Overview

Targeted Audience

As a way to better understand their remit, “Sea Basin Checkpoints” could in the past be regarded as an overarching observing system for the sea basins. What they observed was the whole realm of marine data which had been distributed at the time*, amongst a great number of organizations, people and places and in a variety of systems addressing many different purposes. This massive amount of data was, and still could be considered as something that featured a lot of natural variability in terms of data appropriateness and conditions of availability for users’ applications. It should be noted by the user that data was partially and not homogeneously described, neither through the metadata nor via web pages and documentation within their repositories. This acted as a first filter on actual data content and quality, as well as introduced a certain level of uncertainty, i.e., as to what the data sets really were.

EU initiatives supporting the blue economy

The integrated checkpoint service was driven by two types of access/usage, public one and restricted for project use (challenges partners, experts and contributors). The public service served primarily institutional policy-makers on one side to data producers and data providers on the other side to improve the adequacy of existing monitoring systems for the scope of the EU maritime strategy. They were the main usage drivers.

The checkpoint audience

For institutional policy makers, the checkpoint service should provide support for steering committee and decision making on observations monitoring and data management / dissemination infrastructure. This was done by developing checkpoint e-services ingesting metadata and delivering indicators and statistics for focusing on priorities, by challenge, by category of characteristics, by level of data after transformation process, and any type of relevant criterion (e.g. geographical area, elevation range, period of time, resolution…), highlighting gaps of the monitoring in addition to fact sheets and expert reports with proposed solutions.

For the other categories, it should help them to grasp how their data collected could fit other uses than their initial purpose, or demonstrate the potential of innovative applications thanks to the availability of upstream data sets. To this end the checkpoint challenges analyzed the fitness-for-use of the upstream data according to the requirements they specified to produce the thematic products mandated by the EMODnet tender. The regional checkpoint had thus developed checkpoint e-service with indicators yielding feedback on availability and appropriateness of the upstream data described in the checkpoint catalogue all need information to evaluate fitness for use.

Our vocabulary

Terminology and Nomenclature

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	There are several ways to classify all the applications. From a checkpoint perspective, “Applications” means gathering all activities that exploit marine data products.
Characteristics:	“Characteristic” is the terminology used in MSFD. It means either a variable of an observed or estimated phenomenon (eg depth) or a geographical feature (eg roads, protected areas) represented by a spatial object with a vector (point, line, polygon) or raster geometry (eg image).
Data:	Numbers and information pertaining to observations made in time and space. The data considered here are meteo-marine, oceanographic and freshwater physical, biological, chemical and geological variables as well as data related to human activities.
Monitoring data:	Data that are collected by an instrument at a particular place and time and that are repeated periodically in order to monitor changes over time. They may be raw or processed to make them interoperable with other data.
Data layer:	Aggregated data, assimilated, interpolated or extrapolated values that provide a complete coverage over the whole area at certain dates. The data can be two, three or four dimensional (including time) depending on the nature of the data and the needs of the user.
Dataset:	A “dataset” is a collection of data. It can be a time series, a lithological description of a marine sample, a gridded data set such as a DTM, a hydrodynamic model output, a GIS dataset ie a set of geographical features with a vector geometry such as the polygonal limits of protected areas or a raster geometry such as a satellite image, or a table of values in a publication.A dataset can be made up of several files (eg. seismic data files recorded along the same line). A database can be considered as a dataset or a dataset series.
Dataset series/Collection of data sets:	A dataset series (term used by ISO) is a collection of data sets sharing (usually or in principle) the same specifications of production: see the Inspire Geoportal. To avoid any misunderstanding, the term “collection of data sets” will be used.
Input Dataset:	This is the collection of existing data to be inputted to the Challenges.
Metadata:	Information on one or more aspects of data, such as time and date of creation, owner of data, standards used, access rights.
GIS contiguous:	A set of data, points, gridded or polygons that can be represented on a map.
Tile:	A spatial unit by which data are organized, subdivided, and stored. A tile can be a regular, geometric shape (e.g., corresponding to a map sheet) or an irregular polygon.
Marine or region/subregion:	A specified area or sub-area of Europe’s seas, as defined within the Marine Strategy Framework Directive. These are specific instances of sea-basins.
Sea baseline:	A baseline is the line from which the seaward limits of a state’s territorial sea is calculated.
Sea basin:	A recognisable geographical area of marine waters, often confined by land to form a distinct body of water.
Thematic assembly groups:	“Consortia of organizations that assemble data from all data centres on specific themes”. Thematic assembly groups are divided into 7 discipline-based themes: bathymetry, geology, physics, chemistry, biology, physical habitats and human activity. It includes EU initiatives other than Emodnet projects, such as Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES), the Data Collection Framework in fisheries.
Environmental matrices:	The environment matrix is the environment to which a characteristic is related and defined as: Air, Water (Marine or Fresh), Biota/Biology, Seabed, Human activities.
GIS:	A geographic information system, also known as a geospatial information system, is any system for capturing, storing, analyzing and managing data and associated attributes which are spatially referenced to the Earth. Within the marine domain, it is regulated by Inspire.
Assessment criteria:	The criteria are focused on two questions: “what” is made available to the challenges and “how”? They are derived from the quality principles of the ISO19113 standard for geographical information which concerns 99% of the data needed by the challenges and additional criteria related to services recognized in the literature as key elements for the establishment of fitness for use.
Fitness for use or fitness for purpose:	Within the ISO 8402 framework, fitness for purpose is understood as the “totality of a product characteristics that bear on its ability to satisfy stated and implied needs” and it includes the ease with which a user can obtain data. The geographical information standards developed ‘to describe geographical information’” (ISO 19115) and “to assists a data user in determining a product’s ability to satisfy the requirements for their particular application” (ISO 19113, ISO 19157) seem an appropriate basis for the establishment of their fitness for use.

