Shore stations program data capture and analytics platform: an integrated information system for capturing and sharing oceanographic data collected from shore stations throughout California
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Authors
Ali, Salman
Canon, Terrie
Foo, Jong-Neng
Schaedig, Arlyn
Zhang, Weiying
Issue Date
2013
Type
Thesis
Language
en
Keywords
Management information system
Alternative Title
Abstract
CoastLine Enterprises has engaged in a project with the Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO) to assist in improving the Shore Stations Program that involves the data capture, storage, and analysis of oceanographic data on the western coast of the United States. The historical value and the resulting analysis capabilities of this program are unique and incomparable due to uninterrupted data collection records dating back to 1916. These records are of great importance to the scientific community as well as local fisheries, because they provide a better understanding of oceanographic trends and how they affect marine life. Furthermore, the unique method of data collection that has been in place for close to a century plays a significant role in the viability of the scientific analysis.
Currently, the data that are collected at the ten active stations is recorded daily on a paper data sheet. These records are mailed in once a month to SIO, where they are then hand validated to check for accuracy before being stored in separate Excel spreadsheets for each station. Once this process is complete, the data is published in this raw fein to a ftp site for interested parties to view and download. Typically the whoie process from data collection to publishing takes approximately two to three months to complete. Although there is a strong desire to improve the data storage and analysis process, the lack of sufficient funding has been the primary obstacle hampering any progress on this front.
After the preliminary meeting with the sponsor, the CoastLine Enterprises team proposed a solution to improve the data storage and analytics of the current system, which included the development and implementation of a database for the Shore Stations Program. To validate the initial project scope assumption, a follow-up interview was conducted with the sponsor. The follow-up interview resulted in an expanded project scope to include development of a front end interface and also a website. At this stage, the scope of the project was finalized to include three components: a database, an interface, and a website. Finally, based on the project scope and the resulting requirements, CoastLine Enterprises designed, developed, and implemented a Data Capture and Analytics Platform (DCAP).
This platform would facilitate the Shore Stations Program’s collection and storage of oceanographic data including sea surface temperature, bottom temperature, salinity measurements, and other supplemental data. The new system provides a database for the storage and querying of historic and current data, an integrated front end interface for the validation, analysis and viewing of the data from the database, and a website for on-site data entry as well as sharing the results of data analytics.
Through the utilization of this DCAP, it is expected that the Scripps Institution of Oceanography will benefit greatly from the streamlined interface, the centralized database, and also the mobile-enabled website. The new DCAP solution is a major improvement compared to the Shore Stations Program’s current system and should result in improved data storage, analysis, and retrieval in a much more timely fashion, with data availability expected to be reduced to between one day and one week, depending on the frequency of updates.