EMODNET Preparatory Actions Hydrographic Lot progress Service Contract MARE/2008/03 S By Dick M.A. Schaap – Coordinator Brussels, November 2009, EMODNET concertation meeting

Hydrographic lot – partnership Members of the SeaDataNet consortium together with other organisations from marine science, the hydrographic survey community, and industry: MARIS – NL (Management, DM and IT expertise) IFREMER – FR (Research institute) ATLIS – NL (IT expertise, DM hydrography) IEO – ES (Research institute) NERC-NOCS – UK (Research institute) GSI – IE (HO – Ireland) SHOM – FR (HO – France) Plus Data provider agreements with HO’s from Germany, Norway, Denmark, Netherlands and Belgium The partners combine expertises and experiences of collecting, processing, and managing of bathymetric data together with expertises in distributed data infrastructure development and operation and providing OGC services (WMS, WFS, and WCS) for viewing and distribution.

Hydrographic lot – approach The following approach is implemented: Involve research institutes, monitoring authorities, and HO’s, in providing hydrographic data sets for producing Digital Terrain Models (DTM) with specific resolution for each geographical region, that are loaded and integrated afterwards into a spatial database at the Portal Include in the portal a metadata discovery service, by adopting the SeaDataNet CDI metadata standard, that gives clear information about the background data used for the DTM, the access restrictions and distributors; this also ensures the connection of the Hydrographic portal with the SeaDataNet portal, which includes a shopping mechanism for requesting access to background data. Develop a high-end Hydrographic portal, outfitted with a powerful spatial database for the integrated DTM, that is complemented with WMS, WFS and WCS services (OGC) to serve users and to provide map layers for e.g. the other EMODNET portals, the prototype European Atlas of the Seas, and the broad-scale European Marine Habitats map;

Hydrographic lot – Data access The metadata in the EMODNET pilot will be public domain and freely available for all users. The DTM data products (GIS layers) will be freely available for all users as OGC services. For data access (= downloading in particular the background data as detailed in the data inventory and as used for the products) the data copyrights of owners must be respected. The CDI metadata includes a value for data access restriction for every data set it manages, as well as a clear indication of the distributor. The SeaDataNet CDI shopping mechanism is fit for dealing with different access restrictions.

Hydrographic lot – Workplan

Hydrographic lot - objectives The following geographical information system layers will be produced: water depth in gridded form over whole of maritime basin on a grid of at least quarter a minute of longitude and latitude. water depth in vector form with isobaths at a scale of at least one to one million. depth profiles along tracklines multibeam surveys along tracklines coastlines underwater features – wrecks, seabed obstructions etc

Hydrographic lot – geographical coverage The hydrographic data will concern the following geographical regions: the Greater North Sea, including the Kattegat and stretches of water such as Fair Isle, Cromarty, Forth, Forties,Dover, Wight, and Portland. the English Channel and Celtic Seas. Western Mediterranean, the Ionian Sea and the Central Mediterranean Sea VLIZ has prepared a concluding document and the VLIMAR website with the VLIZ Marine Gazetteer. This gives the boundaries of the EMODNET sea regions The MSFD Marine Regions will be largely based on the ICES Ecoregions.

Hydrographic lot – geographical coverage

Hydrographic data – possible resources Bathymetric surveys are undertaken by 4 groups of organisations, thereby partly overlapping and mostly complementing their geographical coverages. Data are collected at different frequencies and even date back to previous centuries. Hydrographic Offices, that are responsible for surveying the navigation routes, fairways and harbour approach channels and producing from these the nautical charts on paper and as Electronic Nautical Charts (ENC), that are used for navigation. The HO’s are members of the International Hydrographic Organisation (IHO). Authorities, responsible for management and maintenance of harbours, coastal defences, shipping channels and waterways. These authorities operate or contract regular bathymetric monitoring surveys to assure that an agreed nautical depth is maintained or to secure the state of the coastal defences. Research institutes, that collect multibeam surveys as part of their scientific cruises. Industry, especially the energy industry, that contracts multibeam surveys for pipeline and cable routes (in case of windfarms) and the telecommunication industry for phone and internet cable routes. Part of these data is already included in SeaDataNet, because its data centres belong to some of the authorities and research institutes.

Data gathering progress per region Greater North Sea: ATLIS has contacted HO’s from Norway, Denmark and the Netherlands, that agreed on delivering data sets meeting the EMODNET requirements. Norway and Netherlands also agreed on delivering high resolution data for proof of concept purposes. Germany is being contacted soon. Only the cost of providing data is foreseen. From Norway and Germany we also expect delivery of ENC data by means of WMS. Probably from this coastline data can be derived. This is explored. Alternative: coastline by WFS seems costly.

Data gathering progress per region Celtic Seas: NERC-NOCS has compiled available data for the deeper water regions of the Celtic seas. 55 – 62 N and 4 – 18 W.. Data include multibeam surveys, single beam depths and digitised contours. The multibeams have been derived from 8 cruises. Single beams from the GEODAS database, operated by NGDC, USA. Countours have been digitised from a British Admirality chart, C6091, Rockall bank bathymetry, 1977, scale 1: A preliminary grid has been created using GENERIC Mapping Tools. The individual data sets have been gridded 0.15 minutes. Initial inspection with Fledermaus software reveals errors: these are analysed and corrected, where possible. GSI has compiled inventory of all its multibeam hydrographic coverage up to date. Recently started with compiling 3rd party coverage. Started with gridding of all waters over 200 m. On shallower waters each local survey is being gridded. Metadata have been compiled, but need to be updated to the new EMODNET CDI format, once ready.

