434
N.J. Brown et al.
Conclusions
GIS systems can provide a focus and a stimulant to cooperation and collaboration across
academic disciplines. The success of the system can be measured by the willingness of
scientists to contribute data and models and to participate in new collaborative research.
It is possible to identify potential areas of cooperation and gaps in coverage only if
the system framework is started early. An early start is more likely to lead to cohesive,
comprehensive and coherent systems.
LOIS is an ambitious project that will, when completed, demonstrate and describe
the processes that link the land and the ocean. While science is being advanced in each
component of LOIS, a significant novelty is the explicit use of GIS in fostering integrated
research and models across academic disciplines.