The objectives of the meeting were to 1) review GTSPP data flow and operations, 2) report on the status of the XBT BAHY to BUFR migration, 3) revive the GTSPP infrastructure, the terms of reference and composition of the Steering Group of GTSPP, 4) develop a strategic frame work of the next generation of the GTSPP netCDF format revision, 5) report on interaction with other projects, and 6) adopt the work plan for 2012-2013.

The document summarizes meeting discussion points, presentations given by both local participants in Oostende and remote participants via Webex and the GTSPP Steering Group's response to the U.S. National Oceanographic Data Center proposed changes in the GTSPP Continuously Managed Database support. The GTSPP work plan for 2012 – 2013 is shown in Annex III of the meeting report.

The participants planned for the next meeting to be held in the first quarter of 2014.

The report is available HERE

The 22nd Session of the IODE Committee (IODE-XXII)

will be held in Ensenada, Mexico between 11 and 15 March 2013 hosted by the Universidad Autónoma de Baja California, Ensenada. The local host will be Carlos Torres Navarrete.

Practical information for the event will be made available through http://cendo.ens.uabc.mx/XXII_IOC_Ensenada_Mexico.html

The venue of IODE-XXII will bethe "Centro Social, Civico y Cultural Ensenada"(see images above and below). The local host has identified three hotels: two within walking distance of the venue, and one hotel in the marina area about 10 minutes away (by car). Hotel rates will be approx. US$ 65/night-US$ 100 for a single room.

More information is available also (and will be expanded later) through http://www.iode.org/iode22

Mr Ward Appeltans has joined the IOC Project Office for IODE, Oostende on 2 May 2012. At the Office Ward will be responsible for the management of the Ocean Biogeographic Information System (OBIS) as well as for the IODE Ocean Data Portal. 

Mr Ward Appeltans has an MSc in Environmental Biology. He has nearly 10 years of professional experience in marine biological data management. He has been working as a project leader at the data centre of the Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ), where he led data management and communication activities of several EU projects (e.g., MarBEF, PESI, ...). His main area is biogeographic and taxonomic information, being the manager of the European node of the Ocean Biogeographic Information System (EurOBIS) for three years and manager of the World and European Register of Marine Species (WoRMS and ERMS) databases. Ward was also Secretary of the Council of the Society for the Management of Electronic Biodiversity Data (SMEBD).

Let us welcome Ward to the IODE family.

The Government of Flanders decided to continue its support to the IOC Project Office for IODE, Oostende, Belgium for 5 years (1 May 2012 - 31 December 2016). The support will consist of providing physical facilities (office space, training rooms) next to the Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ), 3 full-time staff equivalents as well as not less than €250,000/year for the Office's meeting, training and technical activities.Together with support received from the Flanders-UNESCO Trust Fund for Science (FUST) through the OceanTeacher and Caribbean Marine Atlas projects, Flanders is the largest donor of IODE.

We want to extend our great appreciation to the Government of Flanders for their considerable support that will enable IODE to continue and further develop its activities.

Photo: (left) Dr Wendy Watson-Wright (IOC Executive Secretary) and (right) Dr Jan Mees (VLIZ Director).

Between 9 - 20 April 2012, students from the Erasmus Mundus Masters attended the 'Introduction to Ocean Data Management for Students of the Environment' course, at Algarve University (UAlg) in Faro, Portugal. The course was divided in 2 main parts, the first one being taught by Dr. Tim Deprez (UGent) and the second one by Dr. Murray Brown (IODE/OceanTeacher). The course topics included data sharing, data pathways, metadata standards, legal aspects of data and data policy, marine data format types, data communication, global relief, scalar and vector data, gridded data, coastlines and landmasks, the World Data System, the World Ocean Database and Atlas, file-naming conventions, and ancillary topics on the mechanics of data structure (Part 2). In Part 1 special attention was given to the historical context of biological data management, and on the available spectrum of biological datasets (locations, species, accompanying environmental data, observations, etc.). The 17 participating students belonged to the MSc network 'Erasmus Mundus Masters in Marine Biodiversity and Conservation' group based at Algarve University. This was the first time that an OceanTeacher course took place in Portugal. Given the success of this edition, a new edition will be foreseen for next year. Further information is available at OTA - Ocean Data Management for Students of the Environment.