Information Management 



tional marine resource and engineering development activities, as projected 

 for the next ten years. The first phase was designed to: 



— review and analyze the findings of related studies of data manage- 

 ment, such as the feasibility study on a national buoy system ; 

 — assess customer requirements for marine data; 

 — survey the relevant literature on storage, retrieval, and reduction of 



marine data; 

 — collate the plans of selected agencies for the development of improved 



oceanographic data handling capabilities; 

 — develop a detailed plan for the second phase. 

 An interagency advisory group and a panel of consultants — representing 

 Government and industry — were established to evaluate both Federal and 

 non-Federal requirements and to monitor the study. 



The first phase determining the specific scope and structure of the study 

 is now complete. Interviews by the contractor study team were held with 

 representatives of 28 Federal agencies and departments and with representa- 

 tives of the scientific, educational, and industrial community throughout 

 the country. 



The nature of future data requirements to be considered in developing 

 recommendations for a national marine data program were found to be : 

 — broader geographical coverage; 

 — increased synoptic data collection ; 



— greater use of instruments which record several parameters concur- 

 rently; 

 — increased integration of marine and meteorological data collection 



and analysis; 

 — stronger emphasis on multi-agency and multi-national cooperative 



survey programs ; 

 — greater use of expendable instruments to facilitate shipboard 



measurements ; 

 — increased volumes and diversity of data collected; 

 — greater need for standards and quality control to facilitate multi- 

 organizational collection and exchange of data; 

 — steps to handle perishable data resulting from an increase in synoptic 



data use; and 

 — recognized need for space-time correlation, not only for marine data 

 but combinations of marine and meteorological data. 

 The study will proceed in 1968 into its second phase, to identify and fore- 

 cast data requirements ; to delineate a national data program, with a transi- 

 tion plan to attain coordination of existing marine data and information 

 service functions; and to determine cost estimates for the principal com- 

 ponents and competitive alternatives. The study will include recommenda- 

 tions on data management improvement for the Federal agencies and 



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