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Acronyms

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ACCOBAMS	Agreement on the Conservation of Cetaceans in the Black Sea Mediterranean Sea and Contigous Atlantic Area
AEMET	State Meteorological Agency (ES)
AIS	Automatic Identification System
API	American Petroleum Institute
ARGO	system for observing temperature, salinity, and currents in the Earth’s oceans
ARPEGE	Research Project on Small and Large Scales
AVISO	Archiving, Validation and Interpretation of Satellite Oceanographic Data
BirdLife	Global Species Programme collates and analyses information on all the world’s birds
BODC	British Oceanographic Data Centre
BOUSSOLE	Buoy for the acquisition of long-term optical time series
Cal/Val	Calibration/Validation
CAMP	Coastal Area Management Programme
CARBONOCEAN	Marine carbon sources and sinks assessment
CetaceanAlliance	Preserving Whales and Dolphin of the Mediterranean Sea
CFP	Common Fisheries Policy
CH4	Methane
Chl	Chlorophyll
CISL	Computational and Information Systems Laboratory
CLIM012	Global and European sea level rise
CLIM013	Sea surface Temperature
CLIM9434	Ocean heat content
CLS	Collecte Localisation Satellites (FR)
CLU	CLU s.r.l. (IT)
CMCC	Euro-Mediterranean Centre for Climate Change (IT)
CNR	National Research Council (IT)
CO2	Carbon Dioxide
COCONet	Continuously Operating Caribbean GPS Observational Network
CODAS	Consolidated Operations and Delay Analysis System
Copernicus	European Programme for the establishment of a European capacity for Earth Observation
COST	Cooperation in Science and Technology
CPR	Continuous Plankton Recorder
Cs-137	Caesium-137
CSDMS	Community Surface Dynamics Modeling System
CYCOFOS	Cyprus Coastal Ocean Forecasting and Observing System
DAC	Data Assembly Center
DCF	Data Collection Framework
DCR	Data Collection Regulation
DDT	Dichloro-Diphenyl-Trichloroethane
DG-MARE	Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries
DIC	Dissolved Inorganic Carbon
DIN	Dissolved Inorganic Nitrogen
DIP	Dissolved Inorganic Phosphorous
DIRM	Inter-Regional direction of Mediterranean Sea
DON	Dissolved Organic Nitrogen
DOP	Dissolved Organic Phosphorus
DTM	Digital Terrain Model
E-AIMS	Euro-Argo Improvements for the GMES Marine Service
E-HYPE	Pan-European hydrological model
E-SURFMAR	Surface Marine Operational Service
EC	European Commission
ECMWF	European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts
ECV	Essential Climate Variables
EDF-EN	EDF Energies Nouvelles (FR)
EDMED	European Directory of Marine Environmental Data
EEA	European Environmental Agency
EEC	European Economic Community
EEZs	Exclusive Economic Zones
EGO	European Glider Observatory
EIONet	European Environment Information and Observation Network
EMODnet	European Marine Observation and Data Network
EMSA	European Maritime Safety Agency
EMSO	European Multidisciplinary Seafloor and Water Column Observatory
ERIC	European Research Infrastructure Consortium
ESA	European Space Agency
ESFRI	European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures
ESI	Environmental Sensitivity Index
ESONET	European Seas Observatory NETwork
EU	European Union
EUMETNET	European National Meteorological Services
EUNIS	European Nature Information System
Euro-Argo	European contribution to ARGO program
EUROGOOS	European Global Ocean Observing System
EUROSION	European initiative for sustainable coastal erosion management
EuroSITES	European Open Ocean Observatory Network
EUROWATERNET	European Environment Agency’s Monitoring and Information Network for Inland Water Resources
EUSeaMap	Mapping European seabed habitats
EWGs	Expert Working Groups
FAO	Food and Agriculture Organization
FEM	Association de Préfiguration de l’IEED France Energies Marines (FR)
