Federated Marine Spatial Data Infrastructure Pilot: Data Integration at the Land-Sea Interface - Call for Participation (CFP)
Version 1.0 - 30 September 2024
- Federated Marine Spatial Data Infrastructure Pilot: Data Integration at the Land-Sea Interface - Call for Participation (CFP)
- 1. Introduction
- 2. Background
- 3. Objectives
- 4. Benefits to the stakeholder community
- 5. Benefits to participants
- 6. Master Schedule
- 7. Participation
- 8. Technical Objectives
- 9. OGC COSI Program Initiatives
- Appendix A: Pilot Organization and Execution
- Appendix B: Proposal Submission
- Appendix C: Abbreviations
- Appendix D: Corrigenda & Clarifications
1. Introduction
Where the sea meets the land, data, relationships and modeling concepts from two communities collide. Nevertheless, many scenarios require seamless, reliable and consistent integration of data and data analysis from both sides. Different approaches in environmental, terrestrial, meteorological, and marine agencies, for example in scaling or temporal and spatial aggregation, combined with uneven data density and spatial coverage, lead to inter-agency interoperability issues in the intertidal zone, often referred to as the “white band” or “white ribbon”. The OGC FMSDI pilot initiative tackles these challenges with two leading questions:
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What needs to be captured and defined in best practices so that inter-agency interoperability for white ribbon data can be ensured in the future?
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How can existing data sets be integrated dynamically, i.e. at runtime with minimal information loss across land-sea, sea-land boundaries?
While the first question results in a framework for a future best practice document, the second part will produce software demonstrators that illustrate data integration across communities and agencies.
2. Background
The intertidal zone, also known as the inner tidal zone or littoral zone, is defined in hydrography as the shoreline area exposed to air at low tide and submerged at high tide. The zone experiences constant changes due to tides, sea level rise, waves, weather conditions, and many other aspects, such as erosion, sedimentation, and biological and human activity, such as port construction. Behind the inter-tidal zone lies the coastal zone, which is particularly important as a living and economic area or as a habitat for special animal and plant communities influenced by marine conditions.
The coastal zone plays a crucial role in urban and regional planning, economic development, environmental science, coastal management, and other disciplines, each with its distinct worldview. This worldview manifests itself in conceptual models used daily in application models. In these models, the sea is primarily viewed from a land perspective. Turning the perspective around, further conceptual and application models emerge that are in use in the marine community. Both model approaches have a fundamental right to exist. However, harmonization is complex because both are based on different principles and priorities. The discussions around continuous datums illustrate the complex situation for data modelers and integration projects. In the end, however, they only make up a small, albeit essential, part of the challenges of integrating data across both communities. Other aspects include data density, spatial coverage of the data (or lack thereof), data sampling methods, linked quality models, or used terminology.
This pilot, therefore, does not attempt to harmonize the perspectives of the land community with the perspective of the marine community. Instead, the pilot explores mechanisms for transferring the data of the other community into one’s conceptual model with as little loss as possible and making it available at the application level.
This pilot will produce demonstrator applications that illustrate possible approaches for data conflation at the intertidal zone. These demonstrators will help working towards an international best practice for data integration at national or even continental scale. These best practices will go beyond the creation of spatially consistent topographic data, though what exactly needs to be defined in the best practices is a key task of this pilot.
The initiative is sponsored by OGC Strategic Members the UK Hydrographic Office (UKHO) and the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
3. Objectives
The pilot project aims to develop best practices for transforming data typically used by the land community into the conceptual and application models of the marine community and vice versa. Accurate elevation data that works for both communities describing the height and shape of the coastline is just one important piece of the data integration challenge. The goal is to achieve a holistic approach that addresses the inter-agency data interoperability challenges and different temporal and spatial coverages.
3.1. Land-Sea Data Integration
Building on a real-world application scenario, this pilot will specifically discuss and, where possible, illustrate through practical demonstrations the following issues:
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Semantic understanding of object models (feature types) from data samples coming from different agencies.
