Funds are provided for the proper handling of BEST (Bering Sea Ecosystem Study) data from initial field collection, through quality control, and into an archive. This is essential for the success of such a multidisciplinary effort. Data management support for the full lifecycle of this project will enhance the ability of the investigators to analyze and integrate their data and serve to preserve this unique information in the long-term. The Bering Sea Integrated Ecosystem Research Program (BSIERP) is a collaborating project sponsored by the North Pacific Research Board. It is critical for data from both projects to be integrated to meet common key scientific goals. Each of the two programs will have a separate data management support component, but it will be important for the two groups to work together to provide full and easy access to all project datasets. This award is intended to provide primary data management support for the BEST project. The work, though, will be coordinated with BSIERP data managers to help assure broad access to the complete dataset. The PIs propose to provide continuing data management services for the next 4 years of the BEST project. These services will include field catalog support aboard each cruise and data archiving of all project data. This proposal, together with work that was begun in support of the first year of BEST, will help unify all data management tools and services throughout the BEST campaign. The PIs will work toward an integrated archive that provides full access to the wealth of data collected from BEST and BSIERP.
The PIs will support the needs of BEST through the following tasks: 1) They will provide an on-line field catalog onboard the USCGC Healy during each BEST cruise to allow scientists accessibility to, perusal of, and contribution of preliminary data and analyses, as well as documentation of project activities. After each cruise is completed, the field catalog will be re-installed at the PIs' BEST website for accessibility by the scientific community. 2) They will continue support for the BEST archive by expanding it beyond the 2007 datasets to include new datasets from the recently funded NSF PIs. This will result in a total of 4 years of field data collection that will be supported. They will stage all final datasets and accompanying metadata to the appropriate long-term archive. 3) They will work with BSIERP data managers to develop linkages between the BEST and BSIERP archives.
