Network harmonization recommendations. EuroSea Deliverable D3.7.

Abstract

This document proposes recommendations on metadata and information to be associated with marine data from ocean observation networks. The objective is to reach a common basis of metadata and information for any in situ networks that will ease the interoperability and their integration in the various European data integrators such as Copernicus marine, EMODnet or SeaDataNet while being in line with what has been done at international level. Proposed recommendations are built from previous work through projects, different initiatives and thanks to EuroGOOS and the European Ocean Observing System (EOOS). They are, and will need to be, complemented by additional metadata and information specific to the network considered. Each recommendation is associated with a criterion based on the FAIR principles as proposed by the international collective FORCE11. The output table obtained from these proposed basic recommendations is then filled by the different EuroSea in situ networks which highlight similarities and differences and the maturity of the networks. It gives a good overview of the existing metadata and information used by the observation networks for further discussions and improvements.