Upgrading the Malta marine data management system to SeaDataNet requirements

Abstract

Marine data can only be useful as much as it is locatable, easily accessible and shared with users. In 2003, following its mission as a national océanographie data centre for the Maltese Islands, the Physical Oceanography Unit, established within the IOI-Malta Operational Centre of the University ofMalta, launched the Malta Blue Pages. This is an internet-based national directory system that provides detailed descriptions on existing ocean and coastal marine data holdings. The Malta Blue pages additionally provides an inventory on local marine-related projects, rendering such initiatives more visible as well as making derived results and findings known to a wide range of end-users. Besides the searchable databases, the Malta Blue Pages also offers a user friendly online interface for the browsing and selection of data from a 2-degree square domain around the Maltese Islands.