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5: Information Management

Theresa G. Burress, Jacobs Technology, Florida Integrated Science Center, St. Petersburg, Florida

FISC library resources support the research and information needs of scientists, managers, and support personnel. USGS libraries and the FISC librarian provide reference and information services to all FISC staff. Located in the St. Petersburg office, the FISC librarian provides support for accessing USGS resources, including the USGS online catalog, research databases, and other electronic resources. The librarian can also assist with obtaining research materials and accessing digital and print resources available via university resources. Current awareness and alerting services are provided through email. The FISC librarian is available to facilitate interlibrary loans for staff and to act as liaison with personnel at the Headquarters library. USGS resources are also available to partners and the general public through efforts of the FISC librarian.

With the growing body of research produced by FISC scientists, the librarian is currently working with EPN to compile a comprehensive digital reprint collection focusing on FISC science. This collection will include USGS series publications as well as journal articles and conference proceedings, and will be searchable by multiple criteria including topic and keyword as well as author, title, etc. This will facilitate the gathering of integrated FISC research across disciplines, highlighting the many connections and collaborations among FISC scientists.

Contact Information: Theresa G. Burress, Jacobs Technology/U.S. Geological Survey, Florida Integrated Science Center,
600 4th Street South, St. Petersburg, FL 33701; phone: 727-803-8747; email: tburress@usgs.gov

Heather S. Henkel, U.S. Geological Survey, Florida Integrated Science Center, St. Petersburg, Florida

The South Florida Information Access (SOFIA) system was created by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in 1995. Its mission is to provide easy access to information about research projects and products generated as part of USGS Greater Everglades Priority Ecosystems Science (PES) and other Federal, State, and local science providers. SOFIA provides this service by integrating information systems and tools enabling efficient storage, organization, and search and retrieval of scientific information about the south Florida ecosystem. SOFIA was designed to benefit three major user groups: USGS program managers and scientists working with the Greater Everglades PES Program, managers and scientists working for other organizations involved with Everglades restoration, and members of the public interested in USGS research and the science behind the Everglades restoration effort.

SOFIA is an evolving and dynamic system that builds on the ever-increasing sophistication of new information technology. The current architecture consists of four integrated components: website, data, FGDC-compliant metadata, and database. The SOFIA website (http://sofia.usgs.gov/) provides links to all of these components including project descriptions, proposals, publications, data (via our Data Exchange website), metadata, presentations, and contact information, as well as items of general interest, such as photographs and posters.

The SOFIA site also hosts the website for the Everglades Depth Estimation Network (EDEN) (http://sofia.usgs.gov/eden). EDEN is an integrated network of real-time water-level monitoring, ground-elevation modeling, and water-surface modeling that provides scientists and managers with current (1999-present), on-line water-depth information for the entire freshwater portion of the Greater Everglades. Presented on a 400-m2 grid spacing, EDEN offers a consistent and documented dataset that can be used by scientists and managers to: (1) guide large-scale field operations, (2) integrate hydrological and ecological responses, and (3) support biological and ecological assessments that measure ecosystem responses to the implementation of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP). The target users are biologists and ecologists examining trophic level responses to hydrodynamic changes in the Everglades.

On the EDEN website, users can download data, documentation, publications, as well as tools that provide access and manipulation of the data produced by EDEN. Please see the EDEN abstract for further information about this project.

Contact Information: Heather S. Henkel, U.S. Geological Survey, Florida Integrated Science Center, 600 4th Street South,
St. Petersburg, FL 33701; phone: 727-803-8747; email: hhenkel@usgs.gov

Michael A Holmes1, David M Sumner2, Jennifer M. Jacobs3, John R. Mecikalski4, and Simon J. Paech4

1 U.S. Geological Survey, Florida Integrated Science Center, Tampa, Florida
2 U.S. Geological Survey, Florida Integrated Science Center, Orlando, Florida
3 University of New Hampshire, Department of Civil Engineering, Durham, New Hampshire
4 University of Alabama in Huntsville, Atmospheric Sciences Department, Huntsville, Alabama

Evapotranspiration (ET) is a term used to describe the sum of evaporation and plant transpiration from the Earth’s land surface to the atmosphere. Evaporation accounts for the movement of water to the air from sources such as the soil, canopy interception, and water bodies. Transpiration accounts for the movement of water within a plant and the subsequent loss of water as vapor through stomata in its leaves. Potential evapotranspiration (PET) represents the evapotranspiration rate from a given surface without moisture limitation. Reference evapotranspiration (RET) is a representation of evapotranspiration from a hypothetical reference crop such as a green grass surface with a uniform height of 12 cm, actively growing, well-watered, and completely shading the ground. PET is used extensively in hydrologic modeling whereas RET is used primarily in agricultural, irrigation and regulatory applications. Solar radiation is the primary driving force in the ET process.

