VENUS/NEPTUNE DMAS Examination

In June 2004, BCS was awarded a contract with the University of Victoria to assist in the design of the Data Management and Archiving System (DMAS) for the VENUS* and NEPTUNE Canada** seafloor observatories. In a 238-page PDF report, we provided information on data types, current data management systems and practices, data products, and data analysis/access tools that relate to the scientific disciplines expected to use VENUS/NEPTUNE data.

BCS examined and defined the characteristics of the data for the instruments to be used by VENUS/NEPTUNE. We also examined management practices of agencies involved in handling large amounts of data, for both ocean-related and non-ocean-related applications. During the course of our investigations, we:

• defined, cataloged and characterized a set of identified sensors and instruments to be used by VENUS/NEPTUNE;
• identified relevant national and international repositories of oceanographic data and determined the types and volumes of data stored, and the practices used to manage these data;
• identified other organizations and initiatives that handle data from ocean observing systems, and examined and documented their data management initiatives, status, and plans;
• identified examples of large-scale scientific data management in non-ocean fields, and examined and documented their overall strategies and practices.

*VENUS (Victoria Experimental Network Under the Sea) is a seafloor observatory in a coastal ocean, connected to researchers and observers on shore by fiber optic cable. VENUS researchers, students, and the public are connected to the instruments via the Internet from around the world. Measurements, images, and sound are delivered through a data management center on the VENUS website.

**NEPTUNE Canada (North-East Pacific Time-Series Undersea Networked Experiments) will be a very large cable-linked seafloor observatory. It will provide data for studying and understanding our world, particularly the deep ocean. By 2008 NEPTUNE Canada had laid an 800 km ring of powered fiber optic cable on the seabed over the northern part of the Juan de Fuca tectonic plate.