Ocean ecosystem dynamics encompasses a broad array of disciplines that seek to increase our understanding of the interplay between the physical, biological, and chemical processes in the ocean. Ocean ecosystem dynamics studies include ocean productivity, population dynamics, biogeography, and biogeochemistry. It is an interdisciplinary science that produces highly diverse data types that pose unique challenges for data management, integration, and analysis. The goal of this workshop is to surface requirements in this important ocean science arena for a major new NSF data and knowledge management initiative (i.e., EarthCube) that is dedicated to revolutionizing geoscience by providing easy access to, discovery of, and visualization of data from across the geo- and environmental sciences. This workshop will bring together ~50 ocean water column scientists to identify science drivers in the next 15 years in the ocean ecosystem dynamics field and inform the EarthCube process about the data and cyberinfrastructure needs of the associated scientific community. Issues of different scales in time and space of both data and modeling efforts will be discussed in reference to oceans, coastal waters, and the Great Lakes. The workshop will also include cyber/computer science experts; and together workshop participants will collectively define future science goals and focus on identifying the most critical, widespread, cyberinfrastructure and data management issues and problems holding back scientific advances in the area of ocean ecosystem dynamics. Workshop participants will also discuss needs in software and visualization that are needed to better understand and model both present and new data. Broader impacts of the work include building infrastructure for science by identifying needs that will help to shape the final form of EarthCube cyberinfrastructure, support of two PIs whose gender is under-represented in the sciences and engineering, and engagement of early career scientists. A virtual component of the workshop will be held to help broaden participation beyond those present on-site.
Ocean ecosystem dynamics research encompasses a broad array of disciplines, making it an interdisciplinary science by nature, producing highly diverse data types that pose unique challenges for management, integration, and analysis. Discovery, access, and synthesis of high quality data from various disciplines are crucial to this domain. However, there is a current lack in ability to discover and integrate interdisciplinary data that is now widely acknowledged as a major impediment to progress in all geosciences. In response, the National Science Foundation initiated EarthCube, an effort to create a community-driven knowledge management system and infrastructure that will address information challenges by integrating all geosciences data in an open, transparent and inclusive manner. This project conducted an EarthCube End-User GEO domain workshop focusing on water column ecosystem dynamics, including ocean productivity, population dynamics, biogeography, and biogeochemistry. The objectives of the workshop were to 1) to determine and inform EarthCube of the science drivers, and data and cyberinfrastrucature needs of this community in order to enhance research in ocean ecosystem dynamics; and 2) to educate and engage oceanographic scientists, data managers, and cyber scientists to EarthCube’s vision and goals. The workshop was an essential step in the development of the scientific cyberinfrastructure required to better understand the complexity of our changing Earth systems. Through the workshop final report and executive summary, this project provided crucial information to the EarthCube effort on the science challenges and cyber-related needs of the oceanographic ecosystem community. These results combined with those of other EC End-User workshops are informing NSF of geoscience challenges and current research barriers, thereby contributing to development of the cyberinfrastructure needed to enable scientists to manage and use data of their own while making them more widely available to other domains and communities. Additionally, remaining workshop participant funds supported travel for seven key NSF community members to EarthCube-related events, allowing them to explore synergies and leverage existing efforts, thereby strengthening their contribution and benefit to EarthCube. Because these individuals are also members of the ocean ecosystem sciences domain, travel support was complementary to, and extended the work produced during the workshop. All selected individuals have subsequently increased their engagement in EarthCube, including participation in EarthCube Governance Teams, Standing Committees and Working Groups. This project has also created awareness and engagement of a previously under-represented oceanographic community with the EarthCube initiative and in the process, increased understanding and shared vision of success for EarthCube that will facilitate interdisciplinary research in the geosciences. Additionally, the workshop promulgated and reinforced the cultural paradigm of data sharing and data management, and provided opportunity for early career professionals to engage with senior scientists on domain-specific and interdisciplinary challenges facing scientific research now and in the near future.
