Organization:British Oceanographic Data Centre

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Short description: National facility for conserving and distributing data about the marine environment

[ ⚑ ] 53°24′27.5″N 2°58′8.2″W / 53.407639°N 2.968944°W / 53.407639; -2.968944

British Oceanographic Data Centre
British Oceanographic Data Centre
Formation1969
Location
Head of BODC
Dr Helen Snaith
Parent organization
National Oceanography Centre (NOC)
WebsiteBODC.ac.uk

The British Oceanographic Data Centre (BODC) is a national facility for looking after and distributing data about the marine environment. BODC is the designated marine science data centre for the United Kingdom and part of the National Oceanography Centre (NOC)[1] — primarily at its facility in Liverpool, with small number of its staff in Southampton. The centre provides a resource for science, education and industry, as well as the general public.

Bidston Observatory, home of BODC from 1975 to 2004.
Joseph Proudman Building, Liverpool.

History

In 1969, the Natural Environment Research Council created the British Oceanographic Data Service (BODS).[2][3] Located at the National Institute of Oceanography in Wormley, Surrey, its purpose was to:

In 1975, BODS was transferred to Bidston Observatory on the Wirral, near Liverpool, as part of the newly formed Institute of Oceanographic Sciences. The following year BODS became the Marine Information and Advisory Service (MIAS). Its primary activity was to manage the data collected from weather ships, oil rigs, and data buoys. The data banking component of MIAS was restructured to form BODC in April 1989.[2][4]

In December 2004, BODC moved to the purpose-built Joseph Proudman Building on the campus of the University of Liverpool. A smaller number of its staff are based in the National Oceanography Centre (NOC), Southampton.

National role

BODC is one of five designated data centers that make up the NERC Environmental Data Service and manage NERC's environmental data.[5] The BODC has a number of national roles and responsibilities:

International role

BODC's international roles and responsibilities include:

  • Contributing to the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) Marine Data Management
  • Creating, maintaining and publishing the General Bathymetric Chart of the Oceans (GEBCO) Digital Atlas[6]
  • BODC is one of over 60 national oceanographic data centres that form part of the IOC International Oceanographic Data and Information Exchange (IODE)

References

External links