Data Management
GLOS represents the Great Lakes in a global community that establishes technology standards to improve data management and exchange. Learn more about What We Do.
Great Lakes Testbed
Data for water resources managers to make decisions from the whole Great Lakes Basin, not just that from one nation, is critical. The Great Lakes Testbed is establishing protocols for integrating measurements of chemical, physical, and biological parameters on both sides of the border in the Great Lakes Basin. The Testbed, a bi-national effort, was launched in 2009 as a response to a US-Canada Group on Earth Observations workshop that called for demonstrations to determine what is needed to promote the convergence of observation networks, systems and sensors across international borders. Under the leadership of USGS and Environment Canada, the Great Lakes partnership includes representatives from many U.S. and Canadian agencies that have a role in the collection and exchange of information on the physical, chemical, and biological characteristic of the Great Lakes. As the Great Lakes Regional Association of the U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS), GLOS is developing the data management and communications framework for the Testbed.
The Great Lakes Testbed partners serve to advance the numerous existing efforts to exchange and integrate data across the region. This support can come as staff time, data, information sharing, coordination, or other resources as available. When appropriate, the Testbed will direct data to a data portal or facilitate the development of relevant data management services and applications by utilizing the infrastructure already available through GLOS. Currently, Testbed partners are prioritizing activities and developing timelines for contributing data to GLOS.
• The group decided to investigate the potential for data interoperable activities in four focus areas in the Great Lakes Basin: 1) Ice cover, 2) Water levels, 3) Groundwater, and 4) Beaches.
• Background information was compiled to assess the needs and feasibility of bi-national data integration for each focus area to facilitate data exchange using protocols established by GEOSS.
• As a Regional Association of IOOS, GLOS has the operational framework and resources in place to help implement the strategies identified by the Testbed. For this reason, the Testbed will support data management activities though GLOS, such as the GLOS Data Catalog, as a means for contributing Great Lakes information to the GEOSS portal.
The Great Lakes Testbed meets semi-regularly, usually quarterly via teleconference. The Testbed is seeking participation from interested parties who would like to help develop goals, objectives, and strategies for establishing bi-national, comprehensive and integrated measurements for the Great Lakes.
For more information, contact Kelli Paige at kpaige@glos.us
To subscribe to the group email listserv visit: http://mailman.great-lakes.net/mailman/listinfo/geo-gltestbed
