A searchable Internet database of seabed samples from the Ocean Basins held at European Institutions Introduction Project Objectives and Methodology Project Partners Partner’s Responsibilities Milestones Time-Schedule Introduction EUROCORE addresses a fundamental problem relating to marine sample data management within Europe and will enable, and streamline, exploitation of an important, existing raw data resource - the very large number of sediment cores collected by, and stored at, European research centres, universities and core repositories. After they have served the primary data requirement for which they were collected, seafloor samples are normally stored in controlled environments for further use. Tens of thousands of marine sediment cores are dispersed in archives throughout Europe, yet it is currently very difficult for end-users of seabed data to find out what seafloor samples have been collected and stored throughout the countries of the European Union. EUROCORE will establish a European core meta-directory on the Internet and a demonstration case for direct access to data sets from the meta-directory level. Within the European Seas, EUROCORE will focus on cores and dredges collected seaward of the continental shelf (>200 m water depth) and those data held at European universities, research institutes and marine stations. However, EUROCORE will collect meta-data on cores taken outside European waters, providing the cores were collected by, and are stored at, European institutions. EUROCORE will contribute core meta-data to an integrated central-access searchable database, maintained on linked servers, together with EUMARSIN. The project will greatly enhance secondary use of this dispersed data resource and will benefit marine scientists throughout Europe and worldwide. Its wide approach and worldwide coverage will enhance the international importance of the database and contribute to increasing Europe's profile in international marine science. The EUROCORE Consortium will also form the nucleus of a Europe-based Core Curators Group who through regular meetings will be able to update the database, both in content and design, solicit end-user needs, discuss common issues in core curation and foster wider collaboration both within Europe and internationally. Objectives OBJECTIVE 1: To establish, and contribute meta-data to a searchable central database of seabed data from European Seas and Ocean Basins held at European Institutions accessible through the World Wide Web (WWW). This work will consists of two elements: Developing, in association with EUMARSIN, a project organisation for defining formats, gathering, digitising, collating, quality controlling and entering of the meta-data descriptions for the cores and samples available. Design, development, implementation and management of a data and information structure to exchange meta-data contributions from partners and to make these available on-line by the World Wide Web as a unified database, in association with EUMARSIN. In order to have an efficient division of labour, the meta data submitted to the EUROCORE/EUMARSIN database by EUROCORE will be distinct and complimentary to that submitted by EUMARSIN. EUROCORE will cover seafloor core data collected: by European Universities, research institutes and marine stations (i.e. by non-commercial institutions). from anywhere in the world ocean, providing the data was collected by, and is held at, an European Institution. seaward of the continental shelf (i.e. from > 200 m water depth) OBJECTIVE 2: To provide a demonstration case for direct access to data sets from the meta-directory level. To demonstrate the options for including 'real' core data and directly accessing these data from the meta-database, using the World Wide Web, a demonstration model will also be developed around a selected subset of core data and related data. The data used will either be already published or in the public domain. OBJECTIVE 3: To establish the nucleus of a Europe-based Core Curators Group to update the database, both in content and design, solicit end-user needs in accessing seabed data, discuss common issues in core curation and foster wider collaboration both within Europe and internationally. Establishment of searchable Internet database of seabed data will require extensive liaison and consultation between core curators within Europe and Geological Surveys. Periodic formal meetings of Europe-based Core Curators will allow discussion of common issues and interests, facility presentations and round table discussions/workshops on curation-related topics, on information needs and strategies for co-operation. Partner’s Responsibilities EUROCORE consists of eight partners, of who seven are either national core repositories or data centres and the eighth is a data management organisation in the private sector. Three of the Partners are also members of the EUMARSIN Consortium (including the Data Management Partner MARIS, responsible for development of Internet tools, and server design and maintenance). The distribution of Partners is balanced, transnational and covers most of the Countries with significant core holdings within the European Union. The Partners will form the nucleus of the Europe-based Core Curators Group and the regular meetings of this body, scheduled during the lifetime of the project will greatly improve cohesion and networking amongst the curatorial community within Europe. The seven Core Repository Partners will compile and collate meta-data from their own holdings and submit these to the central database. They will also gather other bottom sample meta-data held at Universities and other research institutes and marine stations in their respective countries through established national networks and submit these to the database. Data from institutions outside the consortium will be gathered by questionnaires or by proactive data scouting. The German