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SUBJECTS
Science Information By:
The Marine Environmental Data Services was established in 1968 to coordinate the processing and archival of physical oceanographic data, with the amalgamation of three organizational units: the Canadian Oceanographic Data Centre, the Tides and Water Levels Section of the Canadian Hydrographic Service, and the Canadian Wave Climate Study. Data management, archival and dissemination of physical oceanographic data and data products on national and international scales is still a key component of MEDS mandate, however it has since been broadened to include chemical and biological oceanography.
The Canadian primary area of interest is 35 to 90 degrees North latitude and 40 to 180 degrees West longitude but for some specialized data types and programmes the area of interest is global. Real-time, near real-time or historical data are made available as appropriate.
Physical, chemical and biological data collected by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans are today managed by a distributed system of archive centres within DFO. Policy, standards, and responsibilities are developed by a National Data Management Committee (NDM) chaired by MEDS with members from all DFO regions that collect the data. The NDM was formed in 1997 to provide advice on the scientific data management issues, and to develop and implement short and long-term goals for data management for the Science Sector of DFO. The working group was also mandated to coordinate and standardize processing, archival, and access procedures and policies for these data. MEDS and the regional centres thus provide coordinated data, data products and services to the marine community.
