Sailing the sea of knowledge…through the Integrated Monitoring and Assessment Programme Info System data reporting
Let’s meet Francesca Catini, Officer for the information system of Integrated Monitoring and Assessment Programme and for the National Baseline Budget for INFO/RAC.
Francesca what is IMAP Info System?
IMAP Info System is the official information system for reporting monitoring data under the Integrated Monitoring and Assessment Programme of the Mediterranean Sea and Coast and Related Assessment Criteria in the framework of Barcelona Convention.
IMAP Info System is easy to use and offers tools for helping Contracting Parties in the reporting procedures. To allow easy navigation, three mega menus are available: “Reporting”, “Explore” and “Info”.
“Reporting” section is the area where it is possible to download the Information Standards, check the compliance of the data and upload the compiled Standards in the System. “Explore” section is the new area dedicated to data analysis and visualization. “Info” is the area developed to support Contracting parties in the reporting procedure.
Who is it aimed at... is access open to all?
The main contents of IMAP Info System website are accessible to the general public in accordance with the adopted Data Policy. Data officially released by Contracting Parties in IMAP Info System are open, respecting the constraints imposed by local legislation, sensitivity of data, and copyrights, so the principal Open Data license individuated by the policy is Creative Commons Attribution.
Why is it important to collect standardised data? What are the advantages?
Collecting marine data in a standardized way is essential for ensuring the reliability, comparability, and long-term usefulness of the data providing a stable foundation for tracking changes in marine ecosystem status over time. Standardized data collection ensures that consistent methods, protocols, and instruments are used across different locations and time periods.
This consistency is crucial for generating reliable and comparable data, enabling accurate analysis and assessment.
Moreover standardized procedures contribute to the quality assurance of collected data. By adhering to established protocols, researchers can minimize errors, reduce biases, and increase the overall reliability of the information gathered during monitoring activities.
What kind of data are communicated by the Contracting Parties?
Contracting Parties of Barcelona Convention report data related to 19 Common Indicators according to 30 Information Standards implemented in the IMAP Info System.
Data requirements can be found in the reporting guidelines and protocols established by the Barcelona Convention and its related programs. Data are categorized into three main groups: pollution, biodiversity, and coastal hydrography.
Data communicated by the Contracting Parties to the Barcelona Convention represent the basis for assessing the overall environmental status of the Mediterranean Sea, identifying emerging issues.
Will there be anything new for the system in the future?
The IMAP Info System will be updated with new functionalities: such as the development of a dashboard that synthetically represents the different information coming from the data stored in the IMAP Info System Data Base, the provision of video tutorials that support IMAP Users in report the data, a link to the data held and managed by General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean on Ecological objective EO3 and the improvement of the tools supporting the Regional Activity Centres for the next Quality Status Report assessments.
Why is COP23 an important event to support knowledge of the Mediterranean?
COP23 meetings provide a platform for countries to share information, negotiate agreements, and coordinate efforts to address common environmental challenges. The decisions made at COP23 meetings have a broad impact on the policies, practices, and collaborations related to marine environmental protection in the Mediterranean region, which define the future developments of the IMAP Info System.