Partner (GEOMAR) will collaborate with the Norwegian university/research sector through a subcontract with the University of Tromsø to involve them in the EUROCORE Project. GEOMAR will also closely collaborate with AWI, through a subcontract, and the SEPAN database to provide a demonstration case for direct access to data sets from the meta-directory level. Milestones Major milestones of the project will be meetings and the compilation and collation of datasets. The main deliverable will be a fully functional searchable database and data dissemination via the World Wide Web. We foresee the timetable for milestones and deliverables as : Year 1 First EUROCORE planning meeting (at start of year) Publication of project and its aims through mailshot to universities, research institutes and marine stations and potential end-users of core data throughout Europe Creation of project WWW pages Creation of Europe-based Curators Email List server Release of manual for formatting, file structure and standards of the meta-data descriptions Compilation and collation of sample data held at EUROCORE Partner institutions following the manual Liaison and networking with core-holding institutions in Partner countries Work begins on database design and functionality Functional specifications report on the meta-database system including query functions Second planning meeting combined with first meeting of the Europe-based Core Curators Group (at end of Year 1) First Annual Report Year 2 Continued compilation and collation of sample data held at EUROCORE Partner institutions Compilation and collation of sample data held at other core holding institutions in Partner and other European countries Testing of database functionality. Mounting of initial meta-database and establishment of Internet access and online feedback forms to solicit user comments on database design through the EUROCORE Web site Third planning meeting combined with second meeting of the Europe-based Core Curators Group (at end of Year 2) Second Annual Report Year 3 Compilation and collation of new sample data held at EUROCORE Partner institutions Continued compilation and collation of sample data held at other core holding institutions in Partner and other European countries Establishment of a fully functioning database, with full Internet access both by geographical and alphanumerical interfaces listing core and other bottom sample meta-data from the ocean basins held at European institutions Arrange mirroring of the database at World Data Centre A, Boulder, Colorado and mirroring of their site for American core data on our database Development of a demonstration model for a small subset of cores to include available supplementary datasets pertaining to cores to illustrate possible development of the database to include additional available data Production of a brochure describing the project and database for wide distribution Fourth planning meeting combined with third meeting of the Europe-based Core Curators Group (at end of Year 3) Final Report In addition to the above Milestones/Deliverables, we will also present the project at the biannual Meeting of the International Core Curators Group to ensure full awareness of the database at an international level. The aims of the project will be presented at the International Core Curators Meeting at the Ocean Drilling Program, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas in October 1998, and a progress report given at the following meeting, probably in the year 2000. Time-Schedule Task NR Partners Involved Description of Task 1998 < -- 1999 -- > < -- 2000 -- > < -- 2001 -- > N / D J / F M / A M / J J / A S / O N / D J / F M / A M / J J / A S / O N / D J / F M / A M / J J / A S / O 1.0 NERC GEOMAR CSIC NITG IGM-PT ICM-IT BRGM Definition of metadata format, structure for collecting and definition of tables for satandardised input of specific details XX XX                                 1.1   Collation and compilation of core metadata within EUROCORE Partner organisation   X XX XX XX XX XX XX XX                   1.2   Collation and compilation of core metadata from participating institutions within EUROCORE Partner’s home country and related countries           X XX XX XX XX XX XX XX XX XX       1.3 NERC GEOMAR CSIC NITG IGM-PT IGM-IT BRGM Central compilation of the core metadata supplied by EUROCORE Partners into a uniform and quality controlled database file     X XX XX XX XX XX XX XX XX XX             1.4 See Task 1.3 Design, development, testing and operation of the central metadata database system, loading of metadata and establishing unrestricted acess to this database by WWW   X XX XX XX XX XX XX XX XX XX XX XX XX XX XX XX XX   1.4.1 Functional specification of metadatabase system   X XX XX                               1.4.2 Software development and testing       X XX XX XX                         1.4.3 Operation of database with unrestricted access by WWB             X XX XX XX XX XX XX XX XX XX XX XX 1.5 See Task 1.3 Desiign, production and operation of EUROCORE Web-site to promote and to disseminate to interested users the aims and progress of the EUROCORE project X XX XX                               1.6   Development of a demonstration model for a small subset of cores to include available supplementary datasets pertaining to the cores to illustrate possible developmet of the database to include additional available data  = by means of metadatabase, further and direct access to Partner,s database with the real data                 X XX XX XX XX XX XX XX XX XX   1.6.1 Functional specifications of demonstration model                 X XX XX XX               1.6.2 Software development and testing                       X XX XX XX         1.6.3 Operation of demonstration model                             X XX XX XX                                           2.1 Incl. MARIS EUROCORE PROJECT MEETINGS nerc           Nitg           Geomar         Csic