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Availability of feature-type catalogs and their use for dynamic mapping and transformation between data samples from the land and marine communities
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Analysis of the usability of data beyond the actual data characteristics. Aspects such as the quality of the data, the quality and execution of the data collection, the spatial and temporal resolution of the data, scaling and aggregation approaches, are considered.
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How to create a spatially consistent, interoperable data at scale for the white ribbon?
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What international best practices exist in countries, e.g., in Indonesia, Singapore, the UK, Australia, USA, or Canada?
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What building blocks in the sense of OGC Building Blocks must be defined to make cross-domain data integration and usage smooth?
The pilot project will develop a proof-of-concept design that accomplishes cross-community/agency data integration. The following figure illustrates this process.
The data sets made available in this pilot represent the modeling specific to the respective domain. These data sets are first examined in terms of their expressive power. If there is not enough information to transform the data "as is" into the respective other model, then semantic uplifting is carried out first. In this process, the data is enriched with the necessary information to clearly define the feature types and their respective characteristics (i.e., their permitted value ranges).
This is followed by the respective transformation into the target model, which follows mapping rules to be defined in advance. As a result, the original marine data is now represented following the land community modeling standards and vice versa. In the final step, the transformed data is examined in relation to further integration parameters. These include, for example, the regulations and quality models applied for data creation, the temporal and spatial resolution, etc. All experiments and lessons learned will result in a Best Practice document that describes how data from both domains can be best integrated.
All efforts will specifically explore developing and using modern geospatial standards frameworks, such as OGC Web API standards, to facilitate oceanographic geospatial data integration using OGC Building Blocks. Work will evaluate whether existing modern standards frameworks are sufficient to support all requirements related to geospatial data integration and use. If current standards approaches are determined not to be sufficient, the project will outline recommended standards-development activities.
The project scenario will be agreed upon with all sponsors during the Call for Participation development process during the first phase of the project. A UK-based case study will be included in the pilot.
3.2. Best Practices for International Sea-Land Data Integration
If we imagine Best Practices for the modeling of data with support for both the land and the sea perspective, how would this Best Practice look like? What needs to be part of such a Best Practice that applies to the national and international level, where we talk about thousands of kilometers of coastlines? This second part of the OGC FMSDI pilot addresses these aspects. By evaluating current practices in several countries, e.g., UK, Indonesia, Canada, USA, Australia, or Singapore, participants will be made aware of the particular problems of modeling, data acquisition, analysis, and visualization within the intertidal zone. This pilot will identify the essential elements that could lead to a best practice document that sets international standards in the future. The following list contains only initial ideas and is neither complete nor intended to be fully supported. It merely provides a starting point and helps to understand the complexity of such a best practice document.
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Understanding the Intertidal Environment
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Tidal Cycles and Ranges: Study the local tidal patterns, including spring-neap cycles, tidal range, and variability to understand how they affect data collection and modeling.
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Hydrodynamic Processes: Account for wave action, currents, and sediment transport that affect the morphology of the intertidal zone.
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Temporal Dynamics: Consider the rapid and frequent changes in the environment between high and low tides, requiring both temporal and spatial awareness in data collection.
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Geospatial Data Acquisition
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Survey Methods: Select appropriate survey techniques (e.g., LiDAR, sonar, UAVs, GNSS surveys) based on resolution needs and environmental conditions.
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Timing and Frequency: Time data collection appropriately with tidal cycles, ensuring repeat surveys capture different tidal states (high tide, low tide).
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Accuracy and Precision: Use high-precision equipment and correct for tidal variations to maintain positional accuracy.
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Metadata Documentation: Record detailed metadata, including time of collection, tidal state, equipment used, and environmental conditions.
