Northern Gulf Institute

Ecosystem Data Assembly Center

Website Instructions

June 2008

Prepared by:Radiance Technologies

S. Mitchell, C. Carleton

Overview

The National Coastal Data Development Center, Mississippi State University, National Marine Fisheries Service, Naval Research Laboratory, Naval Oceanographic Office and Radiance Technologies have established the Ecosystems Data Assembly Center in support of the Northern Gulf Institute. The EDAC, working in conjunction with the NGI, is developing the IT infrastructure and data sets whereby ecosystem observations and data collected in the Gulf will be made available for the purpose of defining the unique physical, biological, and chemical characteristics of the Gulf of Mexico Regional Ecosystem.

The EDAC currently operates two computer servers on the MSU network at Stennis Space Center in Southern Mississippi. Within the EDAC, a fully operational and robust OPeNDAP server capability provides access to data sets previously unavailable to the general public. This capability allows the EDAC to access and download NRL REASoN - MODIS, NAVOCEANO MODAS and NCOM data for public use.

Data can be accessed by OPeNDAP users, GIS professionals and the general public. The OPeNDAP system is being used by scientists and other coastal zone professionals requiring access to the native imagery and products. GIS shapefile data are available for direct download via HTML link, with sample PDF maps provided for contextual visualization. Google Earth KML files are also provided for select data sets allowing users to quickly visualize imagery / products and select areas of interest to potentially download via the OPeNDAP or GIS access. The Google Earth component also provides access for non technical coastal zone professionals and the general public.

User Operations

The URL for the website is http://edac.northerngulfinstitute.org/ . This link leads to an NGI introduction page for the EDAC.

Enter EDAC website by clicking on the ECOSYSTEM DATA ASSEMBLY CENTER link.

• Chose one of these four subcategories:OPeNDAP server, Gulf of Mexico Fisheries Site, Sub-aquatic Vegetation Site, or Watersheds

• A menu bar located at the top will allow access to each of these subcategories at all times. You can also go back to the NGI introduction page by clicking home when on the EDAC main page.

NOAA Cooperative Institute OPeNDAP server:

OPeNDAP allows a simple access to remote data over the internet using familiar data analysis and visualization clients. (URL link to OPeNDAP informationhttp: //www.opendap.org/faq/whatIsDods.html)

How to Access Each Data Set

Intra-Americas Sea NCOM

Naval Research Laboratory's NCOM data contains physical oceanographic data on currents, salinity, sea surface height, mixed layer depth, maximum density gradient and temperature for the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean at a higher resolution.

• Opening the browse data will allow you to view information through the year directory. Now chose the month directory and then the day of which you would like to receive dataset information. Chose a date and then chose information for CSST (Sea Surface Temperature ), MDG (Maximum Density Gradient ), MID (Mix Layer Depth ), S3D (Salinity in three dimensional ), SSH (Sea Surface Height ), T3D (Temperature in three dimensional ), U3D (Eastward (+) / Westward (-) Velocity in three dimensions ), V3d (North (+) / South (-) Velocity in three dimensions ). Click the File information and a URL prefix will be available. There is also an 'OPeNDAP Direct' link. (Tip: This link is not for use in a web browser.) To use it, right-click on it and select the "copy link location" or "copy shortcut" option on the pop-up menu, then paste the result into your OPeNDAP client's URL input.

• Listed on the information web page you can access a data access form page by selecting "OPeNDAP data access form" to obtain ASCII and Binary data object codes. Also Global Attributes and Variables are available.

• A standard description of the data types and structures can be found by clicking the "OPeNDAP data description" link.

• By clicking the "OPeNDAP attribute data" link, all the attribute data for the file as well as all of its content variables are available.

• A brief summary is given on the information web page but this is not full discrete information.

MODIS Level 3

MODIS Level 3 Data is data for the Gulf of Mexico and the Mississippi Bight that contains numerous types of data about the ocean including both physical and biological data from which true color images have been made available at 250 meter resolution for the Mississippi Bight and a level 3 for the Gulf of Mexico.

• Click the Gulf of Mexico or the Mississippi Bight to access dataset information for the year / month / date or the past two days information. Click the File information and a URL prefix will be available. (Tip: This link is not for use in a web browser.) To use it, right-click on it and select the "copy link location" or "copy shortcut" option on the pop-up menu, then paste the result into your OPeNDAP client's URL input.

• Listed on the information web page you can access a data access form page by selecting "OPeNDAP data access form" to obtain ASCII and Binary data object codes. Also Global Attributes and Variables are available.

• A standard description of the data types and structures can be found by clicking the "OPeNDAP data description".

• By clicking the "OPeNDAP attribute data" link , all the attribute data for the file as well as all of its content variables are available.

• A brief summary is given on the information web page but this is not full discrete information.

• A gallery of the latest satellite image in true color is available under the True Color Image page. KML formats for each image are also available for access in Goggle Earth. There are subdirectories listed at the bottom to retrieve images from past year.

