Once the data has been
collected, analysed and utilised for the
purpose for which it was collected it needs to be
archived. There are several Data Archive Centres
(DACs) around the country, established under MEDIN, who aim to
provide a
digital repository for a wide variety of data
types and store it for future use. MEDIN, in addition,
plans to provide a discovery metadata portal to enable users to
search for datasets, including those held by the DACs.
JNCC is a significant user of and contributor to MEDIN. As
data is coming from many different collectors using many different
techniques, it is essential to
standardise the data
collation process thus ensuring comparability of all
datasets. JNCC has been highly involved in orchestrating
data standards, particularly with regard to
Marine Recorder,
MESH,
the
National Biodiversity Network and
DASSH (Data Archive of Seabed and
Sediment Habitats). The potential of these DACs lies in their
ability to
provide data at a limited cost and thus
enable survey planners to maximise future work by
avoiding
data collection repetition.