1. The useful seaweeds of Africa online

2. SeaweedAFRICA is a major EU funded, Fifth Framework Project and is co-ordinated from the AlgaeBase Centre in the Martin Ryan Institure, National University of Ireland, Galway. IOI-SA is responsible for the design and construction of the online database

3. Project to expand Algaebase a biodiversity database of seaweed information to include: Ecological Commercial Technological Legal information for African seaweed species

4. 1.Modernize the AlgaeBase a biodiversity database converting it to a relational database providing a common platform for both the SeaweedAfrica extension data and the core AlgaeBase data. 2.Provide species lists for the seaweeds of African countries. 3.Provide additional useful information for potential users including students, aspirant and practicing seaweed farmers, academics and the public. The project also aims to:

5. Project partners include: International Ocean Institute, East Africa, Kenya CIMAR - Centro Interdisciplinar de Investigação Marinha e Ambiental, University of Porto, Portugal University of Namibia University of Stockholm, Sweden University of Cape Town in co-operation with Marine and Coastal Management, South Africa International Ocean Institute, University of the Western Cape, South Africa Martin Ryan Marine Science Institute, National University of Ireland, Galway Ireland

6. Thus a collaboration between a team of people spaced far apart who can only see each other face to face occasionally and have to rely on technology as their main means of communication – a virtual team. Uses the Internet as the main means of of interaction including communication between team members, the collection of information by the team members and its dissemination to the potential users. Lets take a look at how this can be done via the web...

7. General project information

8. Any information can be added here online by a project manager

9. General project information Searching for seaweed information

10. Potential users can search for the seaweed information

12. Login and registration open to everybody General project information Up to date news about project progress Searching for seaweed information

13. Access to communication tools e.g. discussion fora, chat and instant messaging Discussion fora both private and public

14. Access to communication tools e.g. discussion fora, chat and instant messaging Chat

15. Access to information e.g. uploaded documents, FAQ and project manager Document manager

16. Access to information e.g. uploaded documents, FAQ and project manager Access to administration pages depending on access level e.g. website and seaweed database areas Project management system

17. Manage website users and their access rights Manage communications, projects and documents.

18. Administer main website content But what about the database itself - how does one manage that?

19. Manage taxonomic data for a seaweed species e.g. genera.

22. Manage taxonomic data for a seaweed species e.g. species.

25. Manage references for information all information is fully referenced

26. Manage ecological, technological, commercial for a seaweed species.

27. Add use data for a species

29. Add ecology data for a species

31. Get species lists by country using GIS

32. E.g. editing details for a specific seaweed species.

33. E.g. List of species for Liberia.

34. Lessons learned

35. WWW.SeaweedAFRICA.ORG The useful seaweeds of Africa online and much more!!