IODE

The Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO established the International Ocean Data and Information Exchange (IODE) in 1961 to enhance marine research, exploitation and development, by facilitating the exchange of oceanographic data and information between participating Member States, and by meeting the needs of users for data and information products. IODE became a member network of the World Data System (WDS) in 2013.

The IODE structure includes an international network of:

• IODE National Oceanographic Data Centres (NODCs), which in the UK is the British Oceanographic Data Centre (BODC)
• IODE Associate Data Units (ADUs) such as the Marine Biological Association (MBA for OBIS-UK) and the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR for Antarctic OBIS)
• IODE Associate Information Units (IDUs) as contacts with the marine library community
• IODE Global Data Assembly Centres (GDACs)
• Endorsed projects such the Ocean Biodiversity Information System (OBIS)
• Regional activities such as SeaDataNet in Europe

IODE provides:

• OceanExpert is a directory of marine and freshwater professionals
• IOC Ocean Data and Information System (ODIS) Catalogue
• OceanDataPortal (ODP)