CoastGIS’99: geomatics and coastal environment
The following specific tools are being used:
- the Disco system as the mediator/access engine from INRIA (France);
- the Dienst distributed index and search engine/server (available in the
public domain - see Web site above). Appropriate metadata for the
CZM data repositories have to be built and the index / search capabilities
of- Dienst appropriately expanded for the requirements ol'the Thetis
sy stem;
GIS based on an Arc/Info database with a Web mterface, available
from partner IACM, Forth (Greece);
- data stored in an Oracle database and Excel spreadsheets are integrated
into the Thetis system, as are data concerning satellite images stored
in Oracle databases (from ALCATEL, France);
VRML, a graphics tool, available in the public domain and accessed
via the Web;
- various simulator tools for data processmg and data mterpretation are
available from IMBC, IACM, INRIA, ALCATEL, and CNR. Specific reference
to various such programs/tools for their application content is made at
the demonstrator actions;
- the Netscape Web browser is employed as the user interface.
The coastal zone management and research community will be closely
watching the level of data and systems integration, and Web-based
tools development, achieved by the end of the Thetis project. For latest
information, visit the excellent Web site at http: //www.ics.forth.gr/
pleiadesl.thetis/thetis. html.
Problems and barriers
Three main problem areas exist in regard to better exploiting Internet
and Web-enabled technology for coastal zone information.
• Data exchange and interoperability: Major problems still exist, due
mainly to legacy data, concerning the ability to exchange and interoperably use multiple data sets, especially from multiple clata sources.
As far as GIS tools interoperability is concerned, the work of the US-based
Open GIS Consortium (OGC) which is developing a wide range of OpenGIS system specifications supported by the entire GIS vendor community (and many large users) is key to resolving many interoperability problems. Although OGC has managed a very effective initiative regarding Web Mapping Testbeds, it rarely focuses specifically on
interoperable data issues. (See http://www.opengis.org).
• Integration ofdata with tools: U fnderstanding the coastal zone involves
data not only from many different sources, but of many different types,
from tables to maps to images, including video and even sound. Very
few sy stems exist today that permit users, at any level of expertise, to
easily integrate such diverse data sources and types. Yet it is exactly such
integration that often leads to the most impressive and useful form of
presentation when trying to educate the public and government about
crucial coastal zone problems.
40
The following specific tools are being used:
- the Disco system as the mediator/access engine from INRIA (France);
- the Dienst distributed index and search engine/server (available in the
public domain - see Web site above). Appropriate metadata for the
CZM data repositories have to be built and the index / search capabilities
of- Dienst appropriately expanded for the requirements ol'the Thetis
sy stem;
GIS based on an Arc/Info database with a Web mterface, available
from partner IACM, Forth (Greece);
- data stored in an Oracle database and Excel spreadsheets are integrated
into the Thetis system, as are data concerning satellite images stored
in Oracle databases (from ALCATEL, France);
VRML, a graphics tool, available in the public domain and accessed
via the Web;
- various simulator tools for data processmg and data mterpretation are
available from IMBC, IACM, INRIA, ALCATEL, and CNR. Specific reference
to various such programs/tools for their application content is made at
the demonstrator actions;
- the Netscape Web browser is employed as the user interface.
The coastal zone management and research community will be closely
watching the level of data and systems integration, and Web-based
tools development, achieved by the end of the Thetis project. For latest
information, visit the excellent Web site at http: //www.ics.forth.gr/
pleiadesl.thetis/thetis. html.
Problems and barriers
Three main problem areas exist in regard to better exploiting Internet
and Web-enabled technology for coastal zone information.
• Data exchange and interoperability: Major problems still exist, due
mainly to legacy data, concerning the ability to exchange and interoperably use multiple data sets, especially from multiple clata sources.
As far as GIS tools interoperability is concerned, the work of the US-based
Open GIS Consortium (OGC) which is developing a wide range of OpenGIS system specifications supported by the entire GIS vendor community (and many large users) is key to resolving many interoperability problems. Although OGC has managed a very effective initiative regarding Web Mapping Testbeds, it rarely focuses specifically on
interoperable data issues. (See http://www.opengis.org).
• Integration ofdata with tools: U fnderstanding the coastal zone involves
data not only from many different sources, but of many different types,
from tables to maps to images, including video and even sound. Very
few sy stems exist today that permit users, at any level of expertise, to
easily integrate such diverse data sources and types. Yet it is exactly such
integration that often leads to the most impressive and useful form of
presentation when trying to educate the public and government about
crucial coastal zone problems.
40