Roy Sonenshein | USGS Science

USGS2004

South Florida Information Access (SOFIA) metadata for the U.S. Geological Survey Greater Everglades place-based studies

Beginning in 1995 the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) funded scientific research to support the restoration of the Greater Everglades area and to supply decision makers and resource mangers with sound data on which to base their actions. However, none of the research and resulting data is useful if it can?t be discovered, can?t be assessed for utility in an application, can?t be accessed, or is in an undetermined format. The decision was made early in the USGS Place-Based Studies (PBS) program to create a ?one-stop? entry for information and data about USGS research results. To facilitate the discovery process some mechanism was needed to allow standardized queries about data. The FGDC metadata standard has been used to document the South Florida PBS data from the beginning.

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USGS1996

South Florida Ecosystem Program database development

Purpose The South Florida Ecosystem Restoration Program is an intergovernmental effort to reestablish and maintain the ecosystem of south Florida. One element of the restoration effort is the development of a firm scientific basis for resource decision making. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is one of the agencies that provides scientific information as part of the South Florida Ecosystem Program (SFEP). The program, which was begun in fiscal year 1995, provides multidisciplinary hydrologic, cartographic, geologic, and biologic data that relate to the mainland of south Florida, the Florida Bay, and the Florida Keys and Reef ecosystems. A database with established transfer formats, definitions, and spatial registration greatly promotes dissemination of scientific data and information in a cost-effective manner. Shared databases may help elevate the quality and quantity of available information. By acquiring data from the database, individual users can certify and evaluate data. With appropriate management oversight, this generally leads to improved consistency and increased reliability in the database.

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