Data Products and Services
Geological and geophysical data are used not only for research and education. An understanding of the nature of the seabed is an important factor for sustainable environmental management by regional, national and international governments and governmental bodies within the countries adjacent to the Regional European Seas (EU and non-EU seas), involved in management, policy and administration. The seabed and the coastal zone are the focus of many oceanographic, biological and sedimentary processes. Interactions between these processes are complex, and require knowledge of marine ecosystems, seafloor resources and pathways of pollutants. Seabed data support forecasting the impacts of anthropogenic factors, such as, pollution in the marine ecosystem. The datasets are also of direct relevance to the study of global climate change and natural hazards.
In addition, many economic activities require high-quality data and data products. For example, the marine-dredging industries require data for sustainable exploitation of marine mineral resources; beach re-nourishment, land reclamation and coastal defence projects require knowledge of the sub-surface distribution of sediments suitable for redistribution; the pipeline and cable industries require seismic and sidescan sonar data for more-economic selection of pipeline and cable routes in desk studies; the offshore hydrocarbon industry requires knowledge of the seabed and sub-seabed for exploration, and geotechnical site investigation for drilling, platform installation, hazard assessment and environmental protection. The requirement for information on the shelf seas is particularly important, as the geology is more varied than in the ocean, and the zone is used for so many varied purposes.
In consultation with representatives of these user communities, Geo-Seas defines and develops a number of standard data products and viewing services, building on the services of SeaDataNet and, wherever possible, in crossfertilisation with the on-going One-Geology Europe and EMODNET Geology projects. Furthermore the provision of new cross-border (national) and cross-sector (multi-disciplinary) products and viewing services will be evaluated. Possibilities are thematic seabed maps, digital terrain models, data analysis and data visualisation.
The consultation is performed by Geo-Seas partners CIRIA, MUMM, EU-Consult and CEFAS, that are involved in COST Action 638 - Investigating and managing the impacts of marine sand and gravel extraction and use -, involving governments and marine stakeholders (marine industries, fisheries, marine environmental institutes), and the Interreg IIIB MESH project, focusing on marine habitat mapping. Other Geo-Seas partners will bring in their networks of users.
The synthesis of responses and opinions will result in a list of user requirements and potential ideas for standards, data products and viewing services. A distinction will be made in geological and geophysical products and viewing services.
Possible areas of interest include:
- Viewing services via the internet for seabed maps and acoustic imagery
- Viewing services via the internet for geological logs
- Viewing services via the internet for seismic reflection data and analyses
- Establishing standard mapping of essential fish habitats
- Establishing standard seabed habitat mapping
- Establish standard resource mapping
OGC standards are adopted for the distribution and viewing services. These comprise Web Map Services (WMS), Web Feature Services (WFS) and Web Coverage Services (WCS). These will support the quick viewing and visualization of data sets and data products.