Developing a National Fisheries Data Exchange Standard

Many agencies and organizations conduct fisheries and aquatic ecology surveys that result in a wealth of data needed by research and management communities. Efforts to justify the need for a fisheries data exchange standard have been made in the past, but the proposed solutions have not been universally endorsed.  Initiated in 2014, we are continuing to support aquatic biological data specialists in developing a national fisheries data exchange standard.  This collaboration has included a preliminary review of methods and protocols currently employed by fisheries data and information managers; the identification of desirable measurements, metrics and indicators; the study of existing data warehouse schema; and the development of options for moving forward with a national scale data exchange initiative. In 2015, we are continuing to seek participation and feedback on phase one of the proposed standard. Results of this work provide a foundation for developing a data exchange standard that could lead to more effective management of our fisheries and aquatic resources.  This session will present the work of the data specialists over the last year and provide an opportunity for the AFS community to engage in the review process of the initial phase of the fisheries data exchange standard.