AUKEGGS 3 rd Workshop - 29 November 2006 Australian Marine data, AODCJF and BlueNet Kate Roberts, Director BlueNet Project

AUKEGGS 3rd Workshop - 29 November 2006

Australian Marine data, AODCJF and BlueNet

Kate Roberts,

Director BlueNet Project


BlueNet project

• Funding to kick-start BlueNetBlueNet from DEST• BlueNetBlueNet aims to build a data-sharing culture within Universities.

– Entails creation of the necessary support infrastructures (including guidelines, software, training, etc) for researchers in the University sector to participate in data-sharing and more effective data discovery and data re-use, into the future

• BlueNetBlueNet partners (AODCJF, BlueNet Project Office, APAC, APSR) are building a virtual data repository for delivery and longterm curation of Australian marine data– professionally-managed– state-of-the-art/ best practice– sustainable


BlueNet background

• Integrates marine researchers at Australian Universities into the AODCJF data sharing and discovery network

• Management of BlueNetBlueNet is from the Project Office at the University of Tasmania

• Staff are employed at member universities and AODCJF agencies to facilitate the flow of data


BlueNet collaboration

• Building a long-term BlueNetBlueNet involves development and/or promotion of:– Common legal agreements– Guidelines– Standards– Protocols– Sustainable practices

• BlueNet engaged in developing agreements, addressing IP/ licencing needs, addressing authentication/access issues, developing training and support;

• Software development (MEST, Portal)


BlueNet partners

• AODCJF agencies

• APAC/TPAC (Tasmania Partnership for Advanced Computing)

• University Partners– Australian National University– James Cook University– University of Melbourne– University of Sydney– University of Queensland– University of Western Australia– University of Tasmania

• Other universities will join as the project develops


Metadata activities

• Metadata is a critical component for AODCJF to provide the mechanism for data discovery

• AODCJF has developed a “marine community of practice profile” of ISO 19115 international standard;

• Implementing a marine catalogue service as part of the Oceans Portal

• Developing controlled vocabularies to describe data


Marine Community Profile

Marine Profile • Includes all ISO19115 core

metadata components

• Extends 19115 to include several new elements, and customised codelists to meet the need of the marine community

• Is compliant with new ANZLIC profile


Metadata tool

• AODCJF identified the need for a common Metadata Entry and Search Tool (MEST)

• ISO19115 compliant;

• Ability to implement the Marine Profile, and other related profiles

• To be adopted by most of the AODCJF organisations: replace existing non-ISO systems;– Make available to other marine data providers.


Metadata tool requirements

• Web-accessible;• Open source software;• Allow (ISO19115/ Marine Profile) metadata creation, validation, storage, edit,

retrieval and display• Importing /Exporting – in batch mode, or singly;• Conversion between profiles (support use of conversion programs – internally,

or by linking to external services);• Conversion between vocabularies;• Ease of updating vocabularies;• Customised record-numbering/tagging;• Allow easy update processes (update/overrwrite, replace/ remove earlier one,

etc)• Allow local badging, and other customisation, including additiion of fields needed

for core business processes (eg financial details);


Metadata tool requirements

• Facilitate complex boolean searching, and cross-field searching;

• Federated searching – using range of protocols: HTTP, z39.50/SRW, OAI– Connection of individual MEST instances to other MESTs, and the ASDD

• Support harvesting of metadata by external agents (e.g. into the ASDD and into the Marine Catalogue -for access by Ocean Portal)

• Support Users-Levels, and management of varying permissions; (edit rights, view rights, delete rights, etc)

• Connection to external authentication systems;

• Freely available for distribution


Metadata tool development

MEST development approach : staged process:

GeoNetwork software selected [for Stage 1]; Developer selected;

Stage 1 Simple / immediate need• Import Marine Profile• Assess/ Report on robustness and suitability of software for Stage 2• Gap Analysis;

Stage 2 Address longterm community needs• Cross-searching, Harvesting, Authentication using remote authorities;• Complex boolean searching, and cross-field searching; etc


Metadata tool development

Challenges• Software has strong XML emphasis…skills deficit• Documentation poor;• Error messages unclear;• Off-the-shelf version

– not ISO19115 compliant (contrary to PR); – Doesn’t allow use of schematron, in validation;

• Newer version almost finalised;• MEST Development Reference Group;

– Design choices / varying needs (eg store as XML blob, and/or as fields in relational DB)

– Expertise on metadata use, or system design


International activities

• The IOC/IODE community will implement a marine profile of ISO 19115

• The AODCJF Marine Community Profile is being considered

• Will replace the current DIF format• MEST could be also be used by IOC• Recommendation to be made in March 2007


International activities

• Marine Metadata Interoperability (MMI) Sensor Metadata Interoperability workshop (October 06)

• Goal: to establish consensus on a content standard to describe sensors in ocean observing systems.

• AODCJF Marine Community Profile was one of five standards evaluated

• One option: use the Marine Profile to describe data collected by sensors using SensorML


Oceans Portal

• Development and testing complete

• To be deployed Dec.2006

• Portal installed at DEH, Canberra

• Marine Catalogue installed at CMAR, Hobart

• Will draw on resources, expertise, support from AODCJF agencies, as well as from BlueNet and other partners;


Oceans Portal Design

• Metadata driven– data or information service must have a metadata record; the

integrity of the Portal is based on the quality of the metadata• Discovery of any data or service

– any data or information service that has its metadata record published will be discoverable by the user

• Multiple methods of access– Access will be through the Portal or through other client

applications that adhere to the relevant standards• Open standards

– the Oceans Portal Project conforms to open standards• The Oceans Portal uses the publish-bind-find model


IMOS

• Integrated Marine Observing System

• Five year project starting 2007

• One of nine priority capability areas for National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS)

• IMOS Nodes/Facilities across Australia


IMOS “Investment” areas

1. Argo Australia 2. Enhancement of Measurements on Ships of Opportunity3. Southern Ocean Automated Time Series Observations 4. Australian National Facility for Ocean Gliders5. Australian National Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV)

Facility6. Australian National Mooring Network7. Australian Coastal Ocean Radar Network8. Australian Acoustic Tagging and Monitoring System9. Facility for Automated Intelligent Monitoring of Marine Systems10.eMarine Information Infrastructure11.Enhancing Access to Australian Ocean Remote Sensing Data


Open Ocean / Climate

Integrated Marine Observing SystemPrimary Users

Research Community

Secondary Users

International

Contribution

Australian

Contribution

Ocean CirculationOcean Chemistry

Ocean stateSurface temperature

Sea levelOcean colour

SatellitesMoorings, buoy networks

Floats, autonomousShips of Opportunity

Sections

Coastal

National

BackboneUSER APPLICATIONS

DATA REQUIREMENTSDATA MANAGEMENTANALYSIS, MODELS

COMMUNICATION

• Remote sensing

• Reference stns

• Common networks

• Coastal monitors

• Data standards

• Interoperability

• Exchange protocols

RegionalNode

RegionalNode

RegionalNode

RegionalNode

PR

OD

UC

TS N

EE

DS


eMarine Information Infrastructure

eMII aims to:

• Provide a single integrative framework for data and information management, discovery and access for incoming IMOS data

• Host, manage and archive the data from the IMOS nodes

• Provide standards, protocols and systems to integrate the data and related information

….with a focus on eResearch needs.Therefore, international collaboration/ cooperation in the DM/IM space is even

more important.

eMII collaborating institutions: – AODCJF– BlueNet– TPAC

Documents

AUKEGGS 3 rd Workshop - 29 November 2006 Australian Marine data, AODCJF and BlueNet Kate Roberts, Director BlueNet Project