The useful seaweedsof Africa online

SeaweedAFRICA is a major EU funded, Fifth Framework Project and is co-ordinated from the AlgaeBase Centre in the Martin Ryan Institure, National University of Ireland, Galway.

IOI-SA is responsible for the design and construction of the online database

Project to expand Algaebase a biodiversity database of seaweed information to include:

• Ecological• Commercial• Technological• Legal

information for African seaweed species

1. Modernize the AlgaeBase a biodiversity database converting it to a relational database providing a common platform for both the SeaweedAfrica extension data and the core AlgaeBase data.

2. Provide species lists for the seaweeds of African countries.

3. Provide additional useful information for potential users including students, aspirant and practicing seaweed farmers, academics and the public.

The project also aims to:

Project partners include:

• International Ocean Institute, East Africa, Kenya

• CIMAR - Centro Interdisciplinar de Investigação Marinha e Ambiental, University of Porto, Portugal

• University of Namibia

• University of Stockholm, Sweden

• University of Cape Town in co-operation with Marine and Coastal Management, South Africa

• International Ocean Institute, University of the

Western Cape, South Africa

• Martin Ryan Marine Science Institute, National University of Ireland, Galway Ireland

• Thus a collaboration between a team of people spaced far apart who can only see each other face to face occasionally and have to rely on technology as their main means of communication – a virtual team.

• Uses the Internet as the main means of of interaction including communication between team members, the collection of information by the team members and its dissemination to the potential users.

Lets take a look at how this can be done via the web ...

General project information

Any information can be added here online by a project manager

General project information

Searching for seaweed information

Potential users can search for the seaweed information

Potential users can search for the seaweed information

Login and registration open to everybody

General project information

Up to date news about project progress

Searching for seaweed information

Access to communication tools e.g. discussion fora, chat and instant messaging

Discussion fora both private and public

Access to communication tools e.g. discussion fora, chat and instant messaging

Chat

Access to information e.g.uploaded documents, FAQ and project manager

Document manager

Access to information e.g.uploaded documents, FAQ and project manager

Access to administration pages depending on access level e.g. website and seaweed database areas

Project management system

Manage website users and their access rights

Manage communications, projects and documents.

Administer main website content

But what about the database itself - how does one manage that?

Manage taxonomic data for a seaweed species e.g. genera.

Manage taxonomic data for a seaweed species e.g. species.

Manage references for information all information is fully referenced

Manage ecological, technological, commercial for a seaweed species.

Add use data for a species

Add ecology data for a species

Get species lists by country using GIS

E.g. editing details for a specific seaweed species.

E.g. List of species for Liberia.

Lessons learned

WWW.SeaweedAFRICA.ORG

The useful seaweedsof Africa online and much more!!