A direct link is provided from the Marine Adaptation Network to the Australian Ocean Data Network (AODN) data storage facility via the AODN Metadata Entry and Search Tool (MEST).

Aims
An important philosophy of Australia’s National Climate Change Adaptation Research Network for Marine Biodiversity and Resources is to encourage collaboration amongst researchers, stakeholders and policy makers and to encourage data sharing. To improve our capacity to adapt to climate change, we first need to know what knowledge already exists. The provision of metadata will facilitate this.

Why share your data?
Australian marine researchers collectively have large amounts of valuable marine ecological and socio-economic data. These data have often already been used to generate vast amounts of published research, but much value is yet to be tapped. The Network wants to encourage the further use of these data.

Data descriptions (metadata), formats, storage and permissions over access to the data, and ease of data availability and discoverability (In what format the data are stored, by whom and how they are accessed and how they are used) are key considerations in data re-use and maximising research opportunities.

Metadata in the AODN MEST, because it adheres to international standards, can be (and already is) incorporated into other metadata catalogues (nationally and internationally).  The metadata can describe projects, researcher details and data (even at the planning stage), and this alone is a great way to discover other collaborative opportunities.

The provision of metadata and data will also minimise the time it takes to act on those research findings in order to be better placed to develop adaptation solutions.

• Advertising the data you are creating, as well as the projects you are embarking on, will allow researchers to identify collaboration opportunities.
• Making your data available through the MEST allows you to stipulate how the data may be re-used, including how your data are to be cited.