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The Data Centre

The National Oceanographic Data Centre, at OGS, manages the most comprehensive marine data archive in Italy.

Since 2002, the Data Centre has been recognised as the Italian reference within the International Oceanographic Data Exchange System (IODE) of the UNESCO Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC).

Since 2009 OGS has been leading the IODE working group of the Italian Oceanographic Commission (COI), which has been setting out an agreement to share data from Italian research and monitoring centres and make them interconnected to the United Nations IODE network.

The NODC is part of the system of multidisciplinary research infrastructures mapped in the open access website Mapping of the European Research Infrastructure Landscape (MERIL).

In addition, the Data Centre is included in the European Directory of Marine Organizations (EDMO)of SeaDataNet, the Pan-European Infrastructure for Ocean & Marine Data Management.

IOC/UNESCO logo
IODE logo
COI logo
MERIL logo
SeaDataCloud logo

View the NODC timeline.

With over 300,000 water column profiles, in both coastal and deep sea areas, the NODC database is a treasure box of multidisciplinary information, spreading from physics to chemistry, from biology and geology to meteorology. Data are mainly collected by Italian institutions within the Mediterranean Sea basin, but the database also includes data collected by other countries within neighbouring sea basins.

Distribution and relative abundance of meteorologic, oceanografic and geologic data
Distribution and relative abundance of meteorologic, oceanografic and geologic data
Distribution and relative abundance of marine litter data
Distribution and relative abundance of marine litter data

NODC's mission is to pursue Open Science, fostering free access and use of data following the FAIRdata principles, according to which data must be easily Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable.

Open science could help science unleash its full potential and take up the challenges facing our contemporary societies.

Audrey Azoulay UNESCO Director-General

In what way has the Data Centre been carrying on its ambitious commitment?

The centre:
  • Collects, standardizes, controls the quality and stores data, following international guidelines;
  • Makes data available for academia, policy makers and industry;
  • Uses and develops innovative marine data products, services and tools for Open Science
  • Facilitates marine data exchange at international level.