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.