Herring data and information portal for Prince William Sound, Alaska: 2007-2009

This project has developed a web-based data portal and consolidated, documented, and entered data sets, metadata, and other electronic resources into that web portal. The efforts of this project have resulted in a considerable increase in available historic time series data regarding herring ecosystem dynamics in Prince William Sound. The web portal provides public access to information, data and GIS visualizations. Scientist and researchers can use the web portal as a resource to assist in consolidating, accessing and synthesizing herring data. This project has also developed an ArcPad application for collecting herring aerial survey data directly into a GIS format. Also produced by this project are a set of technical Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for efficiently ingesting, managing and serving ecological datasets in an open, scalable and standardized way. These SOPs were developed in the last phase of this effort and also document the technical architecture of system implementation. The project was conceived during an EVOS-sponsored workshop in April 2006 that was tasked to identify Prince William Sound herring data gaps and develop restoration or research projects to help herring recovery. Participants indicated that knowledge of the spatial and temporal aspects of herring related data sets (e.g., herring spawn) was necessary to understand how restoration activities might affect herring abundance trajectories. This project has improved data quality and provided easier access and visualization of selected herring data sets and other electronic resources.

EVOSTC project 090822 was originally a one year pilot project (070822) that began in spring 2007 and was extended for the 2008 and 2009 fiscal years. Work performed in 2008 is associated with EVOSTC project number 080822. Steve Moffitt, Alaska Department of Fish & Game Division of Commercial Fisheries, was the PI for the project during 2007 and 2008. In 2009 the PI responsibility was transferred to Rob Bochenek of Axiom Consulting & Design. This project suffered a serious impediment during 2008 when Jim Vansant, lead ADF&G data salvage technician, was killed in a construction accident.

The data can be found at the AOOS Data Resources page, http://www.aoos.org/aoos-data-resources/ under "Prince William Sound Herring Portal".

A zip file Containing the GIS shapefiles, xml files, and databases used to create the herring data portal is also attached.