CoastGIS’99: geomatics and coastal environment
• Metadata and directory services: Far more coastal zone information
exists that we will ever be able to access. Users need to create metadata,
using available standards, and make such data known to the potential
user community via metadata directory (or catalogue) services, which
must also be created to acceptable standards. The US Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC), European Standards Organization (CEN)
and now International Standards Organization (ISO) have all defined
national, regional and (eventually) global standards for GI metadata.
Now it is time for members of the CZ management and research community to prepare metadata for their key (new and on-going data coilection) data sets as a matter of urgency, not as something that is done
“if there is any time or project funding left at the end of the exercise”.
Recent research into the ability of search engines to use metadata effectively indicate that much more work needs to be done in regard to
creating not only complex metadata, but also viable “discovery” metadata, to acceptable standards such as those provided by the Dublin
Core (http://purl. org/dc/).
In the US, NOAA’s National Ocean Service has published a Revised
Proposal for a US National Shoreline Data Standard (March 3, 1998),
“primarily oriented towards reaching a common understanding of the
shoreline for national mapping purposes and other geospatial (GIS)
applications.” The metadata will provide a standardized methodology
for evaluating shoreline data (regardless of survey methodology or technology) and reporting resultant data quality through a standard quality
reporting method. This will permit much wider use and acceptability
(sharing) of shoreline data between parties. This will also establish a
means (rules) for beginning to establish national shoreline certification
program (NOAA, 1999).
Conclusion
In February 1999 Info-Coast’99 brought together over 140 delegates
with direct interest in the coastal zone, from 13 European Union
member States, with an exceptionally wide variety of expertise and
experience. The symposium examined the current situation of information and knowledge management for the implementation of ICZM
addressed the major barriers to effective data, information and knowledge flow between the provider and user communities and developed
practical recommendations for improving the current inadequate situation. The Executive Summary from the symposium report confirmed that:
- European coastal zone data, information and knowledge networks
are generally inadequate in interconnecting users and information
providers;
- coastal zone data and information management issues and needs are
rypical of those elsewhere in the information industry and much can
be gained from implementing the common standards currently available and under development for the wider information market;
41
• Metadata and directory services: Far more coastal zone information
exists that we will ever be able to access. Users need to create metadata,
using available standards, and make such data known to the potential
user community via metadata directory (or catalogue) services, which
must also be created to acceptable standards. The US Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC), European Standards Organization (CEN)
and now International Standards Organization (ISO) have all defined
national, regional and (eventually) global standards for GI metadata.
Now it is time for members of the CZ management and research community to prepare metadata for their key (new and on-going data coilection) data sets as a matter of urgency, not as something that is done
“if there is any time or project funding left at the end of the exercise”.
Recent research into the ability of search engines to use metadata effectively indicate that much more work needs to be done in regard to
creating not only complex metadata, but also viable “discovery” metadata, to acceptable standards such as those provided by the Dublin
Core (http://purl. org/dc/).
In the US, NOAA’s National Ocean Service has published a Revised
Proposal for a US National Shoreline Data Standard (March 3, 1998),
“primarily oriented towards reaching a common understanding of the
shoreline for national mapping purposes and other geospatial (GIS)
applications.” The metadata will provide a standardized methodology
for evaluating shoreline data (regardless of survey methodology or technology) and reporting resultant data quality through a standard quality
reporting method. This will permit much wider use and acceptability
(sharing) of shoreline data between parties. This will also establish a
means (rules) for beginning to establish national shoreline certification
program (NOAA, 1999).
Conclusion
In February 1999 Info-Coast’99 brought together over 140 delegates
with direct interest in the coastal zone, from 13 European Union
member States, with an exceptionally wide variety of expertise and
experience. The symposium examined the current situation of information and knowledge management for the implementation of ICZM
addressed the major barriers to effective data, information and knowledge flow between the provider and user communities and developed
practical recommendations for improving the current inadequate situation. The Executive Summary from the symposium report confirmed that:
- European coastal zone data, information and knowledge networks
are generally inadequate in interconnecting users and information
providers;
- coastal zone data and information management issues and needs are
rypical of those elsewhere in the information industry and much can
be gained from implementing the common standards currently available and under development for the wider information market;
41