Assessment Strategy (UKMMAS) MEDIN sits on the UKMMAS Evidence Groups to support implementation of good practices for data management and sharing. Collated information on data sources for Charting Progress 2 (Audit Trail), and is identifying priority areas where management of data should be improved. Supporting preparation for European Marine Strategy Framework Directive and data requirements to provide assessments of “Good Environmental Status” UK Location Programme (UKLP) The UKLP is delivering key government requirements for public access to spatial data and acting to ensure INSPIRE obligations are met. MEDIN is supporting UKLP, acting as a demonstration case for a specific sector and providing a lead role in the development of standards and resources. Marine Spatial Planning MEDIN is in discussion with the UK Marine Management Organisations to ensure data are available and useable to provide evidence base for planning and decision making.

MEDIN Objectives for A single point of access to all relevant marine data and information. A robust network of integrated Data Archiving Centre (DACs). Provision through the MEDIN DAC network of priority data sets to underpin UK and EU legislative and obligatory requirements, for monitoring and marine planning, in line with INSPIRE principles. Facilitation of full data flow to the MEDIN DAC network for all government sponsored contracts in the marine environment. The necessary links with EU Directives (e.g. INSPIRE) and initiatives (e.g. EMODNET, WiseMarine) Measurable reductions in the proportion of project budgets spent on locating, accessing and retrieving marine data. An increased number of successfully furnished requests for archived marine environmental data

Marine Environmental Data and Information Network (MEDIN) 1.DAC Network: Framework of marine data archive centres. –To provide secure long-term management of priority marine data sets, according to best practice standards. 2.Standards: Guidance for data and metadata. –An agreed set of common standards for metadata, data format and content maintained and supported through implementation by partners. 3.Web Portal: Data search, other services and products –Improved access to authoritative marine data held in this network, through a central (discovery) metadata search capability. 4.Resource and Application Development –Specify user requirements, identify and implement solutions 5.International Coordination –Links to global databases and initiatives

MEDIN Schematic FisheriesMeteowater geophysmarinebathymetry column/ geology species oceanog. & habitats Discovery metadata Users Data search DAC and data specification standards Metadata standards Data in from partners and govt contracts metadata in from external databases tools Resources, Products and services Portal

The MEDIN DAC Network MEDIN is building a network of “accredited” marine Data Archive Centres, linked by the adoption of common standards and common descriptions of their data. DAC Network Objective: To provide secure long-term storage for marine data. To provide the capability to upload data into and to retrieve data from the DACs. Data contributors should have free access to their data managed within the DAC framework. Required capabilities of DACs : To ensure the secure, long term, curation of key marine data sets, according to best practice and to relevant national and international standards. To make available clear, searchable information on their data holdings, by the generation and publication of metadata on the MEDIN portal. To form the first point of call of expertise for the management of marine data.

Status of MEDIN DAC Network NameRelevant Expertise Contact InformationWeb linksMEDIN Status British Geological Survey (BGS) Seabed and sub-seabed geology, geophysics Paul Henni ex/home.html Accredited British Oceanographic Data Centre (BODC) Oceanographic Data Polly Hadziabdic where_to_find_data Accredited Data Archive for Seabed Species and Habitats (DASSH) Benthic flora, fauna and habitats Dan Lear UK Hydrographic Office Bathymetry Data Chris Howlett approved, awaiting UKHO developments MEDIN Fisheries DAC (CEFAS for England and Wales) Fisheries survey data Marine Scotland Science CEFAS AFBI Preparation for accreditation in progress

Data Archiving Projects MEDIN has supported a number of projects to archive priority data, and to set up more efficient processes for data archiving: Streamlining data flow from the National Marine Aquarium, Shark Trust and Marine Conservation Society - DASSH. Archival of CCW temperature logger data – CCW & BODC Mobilizing data from BERR Strategic Environmental Assessments - BGS. Oceanographic data from the Menai Straight ( ) and Isle of Man (circa 1900 onwards) – CCW & BODC. Cruise data sets, and mooring time series from Marine Scotland (2001 onwards) – MSS & BODC. 330 site years of sea level data (circa 1920s onwards) - BODC. Access to Oil and Gas industry site surveys for DECC licencing - BGS JNCC's Special Area of Conservation surveys (Dogger Bank and Solan Bank) - BGS. Scottish West Coast Inshore Fisheries data from the 1970s – SAMS & BODC. Plankton data from the Rockall Trough (1970s) – SAMS & BODC. Deep sea Benthic Habitat data from a number of sites - DASSH. Historical Saltmarsh data – Geodata & DASSH. A pilot Project “Archiving Archaeological Survey data to DACs” – Wessex Archaeology