• The latest up to date MODIS map is available by clicking View a map of the latest MODIS true color images. There are selectable features to the right of the map that will allow you to turn different MODIS models on and off.

MODIS Level 4 Blended

This data contains detailed analysis of ocean water including both physical and biological data based on inputs from MODIS Aqua, MODIS Terra, and AVHRR satellites.

• Click the Browse the data to access dataset information for the year / month / date the blended data information. Click the File information and a URL prefix will be available. (Tip: This link is not for use in a web browser.) To use it, right-click on it and select the "copy link location" or "copy shortcut" option on the pop-up menu, then paste the result into your OPeNDAP client's URL input.

• Listed on the information web page you can access a data access form page by selecting " OPeNDAP data access form" to obtain ASCII and Binary data object codes. Also Global Attributes and Variables are available.

• A standard description of the data types and structures can be found by clicking the "OPeNDAP data description".

• By clicking the "OPeNDAP attribute data" link, all the attribute data for the file as well as all of its content variables are available.

MODIS Level 4 Anomaly

This data contains detailed analysis of ocean water based on inputs from MODIS Aqua satellite.

• Click the Browse the data to access dataset information for the year / month / date or the latest day information. Click the File information and a URL prefix will be available. (Tip: This link is not for use in a web browser.) To use it, right-click on it and select the "copy link location" or "copy shortcut" option on the pop-up menu, then paste the result into your OPeNDAP client's URL input.

• Listed on the information web page you can access a data access form page by selecting "OPeNDAP data access form" to obtain ASCII and Binary data object codes. Also Global Attributes and Variables are available.

• A standard description of the data types and structures can be found by clicking the "OPeNDAP data description" link.

• By clicking the "OPeNDAP attribute data"link, all the attribute data for the file as well as all of its content variables are available.

MODIS Level 4 Monthly Averages

This data is derived from MODIS by averaging valid pixels over one month of data.

• Click the Browse the data OR Browse the data in CoastWatch format to access dataset information for the latest day MODAM information. Click the File information and a URL prefix will be available. (Tip: This link is not for use in a web browser.) To use it, right-click on it and select the "copy link location" or "copy shortcut" option on the pop-up menu, then paste the result into your OPeNDAP client's URL input.

• Listed on the information web page you can access a data access form page by selecting "OPeNDAP data access form" to obtain ASCII and Binary data object codes. Also Global Attributes and Variables are available.

• A standard description of the data types and structures can be found by clicking the "OPeNDAP data description" link.

• By clicking the "OPeNDAP attribute data" link, all the attribute data for the file as well as all of its content variables are available.

Modular Ocean Data Assimilation System (MODAS)

This is a worldwide data set derived from various satellite sources. It contains sea-surface temperatures and sea surface heights. It also contains estimated error data for both.

• Click the Browse the data to access dataset information for the latest day MODAS information. Click the File information and a URL prefix will be available. (Tip: This link is not for use in a web browser.) To use it, right-click on it and select the "copy link location" or "copy shortcut" option on the pop-up menu, then paste the result into your OPeNDAP client's URL input.

• Listed on the information web page you can access a data access form page by selecting "OPeNDAP data access form " to obtain ASCII and Binary data object codes. Also Global Attributes and Variables are available.

• A standard description of the data types and structures can be found by clicking the "OPeNDAP data description" link.

• By clicking the "OPeNDAP attribute data" link, all the attribute data for the file as well as all of its content variables are available.

• By clicking download, it will prompt you to download a Directory zip for that file.

Global Navy Coastal Ocean Model (NCOM)

This data contains temperature, salinity, currents, and sea surface height and is divided up into numbered regions, which when combined form a global coverage. Our site uses 5 of these regions.

• Global NCOM is organized by numbered regions; each data extent box on the map is numbered with its NCOM region number. Click on a box to access the NCOM data for that region.

• Click the access box and the OPeNDAP directory, information page, NetCDF files, and Metadata:for HTML, XML are available.

• Listed on the information web page you can access a data access form page by selecting "OPeNDAP data access form" to obtain ASCII and Binary data object codes. Also Global Attributes and Variables are available.

• A standard description of the data types and structures can be found by clicking the "OPeNDAP data description" link.

• By clicking the "OPeNDAP attribute data" , all the attribute data for the file as well as all of its content variables are available.

West Coast Observation System

This data contains temperature and current data measured by buoys in

• By clicking Browse the Buoy index you can find datasets for the following organizations:Gulf of Farallones National Marine Sanctuary, Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary, and Partnership for Interdisciplinary Study of Coastal Oceans (PISCO)

• Select with dataset from the organization to open a directory. The directory will be listed by year and then by location initials.

• Listed on the information web page you can access a data access form page by selecting "OPeNDAP data access form" to obtain ASCII and Binary data object codes. Also Global Attributes and Variables are available.

