GLOBEC Georges Bank Broad Scale Data Coordination Workshop

As agreed at the Ocean Sciences Meeting last January, a Broad Scale Data Coordination Workshop is being planned for this summer. The organizers are David Mountain, Ted Durbin and Mike Sieracki. This notice is to solicit your ideas and recommendations concerning the agenda and scheduling of the workshop, and to get an indication of who will attend the workshop.

A statement of the workshop's purpose and a draft agenda are given below:

PURPOSE

To insure the preliminary analyses of the Broad Scale data sets are done and stored in a consistent manner for subsequent synthesis and modeling activities.

To determine which Process data sets have a sufficient spatial extent to be integrated with the Broad Scale data, and how to accomplish the integration of different data sets.

To identify any processing or analysis steps that would make the data sets more readily available or useful in synthesis and modeling activities.

To identify important or unusual events or characteristics evident in the data sets which could become topics of analysis in subsequent synthesis and modeling activities.

DRAFT AGENDA

1. Review and Discussion of Scientific Questions

What analyses (scientific questions) do PI's plan to address that will depend upon integration of the Broad Scale data sets? These questions will be solicited before the workshop and circulated to the attendees. A brief review/discussion may identify specific issues that need to be addressed in the workshop.

2. Database Issues

What can we do now to make sure data sets are stored in formats that will ease their combination/integration and what database tools will be available to aid that integration process?

3. Combining Data Sets

Which data sets will need to be combined? Combining will involve both data sets of same parameter to get better temporal/spatial distributions (e.g., temperature or Calanus abundance) and data sets of different variables for analyses of trophic interactions (e.g., zooplankton prey and larval fish distributions). What methods are available for combining data sets?

4. Models and Broad Scale Data

Many (most?) of the analyses in which the Broad Scale data sets are combined will be model-based or at least use the GLOBEC models as a framework for the analysis. What issues need to be considered to have the data sets and models ready to be used together?

5. Preparations for Synthesis

Are there important or unusual events or characteristics in the data sets that would be good topics for integrated analyses in Phase IV? How should these types of analyses be coordinated?

WORKSHOP SCHEDULING

The intent is for a two (or 1 ½) day workshop in Woods Hole during July. The organizing group has targeted the following dates:

	July 11, 12, 13  (Tue, Wed, Thur)   (location TBD)
        July 18, 19, 20  (Tue, Wed, Thur)   (Carriage House is 
                                             available)

If you plan to attend the workshop, please indicate a preferred date and any dates that are impossible for you, including if no dates are possible.

Note: The votes have been cast and the meeting
will take place July 19 - 20, 2000
at the Carriage House at WHOI

Before the workshop the attendees will be asked to submit a list of their relevant data sets and of the scientific questions referred to in (1) above. These will be compiled and circulated to the attendees before the workshop. A template for the data set inventory will be sent out to help in this process.

So,

Do you have any suggestions/recommendations concerning this workshop?
Do you plan to attend?
If so, which date would you prefer?

For these inputs, please respond to David Mountain (david.mountain@noaa.gov)

If you have any questions, contact David, Ted or Mike.