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Data Modeling
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Vertical and Dynamic Datum Selection: Establish a consistent vertical datum for all data to ensure comparability, but account for tidal and sea-level changes and vertical movements such as land subsidence or uplift
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Coordinate Reference Systems (CRS): Use consistent CRS for all datasets and consider transformations if integrating with other geospatial data.
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Temporal Models: Include temporal components in models to represent dynamic changes in the tidal zone.
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Resolution and Scale: Choose appropriate spatial resolution and scale for the models to represent features accurately without losing critical details.
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Data Integration and Standardization
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Multisource Data Integration: Develop methods for integrating data from multiple sources (e.g., satellite, in-situ sensors, hydrographic data).
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Data Interoperability: Use open standards and data formats (e.g., Open Geospatial Consortium standards, but others as well) to facilitate data exchange and reuse.
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Quality Control and Validation: Establish protocols for data quality control, validation, and consistency checks.
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Analysis and Visualization Techniques
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3D and Temporal Visualization: Use 3D visualization tools and animations to communicate complex intertidal changes and topographic features over time.
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3D and Temporal Analysis: Use 3D modeling and time-series analysis to represent intertidal zone topography and changes over time.
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Visualization Tools: Employ visualization tools to communicate spatial and temporal patterns effectively, including sea-level rise projections and habitat mapping.
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Environmental and Regulatory Considerations
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Ecological Sensitivity: Assess and minimize the impact of data collection on local ecosystems (e.g., shorebirds, marine flora).
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Permitting and Legal Compliance: Ensure compliance with local, regional, and international regulations for coastal and tidal zone management.
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Climate Change Impact: Consider the influence of climate change on tidal zone dynamics, including sea-level rise, storm surges, and habitat changes.
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Stakeholder Engagement and Use Cases
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Stakeholder Requirements: Engage with local stakeholders, researchers, and governmental bodies to understand the use cases and applications (e.g., coastal defense, habitat conservation, urban planning).
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Best Practice Dissemination: Develop materials (e.g., guides, standards documents, workshops) to share best practices with practitioners and stakeholders.
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Data Management and Security
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Data Storage and Access: Implement robust systems for data storage, access, and backup, considering secure and efficient retrieval methods.
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Data Sharing Policies: Define clear policies on data sharing, ownership, and licensing, ensuring data is available for collaborative work and protected where necessary.
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Technology and Tools
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Software and Tools Selection: Use suitable geospatial software and tools for data processing, modeling, and visualization, ensuring they support tidal zone complexities.
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Automation and Workflow Optimization: Utilize automation where possible (e.g., for repetitive processing tasks) to improve efficiency and reduce errors in data handling.
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By considering these elements, you will be able to establish a comprehensive and robust best practice for geospatial data handling within the tidal zone, tailored to its unique and dynamic characteristics.
4. Benefits to the stakeholder community
The outcomes of this Pilot initiative will benefit not only its Sponsors and direct Participants, but also the broader stakeholder community through:
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Creating a shared forum for technical experts, domain experts, and users of geospatial data and systems in the context of coastal zones.
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Building an integrated source of information on key technologies, standards, and data critical for land-sea interface data conflation or integration challenges.
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Providing insights into where the geospatial data and infrastructure needs land and sea stakeholders intersect and diverge.
5. Benefits to participants
This initiative provides an outstanding opportunity to connect with stakeholders across the land-sea interface. It allows participants to engage with the latest research on geospatial system design, concept development, and rapid prototyping with organizations (Sponsors & Participants) across the globe. The initiative provides a business opportunity for stakeholders to mutually define, refine, and evolve service interfaces and protocols in the context of hands-on experience and feedback. This Pilot initiative will contribute towards an open, multi-level infrastructure that integrates different perspectives, data models, and data modeling principles that have been grown over several decades. It will contribute to the technology and governance stack that enables the integration of data, including historical observations, real-time sensing data, (re-) analyses, forecasts, and future projections. It addresses data-to-decision pipelines, data analysis, and representation of data for different communities. These building blocks will enable multi-stakeholder decision-making and create public benefits in a changing natural environment.
