Sea Mammal Research Unit (SMRU)

BODC's role

BODC is a national facility and the designated marine data centre for the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) and has established a reputation for being at the forefront of marine data management. It has developed numerous in-house tools and technologies, such as visualisation and QC software (Edserplo), robust and flexible file formats (QXF), a Relational Database Management System (RDMS), and a parameter usage vocabulary consisting of more than 20,000 physical, chemical, biological and geological parameters. In addition, BODC is an active partner in national and international projects whose objectives are to further and promote marine data management.

As part of a coordinated approach to marine science, and because of the growing realisation of the importance of data management within the scientific and wider community, BODC and SMRU have entered into a laboratory liaison programme. The BODC Laboratory Liaison Officer (LLO) for SMRU is responsible for

• identifying SMRU data sets and images for long-term archive and stewardship at BODC
• loading these data to our databases
• standardising the metadata so that it can be readily understood and be compliant with NERC’s data and information discovery and delivery systems
• making SMRU data available to a wider audience in accordance with the NERC Data Policy and appropriate legislation and Government guidance
• delivering real-time temperature and salinity profile data from seal tags to the GTS for incorporation into Met Office models

In order to achieve these requirements, the SMRU LLO works closely with the research scientists at SMRU.

Related SMRU liaison pages at BODC

Related external links