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IOOS Data Catalog
Introduction
The U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) has begun establishing a Catalog that will help people find ocean data. Our vision is that users will be able to find the information they want, for the location and time period of interest, from all available IOOS partners without having to know in advance what partners operate the actual observing systems and data servers. IOOS partners can include NOAA and other federal agencies, the IOOS Regional Associations, and potentially other national or international organizations.
The first version of the IOOS Data Catalog is now available. The functionality is still somewhat basic, and not every IOOS observing platform is included yet. We welcome comments and problem reports; please send them to ioos.catalog@noaa.gov.
How to Use the Catalog
NOTE: We have found that the Internet Explorer browser is slow to display the Catalog map, and we are investigating. Firefox, Safari and Chrome browsers work well.
Basic Information
The Catalog includes a map showing locations of available data, and options for controlling what is shown on the map. (In the future, there will also be a way to search the catalog using software programs.)
The initial view of the Catalog shows dots where there are measurements at individual locations (in situ stations) and boxes around areas where gridded datasets (from satellites or coastal radars) are available.
Click on a dot or a box outline to display a balloon pop-up that shows basic information about that data source, including the organization operating the data server, the location of the measurements, and the time period (in UTC - Greenwich Time) for which data are available, and recent data values for in situ stations. The balloon also provides links to obtain more data or descriptive information (metadata) about the data source.
Check the box labeled "Cluster platforms" to replace individual dots with colored markers that show the number of stations in that area. As you zoom in the clusters will be subdivided into smaller clusters and then individual stations.
Search by Time
Use the time and date controls if you are only interested in data from a particular period of time.
Search by Variable
Use the Properties menu to only show sources of data for specific observed properties (Water Temperature, Salinity, etc).
Search by Area
To show available data in an area of interest, zoom the map to that area.
You can also use the Regions menu to display only the stations within one of these named regions (more regions coming soon). Named regions are shown as yellow rectangles or polygons.
In addition, you can choose to display only the stations that are within the rectangle of a gridded dataset as follows:
Search by Organization
Use the Servers and Data Providers menus if you only want data from particular organizations.
Search by Product
Sometimes there are several different products available in the same rectangle. For example, the surface currents measured by coastal high-frequency radars (HFR) are available at 1km, 2km and 6km spatial resolution. The Products menu lets you choose among these specific options.
Future Work
The IOOS Catalog is a work in progress. New data sources and features will gradually be added. If you find a problem with the Catalog, or would like to suggest a feature, please email ioos.catalog@noaa.gov. (See below regarding getting your data server added.)
Adding Your Server
The Catalog displays the location of datasets available from IOOS-approved data servers. Every day, the Catalog harvests information from all the known servers to create the current list of data holdings. In order to do this, the Catalog needs to be able to understand how to communicate with the servers. IOOS understands the following standardized service types:
If you are a current or potential IOOS partner offering data about the oceans, coasts or Great Lakes using SOS, DAP, WCS or WMS, please contact ioos.catalog@noaa.gov for further information.
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