• A standard description of the data types and structures can be found by clicking the "OPeNDAP data description" link.

• By clicking the "OPeNDAP attribute data" link , all the attribute data for the file as well as all of its content variables are available.

Gulf of Mexico Fisheries:

This data has been made available for download from the EDAC in and PDF Adobe format, GIS Shapefile, Metadata and Google Earth KML formats.

Habitats:

• Gulf of Mexico Habitat Areas of Particular Concern (HAPC) are available as PDF of map, KML, Shapefiles.

• Gulf Sturgeon Critical Habitat are available as PDF of map, KML, Metadata, Shapefiles. There are separate datasets for KML and Metadata for the riverine and coastal habitats.

• Coastal Migratory Pelagics are available as a PDF of map.

• Coral Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) are available as a PDF of map.

• Red Drum Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) are available as a PDF of map.

• Reef Fish Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) are available as a PDF of map.

• Stone Crab Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) are available as a PDF of map.

• Shrimp Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) are available as a PDF of map.

• Spiny Lobster Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) are available as a PDF of map.

Managed Areas:

• DeSoto Canyon Closed Areas are available as PDF of map, KML, Metadata, Shapefiles.

• Gulf of Mexico Closed Areas are available as PDF of map, KML, Metadata, Shapefiles.

• Mad Swan Closed Areas are available as PDF of map, KML, Metadata, Shapefiles.

• Florida Middle Grounds Closed Areas are available as PDF of map, KML, Metadata, Shapefiles.

• Pulley Ridge Closed Areas are available as PDF of map, KML, Metadata, and Shapefiles.

• Stetson Banks Closed Areas are available as PDF of map, KML, Metadata, Shapefiles.

• McGrail Banks Closed Areas are available as PDF of map, KML, Metadata, Shapefiles.

• Tortugas Ecological Reserve Managed Areas is available as PDF of map, KML, Metadata, Shapefiles.

Subaquatic Vegetation Data:

This data has been made available for download from the EDAC in and PDF Adobe format, GIS Shapefile, Metadata and Google Earth KML formats.

• Southwest Florida are available as PDF of map, KML, Metadata, Shapefiles. There are separate datasets for KML for algal, continuous, patchy sea grass. KML files are available in both a detailed version and a simplified version which will run more smoothly in Google Earth.

• Northern Gulf are available as PDF of map, KML, Metadata, Shapefiles.

• Texas are available as PDF of map, KML, Metadata, Shapefiles.

• Alabama Post Katrina Seagrass Survey are available as PDF of map, KML, Metadata, Shapefiles. There are separate datasets for PDF and KML for shoal grass, and wigeon grass.

Watershed:

This data has been made available for download from the EDAC in and PDF Adobe format, GIS Shapefile, Metadata and Google Earth KML formats. When you down load KML directly into Google Earth it will appear in the temporary places list in the Places sidebar. Under the main folder for the watersheds file there are sub items that represent smaller watershed units.

How To:

Access the OPeNDAP server data:

Click on the year to get information about a certain file from a certain month or the latest file, use the "File information" link. To copy the URL to enter into an OPeNDAP client, right click on the "OPeNDAP direct" link and select the "copy link location" or "copy shortcut" option on the pop-up menu. If you are using Unidata's Integrated Data Viewer to browse this page you may click directly on the "OPeNDAP direct" link to access the data.

You can also connect to an OPeNDAP data access form, data descriptions and attribute data by selecting “File information” and then selecting links.

Open a PDF (Portable Document Format (Adobe Acrobat) :

To open a PDF linked to the Habitats, click the PDF file link. The PDF will open in the web browser.

Open Metadata:

To open a Metadata file in the Habitats, click the Metadata file link. The Metadata will open as an html text file in FDGC format in your web browser. Metadata can also be found in the Shapefile zip file in your associated ESRI product.

Open a Shapefiles:

To open a Shapefile, click the Shapefile link. An option box will appear then select the save to disk option. This will save a compressed file to your system once the file is saved extract all files from the folder through an extract wizard. Once the shapefile is extracted it can only be viewed in GIS software that supports ESRI Shapefile format. (e.g. .shp )

Open a KML (Keyhole Markup Language):

To open a KML, click the KML link. An option box will appear then select Open with Google Earth.kmz file (default). Select ok and Google Earth should open and zoom to location where the KML is inserted.

Tip:If Google Earth is not downloaded on your machine you may access it from this URL:earth.google.com this is a free download. There is a fast KML file located on the Subaquatic Vegetation Data page. This fast KML has been cut down so that it also a quicker access to the link. Also on this page a Detailed KML is available for more detailed view of the data. Smaller KML sets (usually a 'fast KML' link ) can be displayed using Google Maps. Right click on the KML link and pick 'copy link location' in Firefox or 'copy shortcut' in IE; then paste the link into the search box of Google Maps (http://maps.google.com).