Data gathering progress per region Celtic Seas – GSI overview:

Data gathering progress per region Western and Central Mediterranean + Ionian Sea: IFREMER and SHOM have prepared an inventory of possible sources using EDMO, 2009 Yearbook of the International Hydrographic Bureau, and international databases (GEODAS, GEBCO, UNEP/GRID-Arendal). Many providers from EU member states and North-Africa have been contacted. MARIS has given a presentation of SeaDataNet and EMODNET Hydrography at the GEBCO Bathymetric Science Day in September This was received well. Soundings of the GEBCO DB will be made available and a cooperation has been agreed in the field of metadata. IFREMER and SHOM are both participants in GEBCO TSCOM. UNEP/GRID-Arendal has been subcontracted for the following actions: Identification and download of publicly available multibeam bathymetric data in the western Mediterranean with a particular emphasis on the North African region; Requesting authorization for using the identified data in EMODNET; Identification and contacting national Hydrographic focal points in Algeria, Tunisia, Libya and Morocco.

Data gathering progress per region Western and Central Mediterranean + Ionian Sea: IFREMER already made good progress with CDI metadata as part of SeaDataNet. Upgrade will be done once upgraded format available and MIKADO software upgraded. SHOM started with using the MIKADO software as test to see how to handle the specific organization of the hydrographic surveys in IEO has compiled its multibeam and echosounder survey data. There are now homogenizing their data to a grid of 500 meters, because original data has different grid sizes. Metadata will start once CDI format has been received. Overview table of progress with following indications: Contact progress 1: Request in progress 2: Discussion in progress 3: Agreement for contribution 4: Data and metadata provided Type of data known 0: No information 1: Extent of the dataset 2: DTM available 3: Data available

Data gathering progress per region Data sourcesContact IEO Contact IFREMER Contact SHOM Contact progress Type of Data Univ of Barcelona X22 CSIC Barcelona X22 Univ of GranadaX22 Hydrographic Service of Spain X22 ICREA BarcelonaX22 IEOX43 HCMR AthensX12 CNR Bologna (Thyrrenian sea) X22 (Medimap) OGS/Rima Trieste X22 (Medimap) Western and Central Mediterranean + Ionian Sea

Data gathering progress per region Data sourcesContact IEO Contact IFREMER Contact SHOM Contact progress Type of Data Seabed Habitat Mapping Lot X20 Hydrographic service of Italia X1 Hydrographic services of Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Greece X via UNEP/GRID -Arendal 1 CRAAG, AlgeriaX INSTM,TunisiaX1 Ifremer vessel surveys X42 / 3 (SISMER) SHOMX43 UNEP 3 Western and Central Mediterranean + Ionian Sea

Data gathering progress per region Data sourcesContact IEO Contact IFREMER Contact SHOM Contact progress Type of Data GEBCOX3 IBCMX2 US-NGDC/WDC USA X via UNEP/GRID- Arendal 2 Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, USA X via UNEP/GRID- Arendal 2 Western and Central Mediterranean + Ionian Sea

IFREMER data inventory (green and red areas in discussion)

Western and Central Mediterranean + Ionian Sea SHOM data inventory

Western and Central Mediterranean + Ionian Sea IEO data inventory

Western and Central Mediterranean + Ionian Sea IEO data inventory

Western and Central Mediterranean + Ionian Sea IEO preliminary DTM

Hydrographic – QA/QC and DTM specifications QA/QC specifications have been prepared by IFREMER, NERC- NOCS and ATLIS. It defines all parameters and information needed, as either layers or metadata of the surveys files and the final DTM. After review by all partners a 1st version of QA/QC specifications for bathymetric data is now available. The specifications are finalized in the “Guideline for methodology, metadata and QC standards V1”. Survey description (usual metadata as vessel, institution…) Age Type of data Horizontal datum Positioning system Vertical datum Tidal corrections Sound velocity corrections Units

Hydrographic – QA/QC and DTM specifications The DTM layers are preliminary defined as follow: Mean value Min/Max Number of values used for interpolation Standard deviation (as percentage of the water depth) Each node of the DTM is also linked to one and only one dataset and its characteristics, that is the most representative survey (in terms of number of soundings) used for the calculation of the value at this node. The link is represented by the SeaDataNet “Common Data Index” identifier which points to the full metadata description of the dataset. ATLIS has prepared specs for transfer of DTM data to the central portal

Metadata format Metadata format, based upon SeaDataNet CDI V1 : extension with GML object Service bindings ISO transport model INSPIRE compliance Prepared by SeaDataNet TTT together with University of Florence – INSPIRE experts Also considered the S100 standard of IHO, but this is still at conceptual level. IFREMER will make the necessary upgrade to the MIKADO software, which is used for editing and generating the CDI V1 metadata records for the background data sets.

Website (under construction)

Extranet

Portal specifications The Digital Terrain Model (DTM), produced for each region, is integrated into an Oracle Spatial database. The Hydrographic portal services will be based on the SENS Distribution solution by ATLIS, that will be configured on top of the integrated DTM database. A start has been made with the functional specifications for the portal applications, including the synergy between SENS and SeaDataNet CDI V1. The technical design for enabling metadata contours of multibeam tracks and surveys is ready. SENS Software is being adapted. Also user interface screens are being prepared for brainstorming and finetuning the GUI between ATLIS and MARIS. The web portal will show an ENC map with the bathymetry. Both the ENC and the bathymetry are to be served by a WMS (Web Map Service). The coastline and underwater features will be added as additional WMS layers.

Portal specifications

The use of open standards enables integration with WISE-Marine. Available OGC services provided by SENS Distribution can be accessed through the WISE-Marine system. The maps will also be available as WMS services: for the prototype European Atlas of the Seas to support the broad-scale European Marine Habitats map The Common Data Index (CDI) services will be integrated into the portal, including its services for requesting background data sets from their distributors.