Archbold Biological Station in south central Florida is awarded a grant to enhance its computer network to expand data integration, enhance research collaboration, and improve student training. Archbold is an independent research, education, and conservation organization with a 73-year history of long-term ecological research. A multimedia server with Adobe Creative Cloud will improve image archiving and cataloguing to enable searches of Archbold's impressive archive of images and videos, so they can be accessible to researchers, educators, conservationists, and the public. Archbold maintains a database for seamless data management and online data access; a new server will speed up access to searchable environmental and research data, providing growing room for inevitable future demands on data storage. A new Virtual Private Network will allow secure offsite access to the network for remote users such as research collaborators and students, and for staff when traveling or working from home. A large archive server will house static media like orthophotos in a repository. Finally the Station will move to an enhanced disk-based backup to increase the efficiency of backups and improve security and disaster recovery.
The network enhancements will enhance Archbold's ability to work collaboratively among staff science teams and outside researchers and students, enabling new synthesis and fermenting new ideas. The enhancements will further interactions with scientists at more than 50 universities and research institutions currently working with Archbold, including important research networks that Archbold is a member of such as the Global Lakes Ecological Observatory Network GLEON and the newly-formed USDA Long-Term Agro-ecosystem Research Network. Students being trained at Archbold, mostly graduates from universities around North America in the Station's post-baccalaureate program, will integrate more closely into home institutions and with large science teams. Research collaborations meeting at the Station's conference facilities will experience better support to enable science interactions.
Archbold's extensive education, outreach, and conservation programs will benefit directly from the enhanced infrastructure. Education programs disseminate Archbold science directly to the public, involving thousands of students annually (K-Gray) in the process of science. Improved access to collections of videos and imagery will be vital to the many creative teams working with Archbold to enhance science communication. This will also help build the programs (Arts-Science Alliance) that attract artists and photographers. Public visitors to the Station's Learning Center learn about on-site research via high quality interpretive signage and many public events. The award will enhance the web site providing a richer focus on information and education materials. Overall this award to improve IT capacity will have wide-ranging impact on Archbold's substantial education, outreach, and conservation programs. For further information about Archbold, please visit the website at www.archbold-station.org.
