‘Using Metadata Standards to Achieve Data Interoperability'

Bedford Institute of Oceanography, Main Auditorium

This symposium was organized by the Centre for Marine Biodiversity (CMB), Bedford Institute of Oceanography (BIO) and the Ocean Biogeographic Information System (OBIS) to give providers and users of data on marine organisms and physical processes an opportunity to improve their understanding of how present day metadata standards and associated systems might be used to enhance the quality of their work. This is particularly important when it comes to the sharing of data between disparate and often remote systems. The primary focus will be oral presentations and panel discussions by technology specialists presently engaged in the creation, operation and use of various open access metadata systems and or portals. Group photo and final proceedings are available on line.

Day One – June 13, 2006

Opening Remarks

Peter Smith, BIO – Opening Remarks

Fred Grassle, Institute of Marine & Coastal Sciences, Rutgers – Keynote Address

Bob Branton, BIO – OBIS Canada

Session 1: Program Relevance and Application

Peter Lawton, Saint Andrews Biological Station – Introduction to Session 1

Ray Konisky, Gulf of Maine (GoM) Council – GoM Ecosystem Indicators Partnership

Brian Petrie on behalf of Ken Frank, BIO – State of the Environment Reporting

Tom Shyka, GoM Ocean Observing System – GoM Ocean Data Partnership

Falk Huettmann, University of Alaska – Metadata and the IPY Data Policy

Session 2: Discovery and Interoperability

Bob Keeley, Marine Environmental Data Services - Introduction to Session 2

Andrea Buffam, Natural Resources Canada – Geoconnections Discovery Portal

Melanie Meaux, NASA – Serving Fisheries & Ocean Metadata to the World

Mike Butler, ACZISC – Coastal and Ocean Information Network for the Atlantic

Joanne Hamel, Institut Maurice-Lamontagne – Saint Lawrence Observatory

Pat Halpin, Duke University – Mining New Information from Marine Data Archives

Day Two – June 14, 2006

Session 3: Data Authority and Accessibility

Ellen Kenchington, Centre for Marine Biodiversity - Introduction to Session 3

Karen Stocks, SanDiego Supercomputer Center – OBIS

Don Vachon, Marine Environmental Data Services – GeoPortal Web Map Server

Guy Baillargeon, Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada – Biological Names, Metadata & Globally Unique Identifiers.

Lou Van Guelpen, Huntsman Marine Science Centre – Atlantic Reference Centre

Doug Gregory, BIO – Creating a Marine Geospatial Data Infrastructure at BIO