1. EC-Marine Science & Technology Programme Concerted Action (MAS3-CT98-0174/ERBIC20-CT98-0103 ) MEDAR/MEDATLAS 2002 and future initiatives Mediterranean Data Archaeology and Rescue of Temperature, Salinity and Bio-Chemical Parameters

2. OBJECTIVES To compile and safeguard historical data. To make available comparable datasets. − Common format. − Common protocol for quality checks. To compute climatology for all the parameters. To publish and disseminate observed data and climatology. To enhance communication between scientists and data manager.

3. MEDAR GROUP

4. MEDAR STRUCTURE

5. DATA BASE CONTENT DATA BASE CONTENT (PARAMETERS) Parameter Nb of Profiles Parameter Nb of Profiles Temperature284 371Nitrite10 508 Salinity118 009Ammonium5 239 Oxygen44 928Chlorophyll4 672 Phosphate20 761Alkalinity2 548 Silicate15 920 Total Phosphorus 2 381 PH14 512H2SH2S1 843 Nitrate10 572Total Nitrogen 153

6. DATA BASE CONTENT DATA BASE CONTENT (DATA TYPE) Data typeNb of Profiles in MEDATLAS 2002 (MEDATLAS 1997) CTD35 679 (15 778) Bottle88 323 (33 977) MBT and XBT161 848 (156 474) Thermistors29 (29)

7. TEMPERATURE

8. SALINITY

9. DISSOLVED OXYGEN

10. PHOSPHATE

11. CHLOROPHYLL

12. QUALITY CHECKS QCO : Automatic check of the format QC1 : Automatic and visual check of the headers QC2 : Automatic and visual check of the data points a quality flag to each numerical value (GTSPP flag scale) 0 1 2 34 59 No QC Correct Inconsistent Doubtful Bad ChangedMissing

13. DATA QUALITY GOOD FALSEDOUBTFUL OUT OF STATISTICS NO QC

14. CLIMATOLOGY Objective analysis  Computation of Climatological Analysis by Variational Inverse Model (VIM) algorithms  Computation made on finite elements and then re- interpolated on a regular grid (0.2 degrees in Latitude and Longitude), with smaller scales for local computations  T, S and bio-chemical climatology reviewed by regional experts and modellers http://modb.oce.ulg.ac.be/Medar

15. CLIMATOLOGY: SOME EXAMPLES CLIMATOLOGY: Numerical fields + 2500 horizontal sections, vertical sections and stations location SOME EXAMPLES

16. SALINITY at 20m Depth

17. VERTICAL SECTIONS VERTICAL SECTIONS (2500 vertical sections and surface zoom)

20.  CD-ROM 4: climatology Black Sea + E-Mediterranean  CD-ROM 3: Climatology: Global + W-Mediterranean DATA PRODUCT DATA PRODUCT (A set of 4 CD-ROMs)  CD-ROM 2: Database Observed data + SELMED interface for extraction (according to various criteria), interpolation and visualization - export formats: MEDATLAS, CSV or ODV.  CD-ROM 1 −HTML documentation on the project and its results −Cruise inventory −QCmedar - ODV software

21. CLIMATOLOGY The selected fields depends on data availability: Annual, seasonal and monthly climatology –Temperature, Salinity Annual and seasonal –Oxygen, Silicate, Phosphate –Hydrogen sulphide (H2S) in the Black Sea Annual only –Nitrate, Nitrite, pH, Ammonium, Alkalinity, Chlorophyll No climatology –Total Phosphorus, Total Nitrogen

22. Results and further Requirements for an effective management of oceanographic data of the Mediterranean & Black Sea MEDAR/MEDATLAS has set common protocols and practices for data handling for all the Mediterranean and Black Sea countries and MEDATLAS 2002 is presently the best available data base for the Mediterranean & BLack Seas, however we need further:  Regular collection, archive and dissemination of new physical and biochemical parameters, including recent cruises and RT data  Improve the QC of the non-physical parameters and the gridded data with better statistics,  Use of Internet capabilities and technologies for data disseminations  Enhanced international cooperation & capacity building activities.

23. The MEDBLACK- ODN Initiative

24. MEDBLACK-ODN Main Objective The main aim of the MEDBLACK-ODN initiative is to build an Oceanographic Data Network of the Mediterranean and Black Seas for making available, to a wide user community, a great diversity of fully quality controlled oceanographic data (delayed mode and near-real time mode) and data products, using Internet capabilities and other modern technologies.

25. MEDBLACK-ODNConsortium  Thirty-three (33) NODCs, DNAs and specialized laboratories from 26 countries of the Mediterranean, Black Sea and Europe.  World Data Centre - A (Oceanography), USA.  World Data Centre - B (Oceanography), Russia.  Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO (IOC).  International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES).  International Ocean Institute (IOI).