FishStat	Universal software for fishery statistical time series
FixO3	Fixed point Open Ocean Observatory network
FP7	Seventh Framework Programme
GDAC	Global Data Assembly Center
GEBCO	General Bathimetric Chart of the Oceans
GEO	Group on Earth Observation
Geoportal	type of web portal used to find and access geographic information
GEOSS	Global Earth Observation System of Systems
GES	Good Environmental Status
GFCM	General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean
GIS	Geographic information system
GISC	GMES in-situ coordination
GLA	Green Line Association
GMES	Global Monitoring for Environment and Security
GNOO	National Group for Operational Oceanography
GOOS	Global Ocean Observing System
GPS	Global Positioning System
GRDC	Global Runoff Data Center
GSA	Geographical Sub-Areas
H2S	Sulfuric Acid
HAB	Harmful Algal Bloom
HadISST	Hadley Centre Sea Ice and Sea Surface Temperature data set
HCMR	Hellenic Centre for Marine Research (GR)
HF	High Frequency
HO	Hydrostatic Office
HyMeX	Hydrological cycle in the Mediterranean Experiment
ICCAT	International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas
ICES	International Council for the Exploration of the Sea
ICZM	Integrated Coastal Zone Management
IEO	Instituto Español de Oceanografía
IFREMER	Institut Français de Recherche pour l’Exploitation de la Mer (FR)
IH-Cantabria	Fundación Instituto de Hidráulica Ambiental de Cantabria (ES)
IHO	International Hydrographic Organization
IMEDEA	Mediterranean Advanced Studies Institute
IMO	International Maritime Organization
IMP	Integrated Maritime Policy
INGV	National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (IT)
INSPIRE	Infrastructure for Spatial Information in the European Community
IOC	Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission
IPCC	Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
IRIS-SES	Integrated Regional monitoring Implementation Strategy in the South European Seas
ISAC	Institute of Atmospheric Sciences and Climate
ISCOMAR	Isleña Marítima de Contenedores
ISO	International Organization for Standardization
ISPRA	Italian National Protection Agency
IUCN	International Union for Conservation of Nature
IUU	Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated
JCOMM	Joint WMO-IOC Commission on Marine Meteorology
JERICO	Towards a joint European research infrastructure network for coastal observatories
JRC	Joint Research Centre
LAT	Lowest Astronomical Tide
LBS	Land Base Sources
LIFE	EU’s financial instrument supporting environmental, nature conservation and climate action projects throughout the EU
MAP	Mediterranean Action Plan.
MAPMED	Management of port areas in the Mediterranean Sea Basin
MARBEF	Marine Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functioning
MARBOUND	VLIZ Maritime Boundaries Geodatabase
Med-Hycos	Mediterranean Hydrological Cycle Observing System
MEDAR/MEDATLAS	Mediterranean Data Archaeology and Rescue
MEDESS4MS	Mediterranean Decision Support System for Marine Safety
MEDISEH	Mediterranean Sensitive Habitats
MEDPAN	MEDiterranean Protected Areas Network
MEDPOL	Programme for the Assessment and Control of Marine Pollution in the Mediterranean
MEDSLIK	Mediterranean oil spill model
MNHN	Inventaire National du Patrimoine Naturel
MONGOOS	Mediterranean Operational Network for the Global Ocean Observing System
MOOSE	Mediterranean Ocean Observing System on Environment
MPA	Marine Protected Area
MRE	Marine Renewable Energy
MRI	Marine Research Infrastructure
MS	Member States
MSFD	Marine Strategy Framework Directive
MSP	Maritime Spatial Planning
MSSD	Mediterranean Strategy for Sustainable Development
MyO	MyOcean, Ocean Monitoring and Forecasting
NATURA 2000	centrepiece of EU nature & biodiversity policy
