252 • Marine Minerals: Exploring Our New Ocean Frontier 



Photo credit: Ted Spiegel 



Banks of disk-drive units retrieve and store information at USGS headquarters In Reston, Virginia. 



to superimpose many kinds of features, e.g., site- 

 specific mineral samples on bathymetric maps that 

 include information about the physical and chem- 

 ical properties of an area. Aggregation of such dis- 

 parate data sets makes EEZ data management par- 

 ticularly difficult. 



Missing components in the current EEZ data 

 programs are interagency/intergovernmental ap- 

 proaches, regional databases/datacenters, and pri- 

 vate-public cooperatives. Activities that require at- 

 tention include acquisition of wider ranges of data 

 sets, preparation of comprehensive inventories of 

 public domain data sets, quality control of exist- 

 ing data sets, and reformatting data sets so that they 

 can be integrated for interdisciplinary research. An 

 inventory of available data is needed along with an 

 assessment of its adequacy. 



Organiza tion 



The nucleus for a comprehensive data manage- 

 ment system exists. A joint USGS/NOAA Office 

 for Research and Mapping in the Exclusive Eco- 

 nomic Zone'' is being created to coordinate the 

 plans and activities of these two major government 

 agencies concerned with the EEZ and to provide 

 a focus for activities of other government agencies 

 and private academic and industrial institutions.'^ 

 Many interagency agreements exist that provide 

 for and/or encourage the transfer of geophysical and 



"Charter to be released in 1987. 



"One of the functions of this office will be to "develop a 10-year 

 National EEZ plan to include goals, priorities, resources, and 

 short/long term strategies." An annual report will be made to Con- 

 gress outlining yearly activities, significant results, and recommen- 

 dations. 



