The Baltic Data Flows project features eight activities:
- Increase of capacity at national data host institutes
- Further development of existing data sharing platforms
- Development and implementation of data harvesting
- Addition of new datatypes to existing data flows
- Further development of data processing and software used in hazardous substances assessment
- Development of data processing and software to be used for biodiversity assessment
- Dissemination and impact assessment
- Project management
Activity 1: Increase of capacity at national data host institutes
This activity will support the data management, processing, harmonisation and preparation of raw environmental monitoring data to be made available as national open datasets and also as part of a harmonised regional data product. In addition, the activity will facilitate the accessibility and discoverability of these data in the EDP.
Overall, Activity 1 will be led by HELCOM in the role of project coordinator with the participation of LHEI and SMHI. This activity supports the capacity building at LHEI to accommodate with needs for a national data centre on marine environmental monitoring data. At SMHI the activity supports the data processing related tasks and further development of existing SHARKdata API, which is required for activity 3 on implementation of data harvesting.
Activity 2: Further development of existing data sharing platforms
This activity will support accessibility of regionally harmonised cross-border data aggregations drawing their input data from various national data sources to be included in the EDP. The activity will also support the further development of existing publicly available online platforms providing access to regional datasets.
Overall, activity 2 will be led by HELCOM with the participation of ICES and Spatineo.
Activity 3: Development and implementation of data harvesting
This activity will develop an API-based data harvesting system to replace time consuming and manual file submission as a method to deliver harmonised national monitoring data to regional databases and to provide direct access to national data using web services. The tools and documentation produced in this activity will be made available to other national data providers, which can make use of and implement similar APIs for data sharing and reporting and thus, extending the outputs beyond the partners of this Action and for longer term development.
The activity will focus on the required versioning and quality related aspects that need to be addressed in order to be able to automate data flows without losing the required quality elements of environmental marine monitoring data.
Overall, activity 3 will be led by ICES with the participation of SMHI, SYKE and HELCOM.
Activity 4: Addition of new datatypes to existing data flows
This activity will generate data products on marine environment by combining raw data from different monitoring methods (classical in-situ monitoring, ferrybox – automatic measurement devices on board commercial ships, and earth observation data). The activity analyses and makes use of suitable data products and services available from EU Copernicus programme Sentinel Satellite series (e.g. SYKE downstream service for the Baltic Sea, Copernicus Marine Environment Monitoring Service – CMEMS).
Overall, activity 4 will be led by SYKE with the participation of SMHI, ICES and HELCOM.
Activity 5: Further development of data processing and software used in hazardous substances assessment
This activity further enhances creation of harmonised content and data products related to hazardous substances in the marine environment and builds on previous work carried out by the thematic community for many years.
The activity will support applying FAIR principles in the data collection, data harmonisation and data aggregation methods used in the assessment of the status of hazardous substances in marine environment.
Overall, activity 5 will be led by HELCOM with the participation of SYKE, LHEI and ICES.
Activity 6: Development of data processing and software to be used for biodiversity assessment
This activity will develop data harmonisation methods in terms of thematic data content to facilitate the creation of harmonised cross-border indicator data products to support the assessment of the status of biodiversity in the marine environment. Both the input national monitoring datasets from the participating national institutes and the regionally harmonised data products will be made available to the EDP using systems developed under activities 1 and 2.
Overall, activity 6 will be led by SYKE with the participation of SMHI, LHEI, SU, ICES and HELCOM.
Activity 7: Dissemination and impact assessment
The activity will support the Action in attaining its overall objective by creating awareness about the Action and its outcomes, including showcasing its usefulness for all those in need of harmonised and quality-assured data on marine environment.
An Action specific visual identity will be prepared at the beginning of the Action, which will be used on the dedicated website that will be set up for the Action. The website will also contain a news blog updated at regular intervals with interviews (written and video), news on milestone achievements and Action recaps.
The results will be communicated within international and national expert networks, as well as related conferences, to bring outputs of the Action to the attention of the community related to the environment domain, in particular to the scientific community. The outputs of the activities will be communicated by the HELCOM and ICES information network and also by participating and making data available to related hackathons, e.g. the EMODnet hackathon and the INSPIRE conference and hackathon, as well as other public open data related events.
The Activity 7 overall will be led by HELCOM with the participation of ICES and Spatineo.
Activity 8: Project management
This activity aims to ensure a successful execution of the Action as well as quality of the final results by providing efficient management and coordination, including the administrative, technical and financial aspects.
The overall management of the Action will be led by the project coordinator – HELCOM- consortium legal representative responsible for all contractual arrangements, communication and reporting to INEA, as well as operational, technical and financial coordination of the Action. An experienced Project Manager will be selected to take responsibility of internal arrangements and Action representation in front of the financing body and to assure the delivery of the high-quality Action results with the support of HELCOM senior and technical staff. HELCOM Project Financial Coordinator will be responsible for all administrative and financial issues (guidelines, reporting, delivering input from all partners, financial assistance, etc.), and will help the Project Manager with the wide scope of other tasks, including the development of management procedures, preparation of a consortium agreement, revision of legal aspects related to data management, and communication with all partners and with the financing bodies, INEA among others.