NAUSICAA	National Sea Centre
NKUA	National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
NOAA	National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
NRT	Near Real Time
NUTS	Nomenclature of territorial units for statistics
OCEANS-CAT	OCEANS Catalonia International SL (ES)
OCHA	Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
OGC	Open Geospatial Consortium
OSE	Observing System Experiment
OSOCC	Oil Spill Operations and Co-ordination Centre
OSSE	Observing System Simulation Experiments
OWF	Offshore Wind Farms
P01	BODC Parameter Usage Vocabulary
P02	SeaDataNet Parameter Discovery Vocabulary
P03	SeaDataNet Agreed Parameter Groups
PAL	Passive Acoustic Listener
PANGAEA	Data Publisher for Earth & Environmental Science
PCB	polychlorinated biphenyls
pCO2	partial pressure of carbon dioxide
PERSEUS	Policy-oriented marine Environmental Research in the Southern European Seas
pH	Acidity
PLOCAN	Oceanic Platform of the Canary Islands
PODAC	Product-Oriented Design And Construction Cost Model
POSEIDON	Applications of Seismic Oceanography
PROTECTEDPLANET	The latest initiative harnessing the World Database on Protected Areas
PSMSL	Permanent Service for Mean Sea Level
Pu-239	Plutonium-239
RAC-SPA	Regional Activity Centre for Specially Protected Areas
RAMSAR	Convention on Wetlands of International Importance
REMPEC	Regional Marine Pollution Emergency Response Centre for the Mediterranean Sea
REMSS	Remote Sensing Systems
RESPONSES	project investigating EU policy action on climate change
RI	Research Infrastructure
RITMARE	Italian Marine Research Program
RivDIS	Global River Discharge
RMS	Root Mean Square Error
ROOS	Regional Operational Oceanographic Systems
RORO	Roll-on/roll-off
S-AWS	Shipborne Automated Weather Stations
SACOSTA	Environmental Sensitivity of the Coastline
SAR	Search and Rescue
SCREAM	Spatially Continuous Resource Economic Analysis Model
SDN	SeaDataNet, pan-european infrastructure for ocean & marine data management
SeaBASS	SeaWiFS Bio-optical Archive & Storage System
SEDNET	European Sediment Network
SESAME	Synchrotron-light for Experimental Science and Applications in the Middle East
SHOM	Service hydrographique et océanographique de la marine
SIH	French Fisheries Information System
SKIRON	The regional weather forecasting system
SOCIB	Balearic Islands Coastal Observing and Forecasting System (ES)
SONEL	Système d’Observation du Niveau des Eaux Littorales
SOOP	Ship Of Opportunity Programme
SPA	Special Protection Area
SPAMI	Specially Protected Areas of Mediterranean Importance
SPLASHCOS	Submerged Prehistoric Archaeology and Landscapes of the Continental Shelf
SST	Sea Surface Temperature
STAG	Scientific and Technical Advisory Group
STECF	Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries
TAC	Total Allowable Catch
TBT	Tributyltin
TMOOS	Marine Technologies, Operational Oceanography and Sustainability Department
TN = Tot_N	Total Nitrogen
TOC	Total Inorganic Carbon
TOSCA	Tracking Oil Spills & Coastal Awareness network
TP= Tot_P	Total Phosphorus
TPT	triphenyltin
UCY	University of Cyprus (CY)
UHSLC	University of Hawaii Sea Level Center
UN	United Nations
UNCLOS	United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea
UNEP	United Nations Environment Programme
UNESDO	United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
VLIZ	Flanders Marine Institute
VMS	Vessel Monitoring System
VOS	Voluntary Observing Ship
WASP	Wind Atlas Analysis and Application Program
WDPA	World Database on Protected Areas
WFD	Water Framework Directive
WISE	Water Information System for Europe
WMO	World Meteorological Organisation
WMOP	SOCIB Western Mediterranean Sea Operational forecasting system
WRF	Weather Research and Forecasting
WSAG	Water System Analysis Group
WWF	World Wildlife Fund

