International Oceanographic Data and Information Exchange

(IODE)By Peter Pissierssens, IODE Programme

Coordinator

The IOC of UNESCO:Building knowledge and capacity for sustainable

ocean management

Established in 1960 Only intergovernmental organization

mandated to promote marine science in all ocean basins

Science, services, observations, data exchange and capacity development

Foster sustainable development of the marine environment

IOC Within UN

Focal point for ocean observations, science, services and data exchange

Competent international organization for marine science (UNCLOS)

Functional autonomy

IOC of UNESCO

4 high level objectives: Preventing and reducing impacts of

natural marine hazards Mitigating impacts and adapting to

climate change Safeguarding health of ocean ecosystems Promoting policies for sustainability

From vision to execution

Major IOC Programmes

Global Ocean Observing System. GOOS is a permanent global system for observations, modelling and analysis of marine and ocean variables to support operational ocean services worldwide. (and JCOMM)

International Oceanographic Data and Information Exchange. IODE facilitates the exchange of oceanographic data and information between participating Member States, and serves the needs of users for data and information products.

Major IOC Programmes (2)

Ocean Biogeographic Information System. OBIS is world's largest and unique global online open-access database on the diversity, distribution and abundance of all marine life. It provides an important baseline, against which future change can be measured, and is used around the globe for planning ocean conservation policies, identifying biodiversity hotspots and global trends in species distributions.

Major IOC Programmes (3)

Marine Spatial Planning. This IOC initiative aims to help countries operationalize ecosystem-based management by finding space for biodiversity conservation and sustainable economic development in marine environments.

Harmful Algal Bloom. The HAB programme aims to foster the effective management of, and scientific research on, harmful algal blooms in order to understand their causes, predict their occurrences, and mitigate their effects.

ICAM: Integrated Coastal Area ManagementCoral Reef Monitoring NetworkGlobal Marine Assessment

The IOC Tsunami Programme aims at reducing the loss of lives and livelihoods that could be produced worldwide by tsunamis. In order to accomplish this, the IOC Tsunami Unit supports IOC Member States in assessing tsunami risk, implementing Tsunami Early Warning Systems and in educating communities at risk about preparedness measures.

Major IOC Programmes (4)

IODE within IOC

1960: requirement for a structure to co-ordinate international oceanographic data exchange

IOC-I, 1961: Working Group on Exchange of Oceanographic Data established: the facilitating of exchange of oceanographic data, the

standardization of forms for reporting and coding data, the encouragement of the preparation of data catalogues, and the assistance of development of national oceanographic data centres

1. To facilitate and promote the discovery, exchange of, and access to, marine data and information including metadata, products and information in real-time, near real time and delayed mode, through the use of international standards, and in compliance with the IOC Oceanographic Data Exchange Policy for the ocean research and observation community and other stakeholders;

2. To encourage the long term archival, preservation, documentation, management and services of all marine data, data products, and information;

3. To develop or use existing best practices for the discovery, management, exchange of, and access to marine data and information, including international standards, quality control and appropriate information technology;

4. To assist Member States to acquire the necessary capacity to manage marine research and observation data and information and become partners in the IODE network;

5. To support international scientific and operational marine programmes, including the Framework for Ocean Observing for the benefit of a wide range of users.

IODE Objectives (2013)

NATIONAL IODE Associate Data Units (ADU) (>2013) IODE National Oceanographic Data Centre

IODE national coordinator for data management Marine Libraries

IODE national coordinator for marine information management OBIS nodes (>2010)REGIONAL Ocean Data and Information Network (ODIN)

IODE regional coordinators OBIS nodes (>2010)GLOBAL

World Data System (ICSU): World Data Centres Oceanography

Building blocks

NODCs 1961

NODCs 2013

Foundation: Data Policy (2003)

Clause 1: Member States shall provide timely, free and unrestricted access to all data, associated metadata and products generated under the auspices of IOC programmes..

