The USGS initiated the South Florida Ecosystem Program (SFEP) in fiscal year 1995 for the purpose of gathering hydrologic, cartographic, geologic, and biologic data that relate to the mainland of South Florida, Florida Bay, and the Florida Keys and Reef ecosystems. The USGS is developing a distributed spatial database as part of the SFEP; this database will be used to store and maintain metadata and geospatial data sets produced by Federal, State, regional, and local agencies participating in the South Florida Ecosystem Restoration effort. Preexisting data sets relevant to the restoration effort also will be included. The database development project consists of four parts: (1) a metadata database, (2) a data exchange, (3) a database, and (4) a web site summarizing the USGS SFEP and providing access to the metadata and project data. A graphical interface to the data using a geographic information system (GIS) is in the planning and design phase. A significant goal of this database project is to provide continuing access to metadata and data for researchers from many agencies working in South Florida.

The approximately 50 research projects that are part of the SFEP research effort have been documented using the Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) metadata standard and metadata files are available through the SFEP public web site, http://sflwww.er.usgs.gov (note: this site has moved to http://sofia.usgs.gov). Metadata are defined as data about data; metadata describe the content, quality, availability, and other characteristics of data. Project metadata allow other researchers, managers, and other interested persons to discover what research is being done and to assess the suitability of the data for a particular application. Also, by documenting what is already in progress, duplication of research efforts can be avoided.

The documentation of data sets (dataset metadata) from the USGS research is underway. Several methods of generating metadata have been explored and evaluated. Word processing software in conjunction with a preparser and metadata parser have been used to create the bulk of the existing records. Evaluation and testing of a commercial metadata software package is in process. The output from either method will be a set of metadata records in html and text formats that can be indexed and searched through a clearinghouse and through the South Florida Ecosystem web site. The metadata link directly to the available data sets on the data exchange and will be retrieved with the data sets.

The data exchange is now online and available through the SFEP public web site or directly at URL http://fl-water.usgs.gov/exchange/exchange.html (note: this site has moved to http://sofia.usgs.gov/exchange). This web site accesses an ftp site which facilitates the rapid exchange of raw datasets from known project chiefs. Datasets are made available through the data exchange before they are entered into the database. These datasets are considered provisional until they are published in a formal USGS publication. Links are provided to other categories of ancillary information such as dataset format, methodology, site location maps, graphs, and summaries.

The SFEP database is online and available through the SFEP public web site or directly at URL http://www.envirobase.usgs.gov. All data being collected by the USGS as part of the SFEP will be included in the database, either in data tables or as related files. The database currently holds information for 51 projects, 43 stations, and more than 600,000 data values. This is a dynamic database with new projects and data added daily.

A web-based interface to the database is online and available through the SFEP public web site or directly at URL http://www.envirobase.usgs.gov. This interface allows direct query and retrieval of project information, data collected, findings, and summaries. Project information can be retrieved by area or agency of interest, investigator, or by topic of interest. Data collected can be retrieved by date, geographic area of interest, and by parameter collected. Data is output as a file, a graph, or on screen and can be plotted on a base map.

More than 30 fact sheets and other publications describing USGS South Florida research projects are available on the SFEP public web site. More than 100 metadata files from research on the South Florida ecosystem, including Florida Bay and the Everglades, are available for searching on the web site. Ancillary information such as project chief and site photos, summaries, charts and graphs, and posterboards are brought online daily. Links to related sites maintained by the USGS and other agencies are included.

The graphical interface will provide an additional tool for helping researchers to obtain data from the database. The graphical interface consists of a menu-driven system to view and query the database. Map graphic tools (menus) allow the user to pan and zoom to a geographic area of interest, select map layers to be displayed, identify map attribute information, and select and view data collection sites by location and attribute. These attributes include station name, station identification number, parameters of data being collected, frequency of collection, and period of record. Data sets associated with the selected sites can then be retrieved from the database.