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The Checkpoint Concept

Ocean monitoring systems are necessary but expensive. In order to save costs and improve marine knowledge, the EU was moving to a new paradigm where we collect data once and use them for many purposes. The DG MARE concept of sea-basin checkpoints was introduced within the “Marine Knowledge 2020 communication” and defined in the EU roadmap:

To perform regular evaluation of observation networks and supporting observation programs, at the scale of the EU sea basins, and identify priorities both in terms of creation of new data (i.e. enriching data coverage) and in making existing data more available and usable (EU systems shown in orange on figure below).

The checkpoint process / project perimeter with the enhancement loop from decision makers and existing monitoring systems
(an ISO 9004 Quality assessment approach)

Whereas the checkpoint service evaluated & released the status on monitoring data at the scale of the sea basin (blue components on the left), the governing infrastructure took actions to enhance the marine infrastructure (“better know to better act”) and required a new evaluation cycle (if so). Whether checkpoints should be updated and at which frequency according to changes in marine data landscape was for DG MARE to decide. In any case, the design of an open and repeatable process puts us on the safe side if an update was to occur.

An external expert panel reviewed the checkpoint usefulness and provided advices for Marine environment variability and change (climate change, eutrophication, river inputs, bathymetry, alien species).

The Assessment Framework

The overall aim of the EMODnet Checkpoints was to assess the adequacy of existing monitoring systems and data mechanisms at sea basin level. The scope were not primarily to test the effectiveness of EU initiatives, although this analysis should be included, but rather to assess how well all available marine data met the needs of users or what else should be needed, at the scale of the EU seas and through the prism of downstream use cases called challenges.

To answer these questions, the sea basin checkpoint service was defined a wide monitoring system assessment activity aiming to support the sustainable Blue Growth at the scale of the European Sea Basins and 6 regional checkpoints implemented (Arctic, Atlantic, Baltic, Black Sea, MedSea, North Sea) with a view to:

Clarify the observation landscape, of all compartments of the marine environment – Air, Ice, Fresh Water, Marine Water, Riverbed/Seabed, Biota/Biology and Human activities -, pointing out to the existing programs, European, National, and International;

Evaluate the adequacy of marine data that is how well the present data collection, monitoring and surveying programmes meet the needs of user, through the prism of blue applications of paramount importance for the European Marine Environment Strategy:
- Energetic and food security (renewable energy, fisheries & aquaculture management);
- Marine environment variability and change (climate change, eutrophication, river inputs, bathymetry, alien species);
- Emergency management (oil spills, fishery impacts, coastal impacts);
- Preservation of natural resources and biodiversity (connectivity of Marine Protected Areas).

Identify gaps in data and service infrastructure for selected use cases, called challenges, including the reluctance to use,

Identify the needs to optimize existing monitoring systems in terms of availability, operational reliability, efficiency, time consistency, space consistency, etc., as well as observational priorities required in the future to meet the challenges.

Challenges are required to assess three “ territories”.
They are supported by a standard method and operational tools

Checkpoint outcomes were tightly link to the definition of challenges and their terms of references but also on the configuration of partners to meet the attended results. They were the heart of the process. For the first checkpoint cycle, challenges were mainly selected/defined for their experimental value, a stress test on input data. The resolution of gaps was outside the project perimeter.

The qualitative assessment can be described as successive actions, it was thought in 4 phases and 6 checkpoint tasks:

The sequence logic of the assessment process

PHASE 1

The Literature Survey (LS) attempted to enlarge the project partners awareness of observing data landscape within the basin through published case studies.

PHASE 2

The development of products & confidence limits within thematic challenges, made available – spatial and non-spatial alike – in a GIS system for dynamic mapping, along with clear product specification and requirements for upstream data, and feedback on their adequacy (compatible with INSPIRE, EMODnet and OGS).

PHASE 3

The web-site portal was required to provide a free and unconditional access to outputs from challenges compatible with INSPIRE, EMODnet and OGS, and to EMODnet portals plus link to the EU’s maritime forum which contains all reports and allows comments and feedback. The operations of checkpoint web tools and services released description of data and products and assessment available for all in a standard and reproducible form.

