SADCOSADCO

Southern African Data Centre for Oceanography: regional facility for storing and sharing marine environmental data

Marten Grundlingh

SADCO: SADCO: Target Area, data load 2001Target Area, data load 2001

Africa

SADCO

SADCO: SADCO: Target Area; all dataTarget Area; all data

SADCO: data administrationSADCO: data administration

• ORACLE DBMS, UNIX workstations

• Data can be flagged for security

• Daily backups for safety

• Quality control checks on all incoming data (IODE, WMO customised)

• Vertical profiles (>200 000 stations):•temperature•salinity•Nutrients, chemistry•Currents

• Surface weather observations (6m reports, 45m observations)

SADCO: data types (1)SADCO: data types (1)

•Time series data:•Currents•Temperature•AWS (land-based or buoy)•Other

•Plankton (database may be remobilised for BCLME)

SADCO: data types (2)SADCO: data types (2)

•Web-enabled raw data extraction (standard & customised, off-line)•Extractions by geographic area,cruise or deployment

SADCO: products SADCO: products

•Means, statistics

•Graphs, downloadable

• Scout for data (insight into regional data)

• Existing public inventory of surveys sadco.csir.co.za

SADCO: inventorySADCO: inventory

Examples of data useExamples of data use

• Climate changes, rainfall indices• Maritime accidents• Oceanographic research• Environmental impact assessments• School projects (outreach)• Maritime consultancy

• Quarterly newsletter

• Liaison visits, presentations

• Web site sadco.csir.co.za

SADCO: communicationSADCO: communication

Stakeholders comprising all southern African marine organisations [MCM, SAN, CSIR, NRF (universities), NMFMR, SAWS, IMT, UCT]

Stakeholders serve on Steering Committee to oversee data centre, and decide policy

SADCO: management modelSADCO: management model

Manager

DBA Data proc1 Data proc2

DBA2

SADCO configuration

SADCO

IT Finances HR Admin

Network

Hardware

Contracting

SADCO infrastructure (CSIR)

(on site in Stellenbosch)

SADCO: development 2005SADCO: development 2005

1. OBIS OBIS node for sub-Sahara Entrance into biodiversity domain Same management model (no full-time

staff) Four main data providers (to date) Other data providers invited

afrobis.csir.co.za:8000

2. Trace metal dataRegenerating chemical databaseLoad data from CSIR Durban

3. Regular data loading:Surface weather dataCTD data (Namibia, MCM, France,

Germany)GODAR data (WDC-Oceanography)AWS data (MCM)ADCP (ACEP)Ship-borne currents (CSIR)

4. Possible expansions: Plankton data (BCLME) Involvement with SAEON Satellite data of suitable format

(BCLME/SAEON) Production of environmental indices (BCLME)

– indices to indicate the status of certain parameters (within a geographical area, depth interval, using algorithms defined by a user community)

– Can be computed at given time intervals (e.g. quarterly), or for given cruises, etc.

•Web access to Inventory

•Web access to data bases

•Downloadable data & products

•Off-line requests

SADCO: accessSADCO: access

•Open on-line web access to Inventory

•Open web access to SADCO data bases only for funding organisations

•Off-line access to data

• Open access to OBIS

Free data accessFree data access

SADCO: SADCO: Learning pointsLearning points

Core data

Cost efficiency

Consistency

Commitment

SADCO: SADCO: SummarySummary

Existing, functional, web-enabled small data centre

Cost-efficiency through collective funding, no full-time staff

Range of services and data

Stakeholder representation on Steering Committee

Invitation to contribute data to OBIS