27. MEDBLACK-ODN: Module 1 Management  Coordinator.  Steering Group, consisting of the modules leaders.  Technical Task Group, consisting of technical experts directly involved in the MEDBLACK- ODN system design and development.  External advisers.

28. MEDBLACK-ODN: Module 2 System Design and Tool-kit Development  System design [user requirements, definition of the functional specifications, design of global architecture, design of physical and logical components (navigator and integrators), design of the XML exchange protocol and the data dictionary.  System development (development of the navigator and the integrators).  System integration and test (integration of the system components).  System exploitation and maintenance (compilation of users feedback, documentation).

30. MEDBLACK-ODN: Module 3 National Data Acquisition  Identify data holding Institutes, etc.  Data and meta-data requests to data holding institutes.  Develop/update national cruise and/or mooring inventories.  Code data and meta-data into common MEDATLAS format.  Perform first level data and meta-data quality control.  Check for duplicates.  Pass over the assembled data set to the responsible regional Data Centre.

31. MEDBLACK-ODN: Module 4 Regional Data Assembling  Assemble regional data in an integrated data set.  Check meta-data to avoid duplicates.  Develop/update regional inventories of cruises/moorings (ROSCOP) and data sets (EDMED).  Send simplified data and information to the data originating countries.  Send regional cruise/moorings inventory to WDC-B (Russia).  Send regionally assembled data set to the global assembling Data Centre.  Archive comprehensive data sets and maintain them on computer medium (RDBMS) to be accessible by end users through the MEDBLACK-ODN navigator system.  Load regional database in the MEDBLACK-ODN system using common tool-kit developed.

32. MEDBLACK-ODN: Module 5 Data Quality Assurance  Investigate and document quality control standards for all data types, with special attention to bio-chemicals and pollutants and comparability between coastal and deep sea stations.  Advice on suitability of data sets of uncertain quality.  Prepare and update a Quality Control protocol manual.  Design specification for automatic QC checks for distributed system (XML-based).  Establish and run training courses with respect to QC issues.  Overview the data parameters definition required for the distributed system to ensure that adequate account is taken of QC issues.  Quality control the climatology and products produced by the consortium.

33. MEDBLACK-ODN: Module 6 Near-Real Time Data Access Design and develop of MEDBLACK-ODN interface with near real time data systems which are disseminated on the Global Transmission System (GTS) or managed under several international or national, deep sea and coasstal GOOS related Programmes, like MFSPP/MFSTEP, ARGO/CORIOLIS, POSEIDON, ADRICOSM, MAREL, etc.

34. MEDBLACK-ODN: Module 7 Data Products 4Where possible: mean, decadal, seasonal, montly gridded data and maps at basin scale, regional scale and shelf scale. 4Feedback of data quality and availability to the data providers. 4General geostatistical indicators for the Mediterranean and Black Sea 4Publication on appropriate media (CDrom/DVD) of data, products and documentation.

35. MEDBLACK-ODN: Module 8 Capacity Building, Dissemination and Promotion  Assist to the development of national human and infrastructural capacity to effectively implement the MEDBLACK-ODN at national and regional level.  Develop, disseminate and provide training on relevant software tools for data processing.  Develop website/portal for distributed management and dissemination of information and products of the MEDBLACK-ODN.  Develop relevant public awareness products (leaflets, brochures, posters, etc.)

36. MEDBLACK-ODN: Module 9 Future Update and Development 4Estimate the socio-economic importance of data availability and to get feedback and guidance from the users community for further development of the MEDBLACK-ODN structure. 4Plan and establish a mechanism for a permanent maintenance of the MEDBLACK-ODN system and its regular update. 4Make a plan for its further development taking into account the progress made in the development/improvement of various national data management structures.

37. CONCLUSIONS  A wide international cooperation on oceanographic data and information management of the Mediterranean and Black Seas enabled the development of: the most complete and internationally available, data base for the Mediterranean and Black Seas. common standards and protocols for data handling across the region. the MEDATLAS format, which has become one of the most useful, flexible and commonly used oceanographic data format anywhere on the Globe. a network, which during the last few years has been one of the most active networks, on data management, in the world.  Future activities on data management of the Mediterranean and Black Sea should include: Regular updates of the MEDAR/MEDATLAS data base, including the collection, quality control, archive and dissemination of additional data types (e.g., biogeochemical data, long time series, etc.). Development of a distributed data management system, for dissemination of delayed mode and near-real time data, using Internet capabilities and new technologies. Continuation of the standardisation issues and quality assurance for chemicals and gridded data.