[Coral-List] Online archive for data and transect photographs from closed projects

[Paul Muir]

Great idea that I first heard suggested in the 1980's (pre internet!!!),
but as far as I am aware there's not a central, free reef archive server
for transect data and images to record the state of reefs and populations
for future reference? To look at changes in reefs and coral populations etc
through time we therefore have to use baseline historical data which is
usually very, very shaky. Hence we don't have much of an idea about which
coral species may have already gone extinct in some areas, the status of
many coral populations and basic science such as how much latitudinal
extension has occurred in response to warming. Like many things in reef
science (e.g. an online archive for species descriptions and type
specimens) it should have been, but somehow it's never happened?!

The good journals do now insist on copying main data onto an on-line
archive, but you often have to pay and it's not centralized. Also, there's
no facility to archive things like photo-vouchers*, transect videos etc.
that are not key supporting data, but do provide a means of checking the
results and could provide invaluable historical data.

Such a server would need to be pretty large and perhaps have a  filter to
prevent it getting absolutely swamped: I have tens of thousands of
photo-vouchers etc from around the world for example! Perhaps a starting
point would be published studies, reports and thesis's. This would cost,
but it would seem to me to be an essential part of managing reefs and
assessing coral population at a critical time?  BTW an archive of images of
coral types and species descriptions would cost comparatively little
(perhaps require a gB) and would have prevented so much confusion over
coral IDs.


PAUL MUIR
Independent Consultant

*photo-vouchers are close-up images that  provide a record of the species
IDs used, allowing others to review and apply any future changes to
taxonomy. Without vouchers you rely upon  "I saw that" data, i.e. rapid,
in-situ assessments of variable quality and no option for review.



On Tue, 10 Jan 2023 at 23:08, tmurdoch via Coral-List <
coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov> wrote:

> Is there a preferred online database to squirrel away old project data,
> that may have value in the future? Preferably one without annual fees?I've
> been using Zenodo.org, but is a there a reef specific archive?Cheers -
> ThadThaddeus Murdoch, Ph.D.BermudaSent from my Galaxy
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