A model has been developed to produce PET and RET estimates over Florida using solar radi-ation obtained from Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES) and climate data from the Florida Automated Weather Network, the State of Florida Water Management Districts and the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration. The Priestley-Taylor and American Society of Civil Engineers reference ET equations provide daily PET and RET estimates, respectively, on a 2 km grid spatially distributed over the State of Florida from 1995 to 2007.

The Florida Evapotranspiration Data Portal serves as a web-based storage and distribution system for modeled and measured ET data providing a variety of output formats and spatial representations. Text and graphic interfaces are available to retrieve data by county, hydrologic unit or water management district or by user defined coordinates of latitude and longitude or pixel ID. The data is useful as input to ground-water models and surface-water models and can be used as virtual climate stations in watershed studies. The data can also be imported into GIS for spatial analysis applications and animated to show changes over time.

Contact Information: Michael Holmes, U.S. Geological Survey, Florida Integrated Science Center, The University Center for Business, 10500 University Center Drive, Suite 215, Tampa, FL 33612; phone: 813-975-8620; email: mholmes@usgs.gov

Barbara S. Poore, U.S. Geological Survey, Florida Integrated Science Center, St. Petersburg, Florida

Many legacy geodata systems, such as the U.S. Geological Survey’s (USGS) National Map and databases of the Florida Integrated Science Center (FISC), were conceived in the Web 1.0 era of the mid to late 1990’s. They have been upended by new technologies and practices of Web 2.0. These include Google Earth, free online geocoding services, open-source software development, collaborative social tagging of digital objects (folksonomies and geotagging), mash-ups, wikis, and blogs. These innovations allow ordinary users, including those with no training in science, cartography, or geographic information systems (GIS), easily to combine different types of data, layer them on top of maps and images of the Earth and share them with the world.

This research examines the social and organizational challenges posed by technologies of Web 2.0 for The National Map, but it has wider implications for other databases produced by the FISC, and for the practices of our scientists. While a recent report by the National Research Council on research priorities for geographic information science at the USGS urged a user-centered approach to future development of The National Map, traditional user-centered design methods may prove inadequate to deal with the social characteristics of these emerging technologies. New technologies and practices could expand the user community for existing data services, but new users might require different types of data and presentation methods that are not within the scope of our traditional data formats and presentation methods.

A case study of the use of Web 2.0 technologies during Hurricane Katrina and in the reconstruction of New Orleans shows the potential for these technologies to combine scientific data and USGS base maps with non-traditional data sources and to use online collaborative mapping as a tool to gather and display information on flood damage and to rally neighborhood redevelopment. Research strategies that employ qualitative data techniques to describe how geographic information is actually used in practice may be required to supplement traditional human-computer interface studies that are based on psychometric techniques.

Users of Web 2.0 technologies become co-creators of information. Using volunteered information to enhance scientific collaboration and contribute to digital map revision may pose conceptual and practical problems. Who will be able to access these ways of contributing, how will participation be solicited, and how will unstructured data be normalized? Finally, how will trust and authority be established? Will the collaborative affordances of Web 2.0 usher in an era of Science 2.0 at the USGS (Waldrop 2008)?

Waldrop, M. M. 2008. Science 2.0--Is Open Access Science the Future? Scientific American Magazine (April 21).

