The European sediment core archive - problems of access and proposed solutions
Rothwell, R.G.; Gunn, D.E. (1998). The European sediment core archive - problems of access and proposed solutions, in: Bohle-Carbonell, M. (Ed.) Marine science and technology programme: experiences in project data management. pp. 61-72
In: Bohle-Carbonell, M. (Ed.) (1998). Marine science and technology programme: experiences in project data management. Office for Official Publications of the European Communities: Luxembourg. ISBN 92-828-2887-5. xii, 349 pp., more
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| Authors | | Top |
- Rothwell, R.G.
- Gunn, D.E.
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| Abstract |
Many thousands of bottom samples (cores, dredges and grabs) have been collected from European waters by national, international and EU-sponsored cruises. These data are stored at a large number of locations dispersed throughout the countries of the European Union and provide a legacy of continuing scientific usefulness and importance. Secondary use of bottom samples is currently seriously impeded by lack of knowledge of what cores are available and where they are stored. Establishment of a central searchable database, accessible through the Internet, listing the metadata of bottom samples held at repositories and institutions throughout Europe would provide a time-efficient and cost-effective method of accessing the European core archive, which is currently an underexploited, and, in some cases, dormant data resource. Such a database could provide considerable potential savings in time and money within the European Union and would benefit scientists and students throughout the EU and worldwide. Agreement within Europe on standard procedures, conventions and formats for the description, and graphic logging, of sediment cores would also promote their use by third parties, maximising the scientific return on core collection. Currently liaison between European core curators is limited, and European curatorial facilities are under-represented on the International Core Curators Group. The formal establishment of a European Core Curators Group would provide effective liaison and consultation between curatorial facilities on issues of interest and have a number of benefits to the marine science community. It would promote quality assurance and the establishment of agreed protocols and standardisation of procedures, where practical, for core description, logging and sample curation throughout Europe; provide liaison to continuously update any central database; foster specialist logging technology and know-how transfer between European Countries and further integrate pan-European scientific research. |
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