Coastal and Ocean Data Management: Best Practices and Training for Non-Governmental Organizations

COINAtlantic has seen that there is a range in capacity for and knowledge of data management practices within non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and that there is growing recognition of the importance of data management to achieve shared goals and a desire for training to increase in-house capacity. We have just launched a project in response to this need! The goal of this project is to empower non-governmental organizations (e.g., community groups, ENGOs, industry associations, etc.) that carry out projects in marine and coastal environments in the Bay of Fundy, Scotian Shelf and the adjacent coastal areas of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick with a best practices guide and training to increase organizational data management capacity. A survey will be circulated shortly to gather insights about data management capacity and interests to make sure the best practices guide and training responds to the needs of the NGO community.

Data management is a process that includes acquiring, validating, storing, protecting, and processing data to ensure accessibility and reliability for data users. For example, your organization may collect water quality data to assess the efficacy of harbour clean-up efforts or conduct seabird surveys to help evaluate the ecological health of marine and coastal areas. The data that organizations create is a valuable resource that supports action and change through evidence-based decision making. Data management can help mitigate the risk that data is lost and can support data sharing so that the value of your data is fully maximized over the short and long term.

COINAtlantic is working with the Clean Foundation on this project and we thank the Department of Fisheries and Oceans for their financial support. If you are interested in receiving the survey or information about the best practices guide and training, please contact us at coinatlantic@dal.ca.