Contact Information: Barbara Poore, U.S. Geological Survey, Florida Integrated Science Center, 600 4th Street South,
St. Petersburg, FL 33701; phone: 727-803-8747; email: bspoore@usgs.gov

Ann B. Tihansky1, Betsy Boynton2, Buck Albert3, Jolene Shirley1, Theresa Burress4, Renee Koenig4, Rhonda Howard5, and Teresa Embry5

1 U.S. Geological Survey, Florida Integrated Science Center, St. Petersburg, Florida
2 CSC Corporation, Florida Integrated Science Center, St. Petersburg, Florida
3 ASci Corporation, Florida Integrated Science Center, Gainesville, Florida
4 Jacobs Technology, Florida Integrated Science Center, St. Petersburg, Florida
5 U.S. Geological Survey, ER Publishing Network, Ft. Lauderdale Publishing Service Center, Ft. Lauderdale , Florida

Scientists and researchers of the Florida Integrated Science Center (FISC) need to effectively disseminate news of their emerging scientific work and discovery among colleagues, partners, media, and the public. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) conducts timely, relevant, and impartial studies of the earth’s landscape, natural resources and hazards with the core mission of providing unbiased, multidisciplinary science focusing on biology, geography, geology, geospatial, and water information. Successfully communicating USGS science is critical to supporting management decisions that guide National resource and hazards planning. Sharing the most recent USGS information with partners and the public at all levels is vital to fulfilling mission goals. To support broad international understanding of our scientists’ work, it is imperative that USGS scientists successfully communicate with a variety of audiences about the important links between environmental resources, human health, economics, and their effects on society.

Traditionally, USGS studies provided information primarily to other scientists or resource managers. Today, these findings are relevant and helpful to community leaders, educators, and the media to cultivate awareness of earth science issues, and to promote understanding of policy and management decisions. Effective methods of timely communication will convey FISC expertise and capabilities, thus highlighting their scientific relevance and securing partnerships with universities, State and Federal agencies, and non-profit organizations.

The FISC communications team has three focus areas for communications efforts:

• Internal (USGS and FISC),
• External (the media), and
• Community relations (partners, policy makers and the public).

The Internet is the primary resource for externally communicating numerous USGS research topics and capabilities across disciplines to all audiences. Special publications and information products convey major concepts and findings to target audiences including resource managers and policy makers, the media, academia, informal educators, and the general public.

The FISC communications team is prepared to assist with identifying needs, developing approaches, and creating diverse, high-profile communications that put USGS science into relevant context for various audiences. These products include media advisories, news releases, web releases, and other multimedia materials, as well as information resources and fact sheets designed to reach a wide audience. In addition, FISC communications can assist with arranging media interactions, training staff for effective response to media inquiries, working with partners on topics of shared media interest, developing strategies for handling sensitive topics, facilitating efforts for special events, creating visual products to illustrate scientific concepts, conducting media analysis, providing news briefs, presentations and information materials for decision makers and government officials, designing and reviewing communication materials, and serving as the point of contact with the USGS Regional and National Communications offices.

Contact Information: Ann B. Tihansky, U.S. Geological Survey, Florida Integrated Science Center, 600 Fourth Street South, St. Petersburg, FL 33701; phone: 727-803-8747 x3075; email: tihansky@usgs.gov

Ginger Tiling1, Thomas J. Smith III2, Karen Balentine1, Gordon Anderson2, Ann Foster3, and Greg Ward4

1 Jacobs Technology, Florida Integrated Science Center, St. Petersburg, Florida
2 U.S. Geological Survey, Florida Integrated Science Center, St. Petersburg, Florida
3 U.S. Geological Survey, Florida Integrated Science Center, Gainesville, Florida
4 Coastal Planning & Engineering, Boca Raton, Florida

To understand how events such as sea-level rise, recent hurricanes, and human impacts have affected the coastal Everglades, we must first have a basic understanding of historical conditions. To facilitate this endeavor, we have combined a digital archive of historical aerial photographs (1927–35, and 1940s) with 2004 Digital Orthophoto Quarter Quadrangles (DOQQs) for the Greater Everglades. In addition, we have been actively collecting data on mangrove vegetation, hydrology and sediment dynamics since 1992 from a network of co-located coastal sampling sites in Everglades National Park Managing, analyzing, and manipulating this large dataset has proven difficult. To address these data management issues, we created a geodatabase in ArcGIS containing historic aerial photographs and 2004 DOQQs. We analyzed the historic aerial photos and modern DOQQs, and were able to create historic and modern habitat classification polygons and accompanying topology. By comparing these habitat polygons we were able to quantify the amount of habitat change and/or loss since the 1920s. In MS Access, we created a relational database with a user-friendly graphical user interface (GUI) for storing the mangrove vegetation data. In this relational database, we are able to conduct data QA/QC, query the database for details of vegetation growth, species mortality, recruitment, composition and basal area, and track changes in these parameters over time. In ArcGIS, we plotted individual tree data for each plot for each year sampled. Thereby, we could visually inspect the annual plot configuration and assess changes. To enhance analytical capabilities, we used ESRI’s ModelBuilder to construct toolsets and scripts to calculate general statistics (e.g. minimum, maximum, mean, standard deviation) for parameters of interest [i.e. DBH (diameter at breast height) and basal area] for each species, plot and survey. Additionally, we calculated point pattern statistics such as nearest neighbor, and uni- and bi-variate K-functions for the vegetation data. By conducting these statistical and spatial analyses, we can gain an insight into the effects that passage of major hurricanes (Andrew 1992, Wilma 2005), sea level rise, and human impacts have on the ecosystems of the Everglades while viewing actual annual vegetation plot configuration in ArcGIS. Collectively, these tools (MS Access database, ArcGIS model builder, and ArcGIS geodatabase) created a user-friendly environment in which to enter, query and analyze data.

