Abstract
For more than 50 years, Sea Grant has established collaborative relationships across the United States, linking science to application. Recently, the Gulf of Mexico Sea Grant Science Outreach Team, the National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), and the Northern Gulf Institute (NGI) partnered to expand the use of long-term records of coastal and oceanographic data that support environmental prediction, scientific analyses, and formulation of public policy. NCEI is a leading authority for environmental information; their data stewardship maximizes NOAA’s investment in environmental research, converting scientific insights into dynamic, usable information that inform strategy and decision making in government, academia, and the private sector. The audience will learn about the Deep Sea Coral Data Portal created for NOAA Fisheries’ Deep Sea Coral Research and Technology Program (DSCRTP) by NCEI. This Portal provides access to deep sea coral and sponge data, images, and technical reports from research funded by DSCRTP and its partners. Users of the Portal’s digital map can search, discover, and download datasets from the National Deep-Sea Corals and Sponges Database. The map also features a custom search interface with filters for taxonomy, region, time frame, and depth range, and includes model overlays that project coral and sponge habitat suitability and population level projection for different locations and regions. Nearly 5 years after its initial launch, the Portal is set to undergo a rebuild. Members of NCEI, DSCRTP, and Sea Grant are seeking feedback on the utility, usability, and future needs for the Portal and its underlying databases.
