Project Work Plan

Greater Everglades Science Program: Place-Based Studies

Project Work Plan FY 2003

A. GENERAL INFORMATION:

Project Title: Development of a Digital Library of Biological Info for the South Florida Ecosystem
Project start date: 10/1/2001 Project end date: 9/30/04
Principal Investigator: Roy S. Sonenshein
Email address: sunshine@usgs.gov
Phone: 305-717-5824 Fax: 305-717-5801
Mail address: 9100 NW36^th Street, Suite 107, Miami, FL 33178

Other Investigator(s): Gail Clement
Email address: gail_clement@usgs.gov
Phone: 703-812-4824 Fax:
Mail address: 2256 N. Wakefield St., Arlington, VA 22207

Project Summary: To enable all stakeholders of the south Florida community to use sound science as a basis for informed planning decisions and resolution/prevention of resource-management problems, efforts to synthesize, manage and disseminate high-quality scientific information about the greater Everglades ecosystem have gained increasing support and urgency. The information systems project addresses the need for timely, high-quality and relevant information through the development of a digital library for the South Florida ecosystem. The digital library and related services will provide a comprehensive and coherent information system that facilitates the exchange, analysis and use of high-quality information resources across the diverse agencies, disciplines, and communities concerned with Everglades research, restoration and resource management. Project design combines advanced information management technologies, national/international standards and best practices, and the information technology expertise of the USGS. The resulting digital library will provide a coherent, widely available, and enduring online repository that documents the scientific knowledge and tools created through USGS-related studies in south Florida. It will also complement and interoperate with other federal agency information systems such as the South Florida Information Access (SOFIA) (http://sofia.usgs.gov/), developed and sponsored by the USGS South Florida Ecosystem Program; the National Biological Information Infrastructure (NBII) Clearinghouse (http://www.nbii.gov/index.html) maintained by the USGS Biological Resources Division; and the National Digital Library (http://memory.loc.gov) maintained by the Library of Congress. The digital library is also designed to work together with leading state-sponsored initiatives such as "Everglades Online" (http://everglades.fiu.edu/eol/), "Linking Florida's Natural Heritage" (http://susdl.fcla.edu/lfnh/), and the Florida Data Directory (http://als.dms.state.fl.us/~fdd/).

Project Objectives and Strategy:

Potential Impacts and Major Products: The SOFIA GIS interface provides geographical interface to the data stored in the SOFIA database.

Collaborators: None

Clients: All government agencies, educational institutions, and public and private organizations responsible for, doing research on, or interested in the Everglades restoration.

B. WORK PLAN

Title of Task 1: South Florida Ecosystem Thesaurus
Task Funding: PBS
Task Leaders: Roy Sonenshein
Phone: 303-717-5835
Fax: 305-717-5801
Task Status (proposed or active): active
Task priority: high
Task Personnel: Gail Clement

Task Summary and Objectives: Complete first edition of South Florida Ecosystem Thesaurus and prepare for electronic publication.

Work to be undertaken during the proposal year and a description of the methods and procedures:

1. Obtain colleague review of South Florida Ecosystem Thesaurus
2. Complete web-based version of Thesaurus and publish on the SOFIA web site

Title of Task 2: Prepare digital version of published USGS documents
Task Funding: PBS
Task Leaders: Roy Sonenshein
Phone: 305-717-5824
Fax: 305-717-5801
Task Status (proposed or active): active
Task priority: high
Task Personnel: Gail Clement, 1 contract employee currently working for the Miami office

Task Summary and Objectives: Develop a master database publications available through the SOFIA website and digitize additional documents.

Work to be undertaken during the proposal year and a description of the methods and procedures:

1. Prepare and maintain master database of publications available through the SOFIA website and database
2. Scan in historical documents and prepare for posting on the SOFIA website. Documents will be obtained from all USGS disciplines