Release of NODC Coral Reef Data and Information Management System Website

[Sheri Phillips]

      As part of NOAA’s  National Oceanographic Data Center's (NODC)
mission to
collect, archive, distribute, and preserve marine data, and in support of the
1998 Executive Order for Coral Reef Protection and the U.S. Coral Reef Task
Force National Action Plan, the NODC is developing a Coral Reef Data and
Information Management System that will integrate biological data from coral
reef and related ecosystem monitoring and research programs with interrelated
chemical, biological, and physical data of surrounding marine areas, including
seagrass beds and mangrove forests. These data will include, inter alia,
quantitative and descriptive biology of coral reef communities and associated
communities, including measurements of species occurrences, numbers, life
stages, pathology, productivity, and nonbiological measurements, e.g., sea
water chemistry, turbidity, temperature, salinity, currents, biooptical data,
and substratum features. Additionally, data from in situ measurements,
laboratory studies, remotesensed data, and digital videotapes and photographs
will also be archived and made available through the website.
      
The system is being designed to provide a central "hub" providing direct and
immediate access to worldwide coral reef system and associated seagrass and
mangrove habitat data. As the system develops, users will be able to download
NODC archived  biological data in conjunction with data from NODC's large
holdings of oceanographic datasets. A co-located relational database for
monitoring data is planned for the near future.
      
This newly opened website is accessible through the NODC homepage at
http://www.nodc.noaa.gov. Downloadable NODC-held data received in 1999 are
currently accessible and being added to in the "Data Sources" section, along
with links to other organizations with reef data holdings. This section also
includes the "List of Extant Stony Corals" (Cairns, et al, 1999), a
glossary of
reef terminology, and the developing "Seagrasses and Mangroves" section. Reef
location maps include a clickable overview map of a U.S. coral reef region and
accompanying closeup views with lists of geographical coordinates of the coral
reefs.
      
The NODC encourages scientists and managers globally to submit a copy of their
valuable coral reef, associated seagrass, and mangrove forest data, with
associated metadata, to the NODC for permanent archival and distribution. Data
submission procedures may be obtained from the NODC homepage, or
alternatively,
please contact the NODC Coral Reef Team Lead, Dr. Anthony Picciolo (Phone:
3017133280 x140; Email: Anthony.Picciolo at noaa.gov) or other team members
through the website for more information. U.S. researchers should review their
parent and funding agency requirements on submitting data to the NOAA National
Data Centers. We also encourage scientists and managers not obligated under
Federal data submission requirements and guidelines, or that lack funding
and/or facilities to permanently manage and store coral reef, seagrass bed,
and
mangrove forest data, to contribute a copy of these data to NODC for permanent
archival and curatorship.

The NODC encourages commentary and feedback on this developing site.
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