Substantial amounts of data collected by government and donor-funded marine scientists around the world are not routinely archived in data centres. Even if published, the original data are irretrievably lost to studies of long-term (environmental) change over time.

The ASCLME Project has developed an integrated data and information management plan to ensure that data collected during the duration of the ASCLME project, and thereafter, are not only tracked and monitored to the stage of publication, but that data sets are also archived in national data centres for the ongoing benefit of participating countries. You may read more about this in the Principles and guidelines for ASCLME Data management and in the ASCLME Regional Data and Information Management Plan.

Having participating countries actively involved in managing data and developing information products is required to build country ownership of the TDA/SAP process. International best practices and standards for data management will be followed in all cases. Together with capacity building interventions, this approach aims to support the goal of sustainable national data archives that countries can use for ecosystem monitoring and management in the long term.

The information collected and generated by the ASCLME Project will be used in the synthesis of a national Marine Ecosystem Diagnostic Analysis (MEDA) for each country. This synthesis of information will inform the Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis (TDA) and Strategic Action Programme (SAP) which are the formal outputs of the Projects.

Access data and information for the ASCLME region.

The Data and Information section of the ASCLME Project is coordinated by Lucy Scott.

The ASCLME Project is represented in Google Ocean, a kml file is available here if you would like to see our entry.