Contact Information: Thomas J. Smith III, U.S. Geological Survey, Florida Integrated Science Center, 600 4th Street South, St. Petersburg, FL 33701; phone: 727-803-8747; email: tom_j_smith@usgs.gov

Robert R. Wertz1, Shawn V. Dadisman1, James G. Flocks1, Brendan Dwyer2, Janice A. Subiño2, and Charlene Sullivan2

1 U.S. Geological Survey, Florida Integrated Science Center, St. Petersburg, Florida
2 Jacobs Technology, Florida Integrated Science Center, St. Petersburg, Florida

The U.S. Geological Survey, Florida Integrated Science Center - St. Petersburg, has developed a geodatabase system to manage decades of digital and analog data collected from the coastal zone. Presented here are two examples of project data that are managed by the geodatabase system: Louisiana Sediment and Environmental Database (LASED) and hurricane and extreme storm impact studies database (XSTORMS).

LASED is the result of combined efforts of the USGS and academic collaborators to manage geologic data from the Louisiana coastal zone. The database incorporates a wide range of data types (sediment-sample logs and analyses, geophysical profiles, raster-image basemaps, logbooks, etc.), which are integrated with spatial data to provide processing and visualization capabilities using standard GIS and Internet-browsing tools. The LASED data are stored using the ArcGIS Marine Data Model schema. The Marine Data Model was developed by the marine research community and provides templates to store spatial, tabular, and relationship data.

XSTORMS was initially developed to organize and present analog oblique aerial photographs and videos of the coast collected before and after extreme storms. These data are spatially linked so that pre- and post-storm comparisons can be made quickly and the results can be shared electronically via the project website (http://coastal.er.usgs.gov/hurricanes/). XSTORMS has now expanded to manage other project data, including LIDAR missions, and meteorological data associated with extreme-storm events, and to allow access via additional analysis software such as The MathWorks MATLAB.

An Oracle 10g database managed by ESRI’s ArcSDE 9.1 Spatial Data Server software forms the core of the geodatabase. The database resides on an IBM xSeries server running Red Hat Enterprise Linux with an attached Apple Xserve RAID array. The geodatabase instance stores both raster and vector datasets. Other major components of the solution are numerous Web servers that link the spatial data to non-spatial data such as Web publications, project websites, logbooks, and other supplemental information and data products.

Benefits to storing project data in a geodatabase are numerous and include centralized data storage, routine backups and offsite storage, and integration of different data types. The geodatabase serves as a multi-user online data archive, a project resource and analysis tool. Access to the geodatabase is available to registered users via the USGS Intranet; access to LASED is available via the Internet at the following link: http://coastal.er.usgs.gov/lased/. XSTORMS pre- and post-extreme-storm photo comparisons, and selected post-storm photos are available via the project website. The complete collection of oblique aerial photographs from post-Hurricane Katrina surveys have been developed as compressed KML (.kmz) files and are available via the USGS Coastal Marine Geology Program InfoBank located at http://walrus.wr.usgs.gov/infobank/. The .kmz files can be imported into and viewed in Google Earth, ESRI’s ArcGlobe, or NASA’s WorldWind software.

Contact Information: Robert R. Wertz, U.S. Geological Survey, Florida Integrated Science Center, 600 4th Street South, St. Petersburg, FL 33701; phone: 727-803-8747; email: rwertz@usgs.gov