The CADIC and the CENPAT are represented at the Argentine Ocean Data Portal

The Ministry of Science, Technology and Productive Innovation presented the Ocean Data Portal that will provide access to the groups of marine information produced by the centres attached to the National Ocean Data System of Argentina (SNDM), with the objective of improving marine research, exploitation and development and satisfying the needs of data users and information producers.

The presentation was in charge of the secretary of Scientific and Technological Articulation of the Ministry, Alejandro Ceccatto, who stated that “this portal not only provides visibility to the scientific investigation generated by different institutions but also preserves it from technological and political changes”. Besides, he added that “to share the knowledge of years of work in this way is not easy; and this shows trust in the policies designed by this Ministry”. The event was attended by Sergio Matheos, undersecretary for Institutional Coordination, and Alejandro Mentaberry, executive coordinator of the Scientific and Technological Cabinet.

The Portal is the result of three years of dedication, in the framework of the Big Instruments and Database Programme and it has eight centres attached: Austral Centre for Scientific Research (CADIC), the Patagonian National Research Centre (CENPAT), the National Oceanographic Data Centre of the Argentine Navy Hydrographic Service (CEADO-SHN), National Commission of Spatial Activities (CONAE), the Photobiology Station Playa Unión (EFPU), Argentine Antarctic Institute, Argentine Institute of Oceanography (IADO), and, the National Institute for Fisheries Research and Development (INIDEP)

The SNDM uses the Ocean Data Portal as a tool to visualize information from the Argentine centres that produce different types of marine data: satellite, geologic, bathymetric, physico-chemical, geophysical, and biological. The Portal was developed by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) of the International Oceanographic Data and Information Exchange (IODE) Programme.

Up to the moment, the Portal has a number of 34 marine data collections that include bathymetric, physico-chemical, meteorological, and satellite information. Technical assistance and training for the Ministry of Science and the institutional nodes were provided by the IODE Russian nodes of Collaborating Centres directed by Sergey Belov, who organized the central conference of the meeting.

The National Ocean Data System is available and could be used by all the community. Click here to visit the Portal.