FAIR Data Teams: Rapid access to climate measurements by rethinking workflows

In this presentation, we will discuss the procedures and utilities employed that produced the final core data (CTDO, nutrients, salinity, and oxygen). These datasets were published within 4 weeks of the conclusion of the cruise, much quicker than the program's 6-week requirement for preliminary data, and significantly faster than the 6-month final data requirement.

The Global Ocean Ship-based Hydrographic Investigations Program (GO-SHIP) “provides approximately decadal resolution of the changes in inventories of heat, freshwater, carbon, oxygen, nutrients, and transient tracers, covering the ocean basins from coast to coast and full depth (top to bottom), with global measurements of the highest required accuracy to detect these changes.”

The Oceanographic Data Facility at Scripps Institution of Oceanography has been making the CTDO, salinity, oxygen, and nutrient measurements since the program's inception for some of the US lead GO-SHIP expeditions. This group internally shares personnel with the corresponding data repository (CCHDO). This collaboration allows the technicians to proactively develop tools and data formats that are both compliant for data submission as well as easy to utilize at sea. Mature versions of these utilities and procedures were promoted in both 1-on-1 conversations and interactive demonstrations.

The most recent set of measurements made by the US GO-SHIP program was in the Atlantic ocean last year (March-May 2021). Taking advantage of existing close collaborations within the shipboard environment, we were able to ensure measurements were documented while the expedition was still in progress, ensuring that data formats were consistent and conforming to the program's required formats. A full metadata package for the global/cross-cruise database, in addition to mature preliminary files, was ready at the conclusion of the expedition. The close relationship between the seagoing team and the data managers in the repository has allowed for the accelerated publication of finalized measurements through sharing of software, metadata databases, and expertise.