To facilitate and promote the discovery, exchange of, and access to, marine data and information including metadata, products and information in real-time, near real time and delayed mode, through the use of international standards, and in compliance with the IOC Oceanographic Data Exchange Policy for the ocean research and observation community and other stakeholders;

Global projects: ASFA, IODE Ocean Data Portal, OBIS, OceanData Standards and best practices, GODAR, GOSUD, GTSPP, OceanDocs, OceanExpert, …

Objectives – activities (1)

To encourage the long term archival, preservation, documentation, management and services of all marine data, data products, and information; World Ocean Database, OceanDocs, GOSUD,

OBIS, Data citation project, ICAN,…

Objectives – activities (2)

To develop or use existing best practices for the discovery, management, exchange of, and access to marine data and information, including international standards, quality control and appropriate information technology; Ocean Data Standards and Best Practices

project, IODE Manuals and Guides, OceanTeacher Digital Library,…

Objectives – activities (3)

To assist Member States to acquire the necessary capacity to manage marine research and observation data and information and become partners in the IODE network; Ocean Data and Information Networks (ODINs),

OceanTeacher & OceanTeacher Global Academy

Objectives – activities (4)

Cornerstone of the IODE since the programme’s start in 1961

assist Member States to acquire the necessary capacity to manage marine data and information and become partners in the IODE network

teach the principles of data and information management and also promote the use of "standards" amongst all IODE centres and thus achieve interoperability amongst centres.

IODE and Training

NO formal academic degrees or even curricula in oceanographic data management and library management

Data managers start as either (ocean) researchers or IT specialist

Data and information managers still need to acquire the knowledge, expertise and experience on the job

Why?

1997-2008

1997: IODE Resource Kit (CD Rom based: marine and data management material, software, training manuals, etc) (Mombasa)2001: OceanTeacher Comprehensive self-training and resource tool – web-based – for newly established NODCs, and to assist managers and staff members to acquire the skills to set up new IODE centres

OceanTeacher Academy Objectives (funded 2009 – 2013)

Building high quality and up-to-date expertise in oceanographic data and information management and exchange in new NODCs, , marine information centres and related facilities;

Keeping staff in existing NODCs, marine information centres and related facilities up-to-date with the latest methodological and technical developments (continuous professional development);

• Creating awareness for the importance of oceanographic data management and marine information management with university students (marine environmental studies) to ensure that they will contribute quality data to data centres during their future career;

• Creating awareness for the importance of oceanographic data management with experts in oceanography and related disciplines.

OceanTeacher Architecture

http://www.oceanteacher.org

• Web-based training system that supports:

• Classroom training (face-to-face)

• Blended training, online tutoring

• online self-learning.

• Contents freely

and openly available (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License)

Courses

Over 40 courses

Course Management System (Moodle)

Digital Library (wiki)

Lecture Video Recordings

Storage and access through Vimeo.com

Training Centre Oostende

• Est. 2005• IODE Secretariat• International Training Centre• International Conference Centre• Host for IOC/IODE data and information

services (Data/information hub)• Expert Centre• ~15 events/year• Support from Flanders Government • Close cooperation with Flanders Marine

Institute (VLIZ)

OceanTeacher in numbers

• 2009-2012:• > 700 onsite students • ~120 countries

• 8 courses/year

2009 2010 2011 2012 20130123456789

Courses 2009-20132009 2010 2011 2012

0

50

100

150

200

250

180155

203177

IODE trainees

2009 2010 2011 20120

100200300400500600700800900

1000

663

953 908736

Trainee person days

OceanTeacher Academy Gender Balance

• Applications from women are strongly encouraged

• Lack of gender balance between courses addressing MIM vs DM

Marine Information Management

Data Management

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

MaleFemale

Gender Balance: MIM vs DM

MaleFemale

RTCs will first of all serve regional needs: self-determined, self-driven

RTCs will first of all make use of local expertise RTCs can cover all thematic areas within the mandate of IOC (not

limited to IODE) RTCs will coordinate their work through a Steering Group involving all

RTCs RTCs will be able to provide courses in regionally relevant language(s) RTCs will be able to share courses and invite lecturers across regions

using video conferencing RTCs will all use the OceanTeacher Learning Management System

(courses and digital library)

Next step: Regional Training Centres

Oostende, Belgium

Mombasa, Kenya Maputo, Mozambique Dakar, Senegal

Hyderabad, India

Buenos Aires, Argentina ??, Colombia

??, China ??, Malaysia

Candidates