PHASE 4

The assessment of upstream data was achieved in two phases :

A first assessment achieved the first year (DAR 1) focused on releasing/revising the availability status of input data.
A second assessment achieved in a second phase / second year (DAR 2) focused on evaluating the data adequacy (fitness for use, appropriateness)

The Availability Indicators

From checkpoint descriptors to checkpoint indicators

Below the details of checkpoint availability indicators.

The checkpoint activity produces 3 levels of information, dated at the date of the assessment

Level 1 was related to the raw and neutral descriptors of input data and the release of the targeted products of challenges.

(At this level, one can already identify the role and synergies of the input data.)

Level 2 were targeted products and sectorial indicators to give feedback on the availability and the appropriateness status per challenge.

(Note here that the availability status was neutral and valid for all challenges.)

Level 3 were checkpoint results, composed of the checkpoint e-service to search for and present synthesized and focused indicators and checkpoint expert reports on the fitness for use of the observing infrastructure (literature survey and data adequacy).

(Indicators answer precise questions but cannot be interpreted without the added value comments and expertise published in the reports.)

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a challenge?

The challenges are tasks that have been chosen in order to make the bridge with end-user applications and to test how comprehensive and accurate the monitoring and forecasting data sets are at a Mediterranean scale. They include the blue economy sector (offshore industry, fisheries), marine environment understanding (for MFSD health assessments and climate change issues) preservation of natural resources and biodiversity (Protected Marine Areas and red list species), 7 areas altogether:

Windfarm Farm Siting
Marine Protected Areas
Oil Platforms Leaks
Climate and Coastal Protection
Fisheries Management
Marine Environment
River Inputs

For more information on challenges see Challenges Section.

What is the nature and primary aim of the regional projects (assessment or development and release of products)?

The regional Checkpoint projects are quality-monitoring system assessments aimed at clarifying the observation landscape at the scale of the marine region. The assessment methodology has defined the monitoring information system (ie. the framework for the collection of descriptors and indicators) and its supporting GIS Platform to hold and manage all this information in order for its assessment and to make the results available to users. The assessment is performed by developing targeted products based on the monitoring data and by determining whether the products are meeting the needs of industry and public authorities (the fitness for use).

Who is the target audience?

The target audiences are the research community, the European ‘institutional’ policy makers, the ‘intermediate users’, i.e., users capable of understanding basic raw data but who benefit from seeing the Checkpoint targeted products and the assessment of the fitness for purpose.

User categories and Checkpoint Web Portal information

Are they permanent services or one off ‘projects’ or both?

Checkpoints should be permanent services, because:

monitoring systems will evolve, and every few years re-assessments will be required;
different/further Challenges are required to really show gaps and complementarities in the various monitoring system components (e.g. eutrophication is only one of the issues of the ‘Marine Environment’ Challenges);
the evolution of the monitoring system for the European Sea and the global ocean require constant upgrading of the assessment indicators and descriptors;
the tools to make Challenge products could be disseminated if appropriate at a certain stage of the Checkpoint development;
best practice guides need to be developed to use the data with respect to Challenge targeted products together with training/educational tools;
strong and permanent links need to be established with intermediate and end users from industry to public authorities, and a feasible ‘regional’ approach is required;
the process and methodology used need to be maintained and applied

Should checkpoints provide data or only products, and if so what kind of data should be made  available?

The checkpoints deliver Challenge targeted products and information (as defined in the Checkpoint Information page) and not the input data (they do not re-distribute).

Input data or upstream data are made available by the source portal (EMODnet Thematic Portals, Copernicus, Fishery and other data sources) and are directly linked in the information system and/or appropriately acknowledged.

If the Checkpoint targeted product is a collation of different data sets (which quite often it is) then the ‘collated data set’ is provided.

What is the best way to present the checkpoints to a wider audience online?

The regional checkpoint projects produce Checkpoint information and products:
1) Checkpoint information is made up of descriptors and indicators, made available in the Checkpoint Service Section;
2) Checkpoint products are Challenge targeted outputs, Literature Survey, Data Adequacy Reports, made available in the Reports and News Section.

The Checkpoint Service is connected to data source portals in order to harvest product metadata that are needed for gap analyses. The Checkpoint Information contains methodological aspects and explanations on how to use the Checkpoint information and products.

Targeted Audience

Our vocabulary

Terminology and Nomenclature

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Acronyms

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The Checkpoint Concept

The Assessment Framework

The Availability Indicators

Frequently Asked Questions