Program Services and Data Management for the U.S. GLOBEC Northwest
Atlantic Georges Bank Program
INVESTIGATOR:
Peter H. Wiebe
Biology Department
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Woods Hole, MA 02543
GRANT PERIOD: September 1, 1994 - September 30, 1996
STATEMENT OF OBJECTIVES:
The U.S. GLOBEC Georges Bank Program requires effective leadership and
data management to successfully conduct the proposed research. To assist
in this process, the Georges Bank Program Service and Data Management
Office was created. The primary objective of the office is to provide
the basic common services, logistical support, and data management
required by the scientific investigators (and the Program) as they
conduct their field research, analyze the data from their individual
efforts, and integrate the results with those from other research
components. The office is currently staffed by the program and data
management administrator, Bob Groman, and a part-time staff assistant,
Chip Clancy.
The Georges Bank Data Management activities are focused on the newly
established distributed Georges Bank Information System (GBIS) for the
NW Atlantic Study.
STATEMENT OF WORK:
The Georges Bank Information System (GBIS) for the NW Atlantic Study is
based on the Joint Global Ocean Flux Study (JGOFS) data management
software system. This software is a distributed, object-based data
system, with the primary data sets residing with the responsible
scientists when possible. It is built upon a standard protocol (National
Center for Supercomputing Application's HyperText Transmission Protocol)
and uses NCSA's HTTP Daemon (HTTPD). The data serving software is installed at three additional sites (MIT,
NMFS at Woods Hole and Narragansett). At WHOI, the Web server resides on a Sun
SPARCstation 20 UNIX based workstation. Electronic access and
viewing of both data and information is done via World Wide Web software
such as MOSAIC and NETSCAPE. Anyone with a computer connected to the
network and the browser software can access the Program's information,
documentation and data with the uniform resource locator (URL):
http://globec.whoi.edu. The system now averages more than 600
accesses per month. Core data are maintained on the distributed database
and accessible to all the scientific investigators. These data include
measurements of physical and chemical parameters from discrete samples
and continuous probe measurements. Data which are not readily placed in
standard digital format, such as the results of physiological
experiments will be indexed with information about their location and
status for use by the investigators. The Office is assisting
investigators in entering their data onto the database, gaining access
to data sets once they are on the database, and arranging for the
transfer of data to the Gulf of Maine (GOM) regional data center and
NODC. The central tasks of the office are to:
- Track data sets from the initial data gathering through final
submission;
- Accept "submission" of data (object name and inventory; information
or data set) in a format which the office can handle;
- Work with PI's on quality control and assurance;
- Ensure data are documented;
- Maintain inventory/global dictionary;
- Provide information on proper procedures for submitting data;
- Disseminate information on GLOBEC data set, such as additions and
changes;
- Ensure final submission to data centers; and
- Facilitate international exchange.
In addition, the office is assisting in the development of new software
specifications; the flow of information products and related programs
into the system; local data base maintenance, with special attention to
the scientific users and data sources represented; and supporting the
U.S. GLOBEC Georges Bank Executive Committee meetings.
The office works closely and coordinates with the Joint Global Ocean Flux
Study (JGOFS) office since we share the same data management software.
Issues discussed during this past year include:
- Specifications for new methods (data access software);
- Enhancements to the database software;
- Data access security;
- Training; and
- Data inventory mechanisms.
The office provides information to the GLOBEC newsletter which is
distributed by the National GLOBEC Office to inform the investigators of
the program status and provides a convenient mechanism for rapid
reporting of results within the program to other interested parties. We
also interface with the Regional Association for Research on the Gulf of
Maine (RARGOM).
Communication among the investigators is an important factor in
maximizing interdisciplinary synthesis. To ensure the rapid and
extensive dissemination of data and results, the program office provides
the basic support in organizing and running workshops, and helps see
that manuscripts and technical reports are prepared and distributed on a
timely basis to other investigators and collaborators in the program.
The office also organizes a scientific program meeting and data workshop
once per year to provide opportunities for the principal investigators
to carry out the very essential collaboratory activities of exchange of
ideas and integration and synthesis of the data.
During the field portion of the program, the office is providing
logistical support for the multi-ship operations including assisting in
the coordination of the outfitting of the ships, and scheduling pre- and
post-cruise activities. Following each cruise, the office assists the
chief scientist in preparing an initial assessment of the field
activities and acquired data (a cruise report) so that the principal
investigators will have a common record of navigational data, and
general information on the Georges Bank environment based on shipboard
satellite imagery and remote sensing observations. During the first year
of this project, we are supporting twenty-five (25) cruises to
accomplish the broad-scale, process and mooring field work of the
program. To date, twenty cruises (20) have been completed. Initial event
log, sea surface sensor, volume back scattering and along track (CTD,
meteorological, and navigation) data are accessible on-line.
SUMMARY OF KEY FINDINGS:
The Georges Bank Information System (GBIS) is installed and operational
on a SPARCstation 20. This system provides the central directory of
available on-line data, as well as providing information about the
Program, including reports, data acquisition procedures and protocols.
This information is made available through the World Wide Web at URL
http://globec.whoi.edu. Additional data servers were established at
NMFS/Woods Hole and NMFS/Narragansett and MIT. Together, the data
servers provide access to CTD data, volume backscattering data;
alongtrack CTD; meteorological and navigation data; model data; mooring
sea surface data; and drifter data, images and movies.
The office supported the 1994-1995 field program with logistical support
for 25 cruises to Georges Bank. Event logging (Quattro Pro) and display
(Matlab) programs were provided to each Chief Scientist as part of a
"Chief Scientist Package", which also includes documentation about data
acquisition and processing protocols, data reporting requirements and
other information.
To date (6 July 1995), the office distributed cruise reports for
eighteen of the cruises.