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Port-Log Web Display System Upgraded

In a move to provide a more simplified but function-rich user environment, the Port-Log.net and Port-Log System web interface has undergone a full rewrite. The new design utilises modern web standards, a combination of server and client scripts to provide increased functionality and resilience.

Existing and new users now benefit from an interactive status map giving an overview of the performance of sensors within their cluster. What’s more, sensor data is now organised within an intuitive dashboard with tables and interactive graphs, users now have the ability to download raw and processed data directly from the web system. Individual site settings, including quality control and calibration parameters, can now be reviewed and adjusted directly from the web control system. This negates the requirement for users to have direct access to Ocean Database or database manipulation skills which would have been necessary previously.

eLearning Portal Released

Have you ever forgotten something you were told at an expensive training course? We want to fix that! Since the turn of the year we have been working towards releasing an online learning portal that will provide further learning and reference material as well as a place for post-training mentoring.

The eLearning portal will be free for use by anyone who has participated in an OceanWise training course. Key features of the platform include online course notes, discussion groups and forums. As a student you will have your own profile which you can use to connect with people who you met both at the training course and afterwards.

OceanWise attends ICAN and CoastGIS 2015 in South Africa

The 7th International Coastal Atlas Network (ICAN) workshop was hosted by CSIR at Protea Breakwater Lodge Hotel (Business School) in Cape Town on 19-20 April. OceanWise attended as a member of ICAN; a community of organisations who scope and implement data interoperability approaches to coastal web atlases (CWAs). Through its membership, OceanWise also provides UK input into the Caribbean Coastal Atlas Steering Group. Organisations from across the world gathered to share knowledge and best practise in their ambition to further the development and delivery of international CWA projects across the world as important resources for Coastal Zone Management and Marine Spatial Planning. It provided a good opportunity to engage with CWA developers to discuss technical and policy guidelines and to meet with data providers and users to discuss the benefits of data interoperability and using a standards based systems approach to coastal atlas development.
 
The 12th International Symposium for GIS and Computer Cartography for Coastal Zone Management (CoastGIS) entitled “Rich Data, Poor Data: Geospatial Creativity and Innovation for Managing Changing Coastal Systems” was held at the same venue from 22-24 April. It was well attended by over a hundred policy makers and practitioners providing GIS applications in the coastal zone and near shore environment in USA, Canada, Europe, South America and South Africa. Key symposium session themes included Coastal Zone Mapping and Monitoring Systems and Networks for Fauna and the Environment; Vegetation and Habitats; Risk, Vulnerability and Climate Change; Spatial Information Systems for Decision Support, Spatial Planning; LiDAR capture technologies and Innovative Applications of Geospatial Technologies. OceanWise exhibited and presented on its recent delivery of a new Tidal Data Monitoring System to the Port of London plus its wider application of real time Environmental Data Sharing and Publishing services (EDSP) to Ports and Coastal Authorities across the world.

News from our Distributors

MarineFind, the marine brand of Find Mapping Ltd, is pleased to announce the supply of its web based chart services based on OceanWise Raster Charts to a number of additional government and government supported entities. These include CEFAS, the Marine Management Organisation and the SeaFish Authority. These contracts show the continuing demand for web based chart services for non-navigation purposes. MarineFind is unique in being able to provide this service as a fully auditable, secure web feed that both commercial and government clients are rapidly adopting. The Web Chart Services are just one element of the increasing marine web based DaaS being developed by MarineFind. These products are ideal for Desktop GIS based applications or for incorporation into web based applications in support of activities such as fisheries, vessel logistics management, offshore infrastructure security and offshore HSE.

With the withdrawal of the UK Hydrographic Office’s ARCS Skipper Service MarineFind’s Web Chart Service has proven to be the replacement option of choice for many clients. Subscribers can choose between a Web Map Service for individual charts or a pre-built Web Map Tile Service for continuous coverage. OceanWise Marine Themes vector and DEM datasets are also available. All web services are fully OGC compliant.

MarineFind is also announcing a low cost option to support marine NGO’s and Charities who wish to access Marine Raster Charts in support of their activities. This service will provide these entities access to key charts in a web feed at a significantly discounted rate. In order to qualify for this service the NGO/ Charity should provide MarineFind with a public interest statement detailing how the product will be used, and keep it updated on project activities.

OceanWise Data Update

We have now completed our overseas updates for Marine Themes and they will be available from our Distributors shortly. New areas have been added to include South Africa and various UK Overseas Territories. Spending the time reengineering the source navigational data improves both the appearance and the usability of the data in GIS software – no more split features across Chart Boundaries.

In addition we have some exciting new product developments underway for both Raster and Vector data formats – those of you who visited our stand at Ocean Business may have seen some initial previews so watch this space!

OceanWise and GSDI host Coastal and Marine SDI Capacity Building Workshop

In collaboration with the Global Geospatial Data Infrastructure Association (GSDI), OceanWise co-hosted a one-day workshop recently in South Africa on the challenges government, commerce and academia faces in planning or executing data management “best practise” while developing a marine spatial data infrastructure (MSDI). Lively discussions amongst the 30+ attendees using the four pillars of SDI (see figure to left) resulted in a general consensus that, whilst standards are now being widely used in the geospatial world and technology is mature for mainstream and artisan use, data access and sharing continues to be a challenge across nations and organisations.

