NSF EarthCube Workshop for Shipboard Ocean Time Series Data Meeting Report

Abstract

Prior to the OceanObs’19 Meeting, the Ocean Carbon and Biogeochemistry (OCB) Project Office planned and hosted an NSF EarthCube Workshop focused on shipboard ocean time series data (https://www.us-ocb.org/earthcube-workshop-ocean-time-series-data/). Data synthesis and modeling efforts across ocean time series represent important and necessary steps forward in broadening our view of a changing ocean, and maximizing the return on our continued investment in these programs. Despite the scientific insights and technology advances of the past couple of decades, significant barriers remain that hinder important synthesis work across time series. This workshop convened 37 participants, including seagoing oceanographers, data managers, and experts in data science and informatics. The goal of the workshop was to identify key ocean time series data challenges related to access and discoverability, metadata reporting, interoperability across databases, and broadening users; and developing recommendations to address those challenges. The workshop adopted the FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable; Wilkinson et al., 2016) Guiding Principles to frame these issues, and included presentations on existing data models and use of controlled vocabularies, guidelines and frameworks for conducting data synthesis and establishing community best practices, and existing and planned ocean time series data products.