standardization of environmental data and information - International ...

the importance of including information in the database about where
specimens were archived. Much current scientific work involved
synthesizing old information and revisiting old material, because it could be
measured in different ways. One of the huge sources of frustration in deepsea
taxonomy and ecology was the fact that people responsible for material
had no idea several years later where it was located. Paying careful
attention to such a simple thing could solve many problems.
Sources of data
Rex suggested that, with a modest investment, specimens already
collected by contractors might be sorted by species, thereby hugely
increasing the database and helping in the construction of sampling
designs.
A questioner wondered how much existing data might be placed into
the database. Would it include material dating back 10 or 20 years and
information from non-contractors? Rex replied that as much as possible
should be included, including material from such preliminary investigations
as DOMES (Deep Ocean Mining Environmental Study). Once the database
existed, those who possessed data would judge what they could relinquish
and share, and what they thought would be useful to include. One source
might be groups sponsored by governments to do impact assessment
studies, where the results were public.
A participant cautioned that, even when the results were public,
access to the raw data would probably be difficult. Moreover, he
questioned the value of information from DOMES, for example, asking
whether it was comparable to other data. It could be dangerous if
somebody were to produce a meaningless synthesis of all the data on
mineral resources or other things in the sea.
Rex agreed but still thought that such information should be made
available as broadly as possible. Public advocacy on environmental issues
had become extraordinarily sophisticated and the proponents could often
afford attorneys who were dangerous as well. Given the need for public
accountability, the best course in the long term would be to put all of the
data out from the beginning.
The Secretary-General said that, in addition to information that
contractors were obliged to give under the mining code, the Authority had
had good responses from a number of non-contractors, from North America
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INTERNATIONAL SEABED AUTHORITY