Marine and Coastal Data Typology:

Background

Over the past few years, the OceanTeacher curriculum has included several courses on building marine and coastal data atlases. During the workshops that were held to create the resulting atlases, it was necessary to create a robust typology of data types to be included in the work. After several iterations, this resulted in a general typology that is routinely used now for new atlases, adapted as necessary to meet special or particular local needs. The following typology is not presented as "official" or particularly brilliant; it is simply the best practical structure we have been able to create for real-world applications.

1.  Base Map
  a.  Coastlines
  b.  Bathymetry & Topography
  c.  General Earth Imagery
  d.  Gazetteers
2. Geosphere
  a.  Beaches & Dunes
  b.  Energy Minerals
  c.  Geohazards
    1.  Tsunamis & Earthquakes
      a.  Earthquake Slides
      b.  Tsunami Events
      c.  Tsunami Runups
      d.  Volcanoes
      e.  Significant Earthquakes
    2.  Plate Tectonics
      a.  Transform Margins
      b.  Submergent Margins
      c.  Divergent Margins  
  d.  Marine Geology
    1.  General Geology
    2.  Samples & Cores
    3.  Seafloor Composition
  e.  Soil & Landcover
3.  Hydrosphere
  a.  Chemical Oceanography
    1.  Water Quality
    2.  Silicate
    3.  Nitrate
    4.  Oxygen
    5.  Phosphate
    6.  Minor Constituents
  b.  Limnology
  c.  Optical Oceanography
  d.  Physical Oceanography
    1.  Currents
    2.  Temperature
    3.  Salinity
    4.  Waves
    5.  Ice
4.  Atmosphere
  a.  Air Quality
  b.  Weather
    1.  Synoptics Patters
    2.  Tropical Storms
    3.  Cold Regions Phenomena
  c.  Climate
    1.  Pressure
    2.  Precipitation
    3.  Temperature
    4.  Winds
    5.  Cold Regions Phenomena
5.  Biosphere
  a.  Biological Oceanography
    1.  Phytoplankton
    2.  Zooplankton
    3.  Pigments
  b.  Botany
    1.  Algae & Kelp
    2.  Mangroves
    3.  Seagrasses
  c.  Coastal Biology
  d.  Fisheries   
  e.  Zoology
    1.  Birds
    2.  Corals
    3.  Fishes
    4.  Invertebrates
    5.  Reptiles
  f.  Ecology
6.  Human Environment
  a.  Hospitality & Tourism
    1.  Accomodations & Attractions
    2.  Tourism
  b.  Industry & Commerce
  c.  Infrastructure
  d.  Maritime
  e.  Population & Income
  f.  Resource Conservation
  g.  Geopolitical
    1.  National Boundaries
    2.  Named Ocean Areas
    3.  Ocean Legal Claims  

Improving and Extending the Typology

Because this effort has been ad hoc and entirely informal, the OceanTeacher faculty makes no claim for its completeness or quality. As time permits, we want to open the floor for suggestions to correct it, augment it, or completely change it. Your suggestions are welcome.