42 G.M.R. Manzella and MFS-VOS Group
-The forecasting agencies. They need observations to initialise forecasts of the
marine weather, water level, storm surges and severe ocean events.
Such a variety of potential clients with different needs poses the question on how
to organise an efficient data management system.
Before the advent of high speed data communication and modem information
systems, the main option was the establishment of centralised data centres. These
were acquiring, were possible, copies of data, processing and quality controlling
them, building data bases. For those data not entering in the system, inventories
were prepared and maintained, giving the opportunity to users to 'refer' to the
organisation or person holding the data.
The communication technology now in place permits the creation and maintenance of distributed data bases, which can develop system more 'client oriented'
and develop a closer working relationship with both data suppliers and potential
clients.
In this chapter we consider monitoring as the basic data collection methodology
which can provide observations to the different users of a data management system.
3.3 Requirement for monitoring
One of the main questions to be answered in future years is whether the observed
environmental changes are natural or man-induced. A precise answer requires long
term reliable observations and statistical tools, as well as modelling efforts able to
produce realistic scenarios of the marine environment. Monitoring is the basic
approach to collect relevant data in order to achieve these objectives.
After setting the environmental objective, the monitoring will be used for scientific and/or management purposes. Fundamental differences exist between the two
monitoring purposes, however, there is a complementarity that can be of mutual
benefit.
In the case of monitoring for management, the system consist of repeated measurements of (JAMP, 1995):
• the quality of marine environment and each of its compartments, i.e. water, sediments and biota;
• the natural and anthropogenic inputs which may affect the quality ofthe marine
environment;
• the effects of anthropogenic activities and inputs.
In this case, the monitoring contributes effectively to the assessment of the
marine environment and management providing the information necessary to the
description of the spatial and temporal distribution of physical, chemical and biological parameters, as well as for the establishment of relationships between
anthropogenic activities and observed changes. This means that assessment criteria and procedures are mainly based on the use of statistics.
-The forecasting agencies. They need observations to initialise forecasts of the
marine weather, water level, storm surges and severe ocean events.
Such a variety of potential clients with different needs poses the question on how
to organise an efficient data management system.
Before the advent of high speed data communication and modem information
systems, the main option was the establishment of centralised data centres. These
were acquiring, were possible, copies of data, processing and quality controlling
them, building data bases. For those data not entering in the system, inventories
were prepared and maintained, giving the opportunity to users to 'refer' to the
organisation or person holding the data.
The communication technology now in place permits the creation and maintenance of distributed data bases, which can develop system more 'client oriented'
and develop a closer working relationship with both data suppliers and potential
clients.
In this chapter we consider monitoring as the basic data collection methodology
which can provide observations to the different users of a data management system.
3.3 Requirement for monitoring
One of the main questions to be answered in future years is whether the observed
environmental changes are natural or man-induced. A precise answer requires long
term reliable observations and statistical tools, as well as modelling efforts able to
produce realistic scenarios of the marine environment. Monitoring is the basic
approach to collect relevant data in order to achieve these objectives.
After setting the environmental objective, the monitoring will be used for scientific and/or management purposes. Fundamental differences exist between the two
monitoring purposes, however, there is a complementarity that can be of mutual
benefit.
In the case of monitoring for management, the system consist of repeated measurements of (JAMP, 1995):
• the quality of marine environment and each of its compartments, i.e. water, sediments and biota;
• the natural and anthropogenic inputs which may affect the quality ofthe marine
environment;
• the effects of anthropogenic activities and inputs.
In this case, the monitoring contributes effectively to the assessment of the
marine environment and management providing the information necessary to the
description of the spatial and temporal distribution of physical, chemical and biological parameters, as well as for the establishment of relationships between
anthropogenic activities and observed changes. This means that assessment criteria and procedures are mainly based on the use of statistics.