The Network of Oceanographic Data Centres

The network between the data centres is used for a regular exchange of information and data. The data centres maintain up-to-date information about the activities of their colleagues in other countries. On the national level, they are often in a favourable position to handle enquiries concerning the sea and/or sea research.

Enquiries from countries without an NODC should - in principle - be directed to the NODC nearest to the geographical area concerned. Within the ICES area, the ICES Oceanographic Data Centre acts as a focal point for information and data, and could therefore best be approached with such enquiries.

The national oceanographic data centres have, besides their responsibility to answer or refer requests for data and/or information, tasks regarding the processing and archival of oceanographic data. The amount of work devoted to this varies from centre to centre and is highly dependent upon the resources available.

Belgium Canada Denmark Estonia Finland France

Germany Iceland Ireland Latvia The Netherlands Norway

Portugal Russia Spain Sweden United Kingdom United States of America

Oceanographic Data Centres and the role of MDM

The importance of marine data management continues to grow in line with the rapid increase of the use of computers for data and information handling. Further, the international nature of marine programmes, such as WOCE and JGOFS, require that an efficient international marine data system not only exists, but is functioning effectively.

A wide user community has a need for easy access to data and information about the marine environment. To this end, many countries have established national centres whose responsibility is to manage the marine data collected by that nation.

It is a task of the ICES Working Group on Marine Data Management (WGMDM) to facilitate access by the ICES community to the worldwide network of national data centres.

As one of the steps in the development of the tasks of the WGMDM, the "Information Sheets" for each country (click on country name above) describes the 'system' formed by the national oceanographic data centres, represented in the WGMDM. An impression is given of their links, their activities and their capabilities. Also, and of considerable importance, the role of the ICES Oceanographic Data Centre is described.

It should be noted that the international exchange of oceanographic data is coordinated by the Committee on International Oceanographic Data and Information Exchange (IODE) of the Intergovernmental Oceanorgaphic Commission (IOC), within the framework of the World Data Centre System. Three centres act as so-called World Data Centres for Oceanography - in Washington (USA), Obninsk (Russia) and Beijing (China), whilst at the national level, National Oceanographic Data Centres (NODCs) form the focal points for this system. Finally, a number of NODCs act as Responsible NODC (RNODC) for a specific subject or area.

Previous editions of this brochure were published for the ICES Annual Science Conference in 1982, 1984, 1986, 1988 and 1990. This is the first version to appear on the World Wide Web (April 1997). It is hoped that this updated brochure will lead to a further increase in the benefits that the ICES community, including biologists, chemists, environmental scientists and oceanographers, will acquire from developments in the field of informatics.

ICES
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