Marine Data Archive

The Marine Data Archive is a new web application developed by VLIZ. The purpose is to offer scientists, scientific research groups or project participants the possibility to archive and share their data files with a selected group of people. The MDA makes it possible to store data files in a fully documented way, including all necessary metadata (data about the data files).Why archive your data using the MDA?- Availability: whenever and wherever you like via the internet- Integrity: store the raw and processed data, incl. the program used to process the raw data- BackupEach file in the MDA is stored with metadata describing the data file. This documentation guarantees that the data in the files can be interpreted correctly. The required documentation is dependent on the particular data type ADCP; Meteo data; Image tracking set; botic trawl data), but generally includes information on:- what (biological, chemical, publication, photos)- conditions of use- objectivesThe MDA provides you with three workspaces:- private workspace: files and metadata are only accessible by yourself- public workspace: files and metadata in this workspace are accessible (at least 'read only' access rights) to everyone who has access to the MDA- shared workspace: files and data shared within a scientific research group, project,…So, depending on your personal profile and the folder and workspace you are working in, the type of access rights can be 'read only', 'write' or 'admin'. This means the user can respectively access, edit or administrate the files and metadata

Simple online access to marine survey data using the IMERS web interface

IMERS (or Integrated Marine Environmental Readings and Samples), the data system used at VLIZ for storing marine survey data, is in continuous growth. In the previous year, some important progress was made in the realisation of online access to the data that is stored in the data system. With the development of a web interface for the IMERS database users now have the ability to query the database through the internet and to export the retrieved data in various common formats. The interface that was set up consists out of three main parts. First, there is a querying interface that allows people to build and submit their queries based on various criteria like, parameter, temporal scope, geographical scope and taxonomy. Secondly, there is a results page displaying the results or readings retrieved from the database. Finally, there is a webpage dedicated to the details of each of the readings. On the results page, some export functionalities are provided, allowing the user to extract the data from the database in a desired format and to draw maps of the relevant stations

Upgrading the OMES database: online access to OMES monitoring data using the IMERS web interface

The OMES collection is a database that holds a huge amount of measurement data on stations along the Zeeschelde and Westerschelde. The data collection consists in three main types of data: historical data (1904-1991) derived from literature, more recent data (1995-2007) generated during the OMES monitoring campaigns and some additional data from incidental measurements in the same study area. The measurements vary from water quality and suspended matter to biological data.The OMES project started in 1995 and is a multidisciplinary study on the estuarine environment of the Belgian part of the Scheldt. The main aim of OMES is to create a tool for the Flemish government that can be used as scientific support for the policy on water management of the Scheldt Estuary.In the summer of 2007 the OMES data collection has been integrated as a separate context in the IMERS data system. The Flanders Marine Institute is now responsible for centralizing and management of the newly gathered OMES data and for redistributing the data towards the OMES partners and extern users.The user that is interested in access to and use of the data is presented with a web interface on the OMES website that allows querying the database based on specific search criteria. Search criteria include parameters measured and taxonomic, spatial and temporal scope. The user can visualize the resulting data in tables and export the data to The whole dataset is made available to the project partners on the restricted pages of the OMES website: http://www.vliz.be/projects/omes

An inventory for lateral input into the Sea Scheldt

By order of the Waterways and Maritime Affairs Administration, division Sea Scheldt, the Flanders Marine Institute developes a database containing information regarding the lateral input into the Sea Scheldt. Water quality and quantity data of tributaries, industrial discharges and input trough locks are gathered and compiled into a cohesive database. The parameters included are flow, biochemical oxygen demand, total suspended matter, Kjehldahl N, nitrate and nitrite, ammonium and oxygen concentration. By determination of the XY-coordinates for the different discharge locations, the data is linked to Arcview and can be visualized by making selections on a GIS-map. Easy access to the contained information is assured by the possibility of making selections on different levels: for every company, nature of discharge, time and place a query for water quality and water quantity data can be made. The aim is to provide a well-structured inventory of discharge data that is needed for ecological modelling purposes. The database is made structurally compatible with the OMES-database in which it will be incorporated

ScheldeMonitor, het online informatiesysteem rond onderzoek en monitoring van het Schelde estuarium = ScheldeMonitor, the online information system on research and monitoring of the Scheldt estuary

The Scheldt estuary has been, and still is, the object of study in numerous fundamental and more applied scientific studies. Quasi-continuously the Scheldt estuary is monitored for all sorts of different parameters providing scientists and policy makers with the necessary data to base their conclusions and decisions. In the framework of long-term planning of the Scheldt estuary, which is a cooperation between Flanders and The Netherlands, the need was detected for an information system that gathers and gives access to all the information on the performed research and monitoring of the estuary on both sides of the border. The “Administratie Waterwegen en Zeewezen (AWZ)” for the Flanders region and “Rijkswaterstaat - Rijksinstituut voor Kust en Zee” for the Netherlands have assigned the Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ) the task to set up this information system.Since the launch of the website in april 2004, the ScheldeMonitor is now an online accessible information system for research and monitoring information regarding the Scheldt estuary. There is already a considerable amount of information in the database is gradually increasing. Based on the content, the available information has been classified into different contextual themes. The themes defined in ScheldeMonitor are: system characteristics, safety, shipping, waterway, nature, environmental quality, fish and fisheries, public administration and law, methods and techniques, social-economical system. Technically, the ScheldeMonitor was set up as a subset of the IMIS database. Using the IMIS system and its built-in possibility of assigning records to a predefined context, an information system equal to IMIS but containing information specific for the Scheldt estuary was realized. Like the IMIS system, the ScheldeMonitor presents its information in different modules, that are separately accessible for the user, but are closely interconnected and integrated. At the moment there are 6 information modules in the system: Persons, Institutes, Projects, Publications, Datasets, Conferences. Choosing for one of these modules, the information system tells the user who the main players are (Persons, Institutes), what projects are being carried out (Projects), what products are delivered (Publications, Datasets) and what events are being organised (Conferences). For each of the modules, the advanced search facilities ensure an efficient retrieval of the required information.The ScheldeMonitor website can be visited on following urls: http://www.scheldemonitor.be, http://www.scheldemonitor.nl or http://www.scheldemonitor.org