ASCLME Draft Data and Information Management Plan

Substantial amounts of data collected by government and donor-funded marine scientists around the world are not routinely archived in data centres. Even if published, the original data are irretrievably lost to studies of long-term (environmental) change (SCOR/IODE 2008) over time. This data and information management plan has been developed by the Agulhas and Somali Current Large Marine Ecosystems (ASCLME) Project National Data and Information Coordinators together with the Project Coordination Unit. The purpose of the plan is to ensure that data collected during the duration of the ASCLME project, and thereafter, are not only tracked and monitored to the stage of publication, but that data sets are also archived in national data centres for the ongoing benefit of countries, and to build country ownership of the TDA/SAP process. International best practices and standards for data management will be followed in all cases (eg. JCOMM 2008) as specified in Appendix VI. Together with capacity building interventions, this approach aims to support the goal of sustainable national data archives that countries can use in the support of ecosystem monitoring and management in the long term.

This is a working document which will continue to evolve with the project, while always following the principles for data management as agreed by participating countries.