http:// medin partners meeting june 2009 dassh – the archive for marine species and habitats dan...

http://www.dassh.ac.uk MEDIN Partners Meeting June 2009

DASSH – The Archive for Marine Species and Habitats

Dan LearDASSH Project Co-ordinator

Marine Biological Association of the UK


MEDIN Partners Meeting

• What is DASSH

• How DASSH works

• What services does DASSH provide

• Examples of use


What is DASSH?

• DASSH is the national archive for marine species and habitat data.

• DASSH evolved from the recommendations of the Cowling Report on marine data

• DASSH builds on the existing extensive data and dissemination skills of the Marine Life Information Network (MarLIN) and library and archiving experience of the National Marine Biological Library (NMBL) and the MBA's historical role in marine science.

• DASSH is the marine node of the UK National Biodiversity Network (NBN)

• DASSH is an accredited MEDIN DAC


Why do we need DASSH?

UK biodiversity datasets were often • poorly maintained, • held by individuals or organizations without the resources

(or will) to mobilize them,• difficult to collate or inaccessible, and • ownership issues were uncertain.

As a result potentially important data (e.g. for detecting long-term change) were lost or inaccessible.


What does DASSH do?

DASSH is:• providing a DAC to safeguard marine biological

data,• making that data available as a national

information resource,• producing and promoting standards for biological

data exchange, and• working with holders and users of marine biological

data to ensure best practice and that the full value is being realized from their data.


How it works (Data in)

Consultancies

Public

NGO’s

Statutoryagencies

Academia

DASSH

MEDIN

Metadata

MetadataData NBN

GBIF & OBIS

International Initiatives


Data acquisition - priorities

Priority will be given to the acquisition of: • long-term (time-series) data;• natural resource surveys (not currently managed

or archived);• Environmental Assessment (EA) survey data,

especially within the commercial sector;• Any ‘at risk’ data/images within the categories

outlined above, and• Any ‘recent’ (last 3 years) datasets within the

categories outlined above.


Data acquisition – so far

• Over 800,000 species records from in excess of 630 surveys

• Growing daily

• Needs to be a requirement of Government and statutory agency contracts that data is archived in a MEDIN DAC


DASSH Web site (www.dassh.ac.uk)


How it works (Data out)

DASSH provides metadata to MEDIN and data and metadata to the NBN (and on to OBIS and GBIF)

DASSH provides metadata to MEDIN via the portal and hosts metadata for other DACs

DASSH has developed a web application to query available data and allow direct download or visualization of the data


DASSH Services

• Data management• Handle FOI or EIR data requests• Custom data queries• Archiving• Data analysis• Metadata and data standards• Coordination of data collection• Assistance with MEDIN accreditation process


Using DASSH Data


Using DASSH Data

Spread of Crepidula fornicata (Slipper limpet) from 1978-2007.

Crepidula fornicata at Oreston Spit.Image: Keith Hiscock


Developing Standards

Developed standard terms and conditions for the supply and use of data

Working with MEDIN and other key partners DASSH has developed the MEDIN Discovery Metadata standard, the associated XML schema and an accompanying guidance document.

DASSH is also working with CCW to develop standard methodologies for the collection and storage of biological data

Developed a Metadata Creation Tool to generate MEDIN Discovery Standard compliant metadata.


Thank you

Dan [email protected]

01752 633291http://www.dassh.ac.uk

For more information about DASSH, to provide data to the archive, or to discuss how DASSH can help your organization please contact:

http:// medin partners meeting june 2009 dassh – the archive for marine species and habitats dan...

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