Pilot Sponsors are supporting this vision with cost-sharing funds to partially offset the costs associated with developing, engineering, and demonstrating these outcomes. This offers selected Participants a unique opportunity to recoup some of their initiative expenses. OGC COSI Program Participants benefit from:
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Access to funded research & development
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Reduced development costs, risks, and lead-time of new products or solutions
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Close relationships with potential customers
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First-to-market competitive advantage on the latest geospatial innovations
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Influence on the development of global solutions and standards
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Partnership opportunities within our community of experts
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Broader market reach via the recognition that OGC standards bring
6. Master Schedule
The following table details the major Initiative milestones and events for the FMSDI Pilot. Dates are subject to change.
Milestones | Date | Description |
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02 October 2024 |
Public Release: Call for Participation |
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20 October 2024 |
Questions due for Bidders Q&A Webinar |
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22 October 2024 |
Bidders Q&A Webinar 9:00 AM EDT |
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10 November 2024 |
Proposals Due at 23:59 US Eastern Time Zone |
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26 November 2024 |
Virtual Kick-off workshop |
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31 January 2025 |
Initial results website/report due |
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18 March 2025 |
Virtual demonstration meeting and final draft results website/report |
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31 March 2025 |
Pilot report submitted for evaluation by OGC working group |
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31 March 2025 |
End of the initiative |
During the pilot, weekly check-ins will be held for participants to discuss progress, highlight challenges, and share views on key issues using video-conferences. Participants will contribute to the pilot’s final report by providing quick comments after each meeting, capturing discussion and lessons learned, which will complement the technical outcomes included in the report.
7. Participation
7.1. Who can participate
The OGC welcomes proposals to participate in its initiatives from organizations and individuals active in developing, managing, and using geospatial data, technologies, and systems. Proposers may be active in industry, government (national, regional, local), research, non-profit, community, or other sectors. Past participants have included providers of services and platforms, modelers, end users of platforms and data, researchers, and other stakeholders in relevant domains.
You do not need to be a member of the Open Geospatial Consortium to propose to participate. However, if your organization’s proposal is selected, you or your organization must become an OGC member if you are not already one. This ensures all participants have equal access to the tools and documentation developed and shared throughout the project phase.
7.2. How to participate
The initiative is designed to enable interested organizations to participate in various ways. Every organization is invited to submit a proposal for the work items and deliverables defined in this Call for Participation, but other forms of participation also exist. These range from simple involvement in the co-design process without resources other than the participants' time, providing funding, in-kind contributions, paid services, or providing resources such as data sets or access to infrastructure. Mechanisms for engagement include:
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Provide technical expertise: Commit staff time to the Pilot to attend meetings regularly, develop data and software components, test and evaluate implementations, or produce documentation. Actively participate in workshops and co-design exercises to contribute your perspective on how tools should be designed and what would meet your needs as a user. Add your perspective as a technical or domain expert by providing feedback on the design and implementation of the architecture.
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Provide a use case: Share a real-world case study that can inform the development of the demonstrator applications. Sample use cases may be provided when you make your proposal, with the expectation that these will be refined in consultation with other pilot team members.
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Provide data or tools: Contribute existing data, platforms, research, or other resources (e.g., models, digital infrastructure components) to support the Pilot.
8. Technical Objectives
This section identifies the technical objectives of the initiative and the corresponding activities and deliverables. All deliverables are identified by the identifier Dxxx, with "xxx" being a three-digit number. If an identifier occurs multiple times, this work item will be assigned multiple times.
It is expected that proposals to achieve these technical objectives will build on and refer to the OGC standards baseline, i.e., the complete set of member-approved Abstract Specifications, Standards including Profiles and Extensions, and Community Standards, where relevant.
The following graphic illustrates all work items of this initiative. Cost-share funding is available for all items.