COVERAGE: Next generation data service infrastructure for a digitally integrated ocean observing system in support of marine science ecosystem management

Ocean science and decision support applications increasingly rely on the synergistic, interdisciplinary use of multivariate data from distributed agency repositories. While more available, the growing variety and volume of ocean observing data combined with the heterogeneous modalities of access continue to pose a challenge to broadscale uptake. This limits the effective utilization of costly investments in sustained ocean observation by an increasing diversity of user communities with a need for such environmental information on the oceans for the assessment of climate change and other ecosystem impacts. Leveraging an advanced cloud technology stack and ongoing multi-agency pilot effort being spearheaded by NASA, the CEOS Ocean Variables Enabling Research and Applications for GEO (COVERAGE) initiative seeks to collaboratively develop the next generation data service infrastructure for a more digitally integrated ocean observing system in support of marine science and ecosystem-based management. In particular, we envisage the implementation of a data services layer a top of existing agency repositories to provide more harmonized access to satellite, in-situ, and model data across a fragmented ocean data landscape with a set of value-added services that include integrated data search, visualization and analytics. Here we outline the motivation and importance of this effort plus efforts thus far towards the collective implementation of this ambitious vision.

海洋科学与决策支持应用愈发依赖对分布式机构存储库中多变量数据的协同跨学科利用。尽管海洋观测数据的可获取性不断提升，但其种类与体量持续增长，加之访问方式异构性显著，仍对其大规模推广应用构成挑战。这一现状限制了日益多元化的用户群体对长期海洋观测高成本投入成果的有效利用——这些用户亟需海洋环境信息以评估气候变化及其他生态系统影响。由美国国家航空航天局（National Aeronautics and Space Administration, NASA）牵头推进的先进云技术栈与多机构试点项目，CEOS海洋变量赋能GEO研究与应用（CEOS Ocean Variables Enabling Research and Applications for GEO, COVERAGE）计划，旨在协同构建下一代数据服务基础设施，打造更具数字化整合性的海洋观测系统，以支撑海洋科学研究与基于生态系统的管理工作。具体而言，本计划拟在现有机构存储库之上搭建数据服务层，以在碎片化的海洋数据格局中，为卫星、原位（in-situ）观测与模式数据提供更统一的访问渠道，并配套集成数据检索、可视化与分析等增值服务。本文概述了该计划的动因与重要意义，以及截至目前为协同实现这一宏伟愿景所开展的各项工作。