The archivist

I'd like to talk about one step in the scientific process that usually goes unnoticed: data archival. Most scientific grants come with an obligation to archive data, especially if those data were collected using public funds. The idea is that science funded with taxpayer dollars through a federal agency should be accessible to the public. Archival also allows other scientists to go back and re-analyze old data in time-series studies or meta-analyses. Databases are becoming more and more important for the scientific community. 

There are a number of different public archives, each with its own purpose. For example, genetic and molecular biology data are housed in the database GenBank, which is maintained by the National Institutes of Health. Oceanographic and biological data are archived through the Biological and Chemical Oceanography Data Management Office (BCO-DMO), which is actually located at my home institution, WHOI. Seafloor bathymetry data are archived in the National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), and that's who I'm working with right now. 

You might recall that as part of the Stellwagen project over the past 2 years, my team collaborators and I collected multibeam and side-scan sonar data from Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary. The goal of this operation was to locate undiscovered shipwreck sites, but in the process, we also created high-resolution maps of the seafloor. After some initial conversations with NCEI, the Office of Coast Survey asked permission to use our data to help refine seafloor maps in the sanctuary, and I was happy to allow it. Our data are truly multi-purpose!

It's pretty satisfying to be able to contribute to the national effort of mapping the seafloor. I'm grateful to the NCEI and OCS staff for aiding that process and excited to see where our data can go!