These webpages provide access to marine data and information, and outline the work of the Marine Environmental Data Action Group. MEDAG is part of OceanNET and is operated by IACMST

ICES Working Group on Data and Information Management WGDIM was established to provide ICES with advice on all aspects of data management including technical, data policy, data strategy and user-orientated guidance. A member of MEDAG belongs to this working group and will attend the annual meeting to be held in Copenhagen, June 2007. The Group has produced a set of guidelines for the metadata requirements for physical-chemical-biological data collected on oceanographic research vessel cruises

INSPIRE is a new EC Directive which is currently being implemented  which sets obligations on what the public authorities of the Member States do with the data they collect. Public authorities holding data covered by the directive will have to share their data with other public authorities (e.g. EU institutions). They must allow the public to view data for free, buy the data for download and use over the Internet, and must comply with technical implementing rules to improve consistency. MEDAG is registered as a Spatial Data Interest Community and is providing updates on the INSPIRE implementation to members. Further details are available here.

The International Oceanographic Data and Information Exchange (IODE) committee was established by The Intergovermental Oceanographic Commision (IOC) in 1961. A brief report provided to MEDAG on the discussions at the 18th session of the IODE can be viewed here. The IODE meets once every 2 years and has the objectives of :

  • to facilitate and promote the exchange of all marine data and information including metadata, products and information in real-time, near real-time and delayed mode
  • to ensure the long term archival, management and services of all marine data and information
  • to promote the use of international standards, and develop por help in the development of standards and methods for the global exchange of marine data and information, using the most appropriate information management and information technology
  • to assist Member States to aquire the necessary capacity to manage marine data and information and become partners in the IODC network
  • to support international scientific and operational marine programmes of IOC and WMO and their sponsor organisations with advice and data management services.