The IOOS Biological Observations Project is addressing the Data Managementand Communications (DMAC) requirements that pertain to biological observations standards and interoperability applicable to U.S. IOOS and to various observing systems. Biological observations are highly heterogeneous and the variety of formats, logical structures, and sampling methods create significant challenges.
The objective of the IOOS Biological Observations Projects is to develop an efficient and effective information infrastructure for biological observations, adding components and links as necessary to serve end-users.
The objective of Biological Observations Data Project, (BDP) is to help develop an efficient and effective information infrastructure for biological observations databases, adding components and web links as necessary to serve customers/end-users. The project is currently focused on a single case-study, and it’s designed to promote biological data standards and interoperability to help customers/end-users access observations from a wide variety of sources and formats.
Stationary Point Counts (SPCs)
Databases in use have been developed by disparate organizations, institutions, and individuals for differing purposes, and result in databases with locally-specific structures, contents, methods, and policies.
In addition, these data and applications are diverse and may change over time; as such, data from one source might contain different variables depending on when the data were collected. These differences can make retrieving data across databases a time-consuming and ineffective process. This project aims to improve access to data from these diverse sources.
The case study in focus is a reef fish population assessment. This assessment is used to establish reef fish Annual Catch Limits as defined by the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Reauthorization Act (MSRA). The data were collected by scientists and managers at NOAA’s Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC).
Towed Diver Survey (TWSs)
The biological observations used for this project are species presence/absence/abundance and life history data for reef fishes in the Hawaiian Archipelago and other locations in the Pacific region. The data providers include NOAA PIFSC Coral Reef Ecosystem Division, National Park Service Pacific Island Network, and the NOAA Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument. The data include independent fishery surveys (diver-based reef fish observations) collected as part of each agency’s coral reef monitoring programs.
While a single user-group was identified in the Pacific region for this project, the results should be applicable more broadly to projects utilizing biological observations, and it should be portable to other geographies.
For more information, please, visit the following WIKI.
Wiki space for Biological Data Project, IOOS BDP (Login required)
https://www.st.nmfs.noaa.gov/confluence/display/ioosbdp/Home
This effort is comprised of a wide collaboration of organizations and partners, including:
Project Manager, Dr. Hassan Moustahfid:
Email:Hassan.moustahfid@noaa.gov
Phone: 301-427-2447