Consistently, the biggest barrier to success is getting people and organisations to think differently about the way they operate. Data sharing, data access, different working practices and the need for greater education of senior management on the value and benefit of adopting this new approach to geospatial data all need to be addressed.

Maritime Toolbar for Esri ArcMap

OceanWise has now developed its Maritime Toolbar for ArcMap so maritime users on an Esri platform can take advantage of the great functionality previously only available to Cadcorp SIS users.
 
Originally founded as a toolbar for Cadcorp, this new add-in extends the GIS functionality commonly used within the maritime sector to ArcMap version 10.1 and above. The extension includes tools to simplify everyday tasks and improve efficiency, batch tools to automate repetitive or large scale processing tasks, analysis tools to quickly extract information from your data, and raster processing including hill-shading, slope analysis, contouring and raster calculations; all without the need for additional Esri extensions such as 3D / Spatial Analyst. Maritime Toolbar is currently undergoing beta testing at Associated British Ports North West region in Barrow in Furness with hydrographers who frequently work with the data types and processing requirements that Maritime Toolbar provides.

Please contact us if you would like to receive further information or if you would like to join the Beta testing programme.

A Successful Ocean Business 2015 for OceanWise

OceanWise had a prominent presence at Ocean Business 2015 held at the National Oceanography Centre (NOC) in Southampton in mid-April. The event, which attracted 29% more visitors than in 2013, was blessed by good weather, which enhanced the experience for many people. OceanWise’s Environmental Data Sharing and Publishing solutions were showcased on the exhibition floor and at a one-hour workshop attended by over 30 delegates. Particularly well received was OceanWise’s latest Smart Telemetry system and a customer case study where we showed in detail how we delivered a comprehensive tidal monitoring system to a customer in the United Arab Emirates. Business on the exhibition floor was extremely brisk throughout the show with new opportunities identified, collaborative ventures agreed and new distributors signed. As always at these events, it was pleasing to catch up with valued customers, business partners and old friends, as well as making a few new ones.

Peel Ports fully adopt GIS for Charting

Peel Ports Group (Mersey, Medway, and Clydeport) has recently moved its whole Hydrographic Chart Production to a GIS platform. Previously Peel Ports used a number of different packages to upload bathymetric survey data and to create the charts manually, a process that was extremely time consuming. Now, by using a combination of OceanWise’s Maritime Toolbar and Ocean Database, and Cadcorp SIS software, the Hydrographic Team are able to publish survey information within minutes of receiving the approved sorted file.

Peel Ports Group are now taking the initiative forward to implement a GIS strategy for the wider group marine department. This will include an opportunity to develop a comprehensive data improvement programme, enabling the central storage and management of data and in turn support multiple business and operational systems and processes across the group. The OceanWise team has been supporting Peel Ports through this process and passing on its expertise in the use of GIS in the Maritime sector.

Russell Bird, Peel Group Hydrographic and Dredging Manager, explained, “Peel Ports and OceanWise have shared a successful relationship over a number of years to unlock the potential of GIS to the relatively new area of port and harbours. With the group led approach to hydrographic and dredging services, the smooth transition to a GIS charting provision, aided by OceanWise, is another piece of the jigsaw for all department functions to be handled by GIS in the future.”

Marine Data Management Awareness Training Course

If you have yet to book your place on the IMarEST (and SUT supported) one-day Marine Data Management Training Course then it is not too late to do so! This must attend course, delivered by OceanWise, takes place at IMarEST HQ, Aldgate House, 33 Aldgate High Street, London, EC3N 1EN on Wednesday 18th June. The objective for the day is to provide an important introduction to marine data management “best practise” and for attendees to better understand the value and benefit of good data management through its life-cycle in its impact on business in terms of operational effectiveness and efficiencies that can be derived from managing data in a smarter way.
To book contact iMarEST at
events@imarest.org or +44(0)207 382 2702

Political Party Election Pledges to the Marine Space

The Marine Space is making it into front line politics with some parties including their ideas in their manifestos.

The Labour Party, as part of its “Green Plan”, has pledged the creation of the largest marine protection area in the world. Labour will create new ocean reserves around several British Overseas Territories, including the Pitcairn Islands, Ascension Islands and South Georgia, and pledges more Marine Conservation Zones around the UK.

The Conservative manifesto promises to create a “blue belt” of protected areas around the 14 UK Overseas Territories, which include Pitcairn and Ascension, covering in excess of 834,000 sq km of ocean subject to local support and environmental need. The coalition also has already pledged to complete a network of Marine Protected Areas in British waters.

New Marine Protected Areas will mean a need for local data collection, and subsequent storage and dissemination. This is where OceanWise’s expertise, capacity building courses and software in marine data management and publishing, working with the International Coastal Atlas Network, for example, will prove essential, so the recent conferences and developments as highlighted above couldn’t be more timely!

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© OceanWise 2015. OceanWise Limited is an independent company specialising in marine environmental data acquisition, management, publishing and GIS. Registered in England No. 07206926