Standards, Guidelines and Tools for Metadata and Data Products Establish and promote standards for metadata and data products - to allow users to locate and access the data sets they need, and also to provide guidelines and tools for the generation and preparation of metadata and data products. Discovery metadata standard and tools, available at: Data guidelines: Data guidelines are sets of requirements that must be recorded when data of a certain theme is being collected. MEDIN is developing guidelines where partners indicate they are needed. MEDIN data guidelines available at:

Network Services - MEDIN Discovery Portal A new Marine Discovery Portal was developed for MEDIN in 2010, with the aim of providing a single central site to search for UK marine data It offers geographic and keyword searching, and specific “Regional” views. Coverage will increase throughout 2010 as partners publish metadata on their holdings. It locates and provides details of data sets that meet users’ specifications and provides information on how to access these data.

UKDMOS The UK Directory of Marine Observing Systems was developed for UKMMAS to help coordinate and plan marine monitoring in the UK. It provides information on all routine monitoring programmes carried out by UKMMAS organisations and is updated annually. It does not include information on one-off surveys or (in general) research programmes. UKDMOS contains more detailed information on a smaller range of data than the MEDIN Discovery portal.

International Coordination Objective: To ensure that UK developments are linked in and consistent with international initiatives, and that obligations to provide data to global data bases are met Priorities include Providing a link to EC projects and initiatives such as INSPIRE, WISEmarine, EMODNET Providing UK input to key international marine data initiatives under the International Oceanographic Commission (IOC) and the International Council for the Exploration of the Seas (ICES) Act as a focal point for the provision of UK marine data to global data centres

MEDIN Resources and Applications Assesses the developing MEDIN network, and identifies the need for further resources. Reference information and “key” information layers : What should be in a “base reference data set”? Who could supply it? How could it be made available? Who should be responsible for maintaining it? Projects started in 2009: Improvement of the database of Shipping Losses. (English Heritage) Establishing Definitive Marine Infrastructure Datasets (Seazone, CDAL) Development of a Marine Gazetteer (Geodata) Existing Catalogues and data bases supported by MEDIN Tide and sea level Waves Research Cruise Data Base

Making MEDIN Work The only way to establish a sustainable approach over the long term is to have all partners adopt common standards and procedures as normal working practice. MEDIN Partner Commitments –Apply and document recognised Quality Control procedures. –All marine data of long-term interest to be lodged with DACs recognised by MEDIN. In return DACs to ensure data are always freely available to supplier. –Generate metadata records for all marine data in MEDIN format and make these metadata freely available to MEDIN. –Establish a clear policy with regard to data ownership, licencing and access as they apply to individual data sets. –Address these issues from the beginning – i.e. in data collection contracts. –Contribute to the activities of the work streams – help us develop and implement standards and build resources.

Key Achievements in DAC Network: –Expanding coverage of “accredited DACS” : Incorporating UKHO and investigating options for fisheries, met-ocean and heritage data –Bringing in priority data sets and establishing data flows. 2.Standards: –Adoption and implementation of Discovery Metadata standard (is being used as model of good practice by other communities). –Development and adoption of data guidelines, to aid re-use 3.Web Portals and Services –Specification and build of new Marine Discovery Portal. –Maintenance and update of UKDMOS 4.Resource and Application Development –Identification of Key Reference Data sets. Initiation of contracts to improve management and access. 5.International Coordination –Participation in EMODNET expert group, support to DEFRA in planning for European Marine Strategy Directive. 6.Other – Review of approaches to marine data policy. Leading role in UK Location Programme.

MEDIN Objectives for Single point of access to all marine data. Portal – 04/10 Network of integrated Data Archiving Centre (DACs). Yes Provision of priority data sets to underpin UK and EU legislative and obligatory requirements Work in progress Facilitation of data flow to DAC network for all government sponsored contracts Use of Data Clause, agreed data flow arrangements. Pilots to establish processes The necessary links with EU Directives & initiatives Yes Measurable reductions in costs of locating, accessing and retrieving marine data Partners asked to monitor An increased number of successfully furnished requests for archived marine environmental data DACs to monitor