New Solutions for Navigating an Ocean of Data

摘要

With more than 90 percent of the world's ocean still unmapped and unexplored, the need for ocean exploration has never been more critical. NOAA's Office of Ocean Exploration and Research (OER) provides NOAA and the Nation with a unique capability to discover and investigate new ocean areas and phenomena and to conduct the basic research required to capitalize on discoveries. In 2002 NOAA's Office of Ocean Exploration (now part of OER) initiated a joint effort with NOAA's Data Centers and other partners to form an Integrated Product Team (IPT) for Data Management for the Ocean Exploration Program. The IPT researched and documented a strategic approach, and has since implemented an 'End-to-End' (E2E) Information Management System to ensure that the scientific data and value-added data products produced as a result of NOAA's exploration program are appropriately managed. The cornerstone of the E2E System is the Cruise Information Management System, an open source, custom software suite designed to aggregate information collected from OER's expedition planning and operational processes into standard documentation formats (e.g., metadata records). In step with the new sensor suites and technical capacity available aboard the NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer (EX), CIMS capabilities are currently being extended to address new data management challenges resulting from the new technologies aboard ship. An important objective is to automate the creation of standard metadata records for a myriad of shipboard sensors with a minimum of human intervention.