The Joint Committee on Antarctic Data Management

The SCAR-COMNAP Joint Committee on Antarctic Data Management (JCADM) is responsible for the coordinated development of the Antarctic Data Directory System. It replaced the ad hoc Planning Group on Antarctic Data Management in 1997.

Members of JCADM are usually the managers of the National Antarctic Data Centers, or a relevant national contact if an NADC has not yet been nominated. In the Netherlands the Dutch NADC is located at the Royal NIOZ.

JCADM meets annually with every second meeting at SCAR.

Brief history

The issue of data management was formally raised within the Antarctic Treaty System with ATCM Recommendation X111-5 (1985). This called on SCAR for advice on steps that could be taken to improve the comparability and accessibility of Antarctic scientific data, in the context of additional protective arrangements for the Antarctic environment. In response to this, SCAR carried out an initial review of databases in the biological sciences and then in 1989 established the SCAR ad hoc Committee on the Coordination of Antarctic Data (CCAD). Subsequent to this, ATCM Recommendation XV-1 6 (1989) made a number of recommendations to governments to assist the work of the CCAD, including assisting in the development of an Antarctic scientific data directory.

The SCAR-COMNAP ad hoc Planning Group on Antarctic Data Management was established at XXII SCAR in June 1992 to replace the CCAD. The terms of reference for the Planning Group included the development of a plan for the coordination and management of Antarctic data, taking into account SCAR's programs and requirements under the Antarctic Treaty System especially with respect to the Protocol on Environmental Protection. The Group's first report (October 1992) proposed a committee for Antarctic data management managing the development of an Antarctic Data Directory System, comprising National Antarctic Data Centers linked to an Antarctic Master Directory. The proposed technology for the AMD was the International Directory Network (IDN) using its Directory Interchange (metadata) Format (DIF). The recommendations of this report were accepted by the Antarctic Treaty Meeting in November 1992 and by the SCAR and COMNAP Executives in April 1993.

The SCAR-COMNAP Joint Committee on Antarctic Data Management ( JCADM ) replaced the Planning Group in 1997. JCADM comprises the manager of each National Antarctic Data Center, or a relevant national contact if an NADC has not yet been nominated.

National Antarctic Data Centers

SCAR countries may choose to establish National Antarctic Data Centres (NADCs), or to designate an existing institution as their NADC, as part of the ADDS implementation process. A NADC would be responsible for coordinating Antarctic data management within the country, and would provide the national focal point for the ADDS. To November 2000, more than 5000 metadata records have been collected by NADCs. Active NADCs are also starting to address other multidisciplinary and multinational issues.

To fulfil its duty, NADCs should meet the following requirements:

• The manager of each NADC should be a member of JCADM.
• Where no NADC currently exists, there should be a designated national contact representative on JCADM.
• Where possible, host an NADC WEB-site
• Direct linking to national Antarctic scientific and logistic operators
• Direct linking to national Antarctic authorities

Recruitment of National Antarctic Data Centers is a joint responsibility of SCAR, COMNAP and JCADM.

Current Status of NADCs

Thirteen NADCs have been designated: Argentina, Australia, Canada, Chile, China, Germany, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Spain, U.K., and the U.S.A. Brazil, Ecuador, Italy and Uruguay are active within JCADM and nearing NADC establishment.

Netherlands Antarctic Data Center

The NADC of The Netherlands was established in 1997 by the Netherland Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO) and the Data Management Group of the Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ). The Dutch national representative and deputy chief officer for JCADM is Mr. Taco F. de Bruin.

In 1998 The Netherlands NADC published the first release of the NADI web site featuring as a novelty the first web based interactive DIF form, which design has been adapted for the development of its GCMD counterpart. The NADI site has been re-engineered in 2004 to meet higher standards in reliabilty and performance. In this release also the GCMD DIF DOCbuilder is incorporated aiming to keep track with future formal developments of the Antarctic Master Directory.