Oceans of Data to Harvest:
2008 Maine Fishermen's Forum
February 29, 2008
Rockport, Maine
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Did you ever stop to consider just how much information is being collected on the Gulf of Maine Ecosystem? Do you ever ask if someone, somewhere is studying something that might answer your questions about the fisheries or the ocean environment in the Gulf? Those who attended the 2008 Maine Fishermen's Forum had a chance to hear about the wide range of fisheries and oceanographic data collected by fishermen and scientists in our region and how we all can tap in and take advantage of it.
The “Oceans of Data to Harvest” session on Friday February 29, organized by the Northeast Consortium, had talks and discussion about the Gulf of Maine Ocean Data Partnership and the Gulf of Maine Mapping Initiative and research programs that fall within those two umbrella organizations.
The session began with an overview of the Gulf of Maine Ocean Data Partnership by Lew Incze of the University of Southern Maine. Dr. Incze is an oceanographer and research professor whose research team is a member of the Partnership. The Partnership formed a little over three years ago to promote and coordinate the sharing, linking, electronic dissemination, and use of data on the Gulf of Maine region. Through a coordinated, international effort, the Partnership enables people to discover and put to use the vast and growing quantities of data being collected. It is advancing integration of ocean observing systems, an understanding of the diversity and distribution of sea-life, and integrated oceans management.
Talks were given about several Ocean Data Partnership member projects and programs, including the Northeast Consortium Fisheries and Oceans Data Management System, the eMOLT project, the PULSE project, the Census of Marine Life, and the Gulf of Maine Ocean Observing System.
Sara Ellis, Program Coordinator of the Gulf of Maine Mapping Initiative gave an overview of the Initiative's activities in our region. The Initiative formed in 2002 as an international, regional partnership of government and nongovernment organizations to conduct comprehensive seafloor imaging, mapping, and biological and geological surveys in the Gulf of Maine. A talk was given by one Gulf of Maine Mapping Initiative member programs, the UNH/NOAA Joint Hydrographic Center.
Anyone who is interested in finding out about data being collected in the Gulf of Maine and how research programs are working in coordination with each other are encouraged to contact either the Gulf of Maine Ocean Data Partnership or the Gulf of Maine Mapping Initiative.
“Oceans of Data to Harvest” 2008 Maine Fishermen's Forum, Friday February 29, 2008 1:00 – 4:30 pm
Forum Board Contact: Paul Anderson, Maine Sea Grant Session Host: Chris Glass, Northeast Consortium Session Moderator: Rachel Feeney, Northeast Consortium
Session A: 1:00 – 2:30 pm Chris Glass, Northeast Consortium Session A Introduction
Lew Incze, University of Southern Maine The Gulf of Maine Ocean Data Partnership : Getting data providers to act in a coordinated way
Sara Ellis, Gulf of Maine Mapping Initiative The Gulf of Maine Mapping Initiative : Regional collaboration in support of fisheries
Mashkoor Malik, UNH/NOAA Joint Hydrographic Center Tools, Methods and Applications of Ocean Floor Mapping: Examples from the western Gulf of Maine .
Open Discussion
Session B: 2:45 – 4:30 pm Chris Glass, Northeast Consortium Session B Introduction
Bob Groman, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution The Northeast Consortium Data Management System: Showing the data
Jim Manning, NOAA Fisheries Northeast Fisheries Science Center Erin Pelletier, Gulf of Maine Lobster Foundation Elliot Thomas, F/V Tiffany T The Environmental Monitors on Lobster Traps (eMOLT) Project
Jeff Runge, University of Maine/Gulf of Maine Research Institute The PULSE Project: Results of a cooperative partnership for coastal ocean monitoring in the western Gulf of Maine
Lew Incze, University of Southern Maine The Census of Marine Life: Getting biodiversity and fish distributions on the map
Riley Young Morse, Gulf of Maine Ocean Observing System GoMOOS : Delivering information to solve problems, predict events and better understand the Gulf of Maine
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