Background
The International Oceanographic Data and Information Exchange
Program (IODE) system of national data facilities was established in 1961 to:
"...Enhance marine research, exploration, and development by facilitating
the exchange of oceanographic data and information between participating
Member States."
With the advance of oceanography from a science dealing
mostly with local processes to one which is also studying ocean basin and global
processes, researchers depend critically on the availability of an international
exchange system to provide data and information from all available sources.
Additionally, scientists studying local processes benefit substantially from
access to data collected by other Member States in their area of interest. The
economic benefit of obtaining data by exchange as opposed to collecting it
oneself is huge.
The Objectives of the IODE Programme (updated through
Recommendation IODE-XVIII) are as follows:
- to facilitate and promote the exchange of all marine
data and information including metadata, products and information in
real-time, near real time and delayed mode;
- to ensure the long term archival, management and
services of all marine data and information;
- to promote the use of international standards, and
develop or help in the development of standards and methods for the global
exchange of marine data and information, using the most appropriate
information management and information technology;
- to assist Member States to acquire the necessary
capacity to manage marine data and information and become partners in the
IODE network; and
- to support international scientific and operational
marine programmes of IOC and WMO and their sponsor organisations with advice
and data management services.
IODE System Management
The IODE programme is managed by a committee (one of the IOC
Subsidiary Bodies) consisting of:
- IODE Committee is responsible for the decision making
(governance) of the IODE Programme and generally meets every two years to
reviews progress during the past inter-sessional period and recommends
necessary actions during the next inter-sessional period.
- IODE Officers are responsible for
monitoring the follow-up of the work plan adopted by the IODE Committee
[1]
- Groups of Experts are small groups (up to 10
members) that provide expert advice to the IODE Committee. IODE currently
has three such groups
- IODE Group of Experts on Biological and Chemical
Data Management and Exchange Practices (GEBICH)
- IODE Group of Experts on Marine Information
Management (GEMIM)
- Joint JCOMM/IODE Expert Team
on Data Management Practises (ETDMP)
[2]
- IODE Steering Groups are small groups (usually around 5
members) that manage approved projects
IODE
Activities
The IODE Programme is responsible for implementing a number
of global and regional activities. These activities and projects are implemented
by the IODE experts through their national oceanographic data centers or marine
library, or through the IOC Project Office for IODE, or both.
Global Projects
IODE Global activities include:
- Data Standards
- an activity to get broad agreement and commitment to adopt standards
related to ocean data management and exchange
[3].
- ASFA
- the Aquatic Sciences and Fisheries Abstracts
Bibliographic Database is the principal information product of the ASFIS
system and contains approximately 1 million bibliographic references for the
world's aquatic science literature accessioned
[4]
- Data Publishing
- aims to promote the ability to "publish" datasets as unique objects and
their citation by other researchers as an incentive to improve the data flow
to NODCs
[5].
- GODAR
- the Global Oceanographic Data Archaeology and Rescue
aims to increase the volume of historical oceanographic data available to
climate change and other researchers by locating ocean profile and plankton
data sets not yet in digital form
[6]
- GTSPP
- the Global Temperature-Salinity Profile Program is a
cooperative international project that seeks to develop and maintain a high
quality global ocean Temperature-Salinity data resource
[7].
- GOSUD
- the Global Ocean Surface Underway Data Pilot Project
ais to collect, process, archive and disseminate sea surface salinity and
other variables collected underway, by research and opportunity ships
[8].
- OceanDocs
- is a repository network on oceanography and marine
science
[9]
- OceanExpert
- is a global directory of experts active in the
marine environment intended as a tool for scientists, policy makers and
anyone who needs to contact a marine professional
[10].
- OceanDataPortal
- facilitates and promotes the exchange and
dissemination of marine data and services and provides seamless access to
collections and inventories of marine data from the NODCs in the IODE
network
[11].
- OceanTeacher
- provides training tools for Oceanographic Data and
Information Exchange which are used during IODE Training Courses and can
also be used for self-training and continuous professional development
[12].
- WIGOS
- the WMO Integrated Global Observing Systems (WIGOS)
is a concept for a comprehensive, coordinated and sustainable system of
observing systems. The WIGOS Pilot Project for Marine Observations is a
JCOMM activity that will make datasets available through interoperability
arrangements with the WMO Information System (WIS) and the IODE Ocean Data
Portal (ODP)
[13].
Regional Projects
IODE regional programme focuses on capacity building related
to oceanographic data and information management. The IODE has developed the
ODIN capacity building model which is based upon the following principles:
- Linking training, equipment, operational support:
provide not only equipment but also training as well as some financial
support to operate the equipment and develop products;
- Regional context: focus on national requirements but
also identify similar needs across a region and develop regional products
and services that serve all participating countries in a region;
- Product and service oriented: do not develop data
centers as isolated facilities but ensure these centers provide services and
products that are needed by users;
- Multi-stakeholder approach: ensure that the project is
driven by stakeholders as representatives of users and involve these
stakeholders as much as possible in the governance of the project.
IODE regional capacity building projects include:
- ODINAFRICA
- the Ocean Data and Information Network for Africa
brings together marine institutions from twenty five Member States to
implement (i) Coastal Ocean Observing System, (ii) Data and Information
Management, and (iii) Product Development and end user communication and
information delivery.
[14]
- ODINCARSA
- the Ocean Data and Information Network for Latin
America and the Caribbean has been set up as a mechanism for assessing the
current and potential state of development of national data centers and to
create the means for mutual capacity-building in the region
[15].
- ODINCINDIO
- the Ocean Data and Information Network for the
Central Indian Ocean provides assistance in the development, operation and
strengthening of National Oceanographic Data (and Information) Centers
[16].
- ODINWESTPAC
- the Ocean Data and Information Network for the
Western Pacific aims to develop a number of products that will promote
communication and collaboration between WESTPAC member states and other
partners in the fields specifically related to ocean data and information
management
[17].
- ODINBLACKSEA
- the Ocean Data and Information Network for the Black
Sea will provide assistance in the development, operation and strengthening
of National Oceanographic Data (and Information) Centers to advance the
level of less experienced data centers and to establish their networking in
the region
[18].
- ODINECET
- the Ocean Data and Information Network for European
Countries in Economic Transition network constitutes a capacity building
strategy for participating countries that will link training, equipment and
operational support in a regional context
[19].