FAIR Data Practices for Marine Ecological Time Series (NSF EarthCube Research Coordination Network) OCB report

Since the early to mid-20th century, shipboard marine ecological time series (METS), or sustained repeat measurements of physical, biogeochemical, and biological processes, have documented changes in ocean biogeochemistry and marine ecosystems. To date, numerous disconnected databases and interfaces for accessing data have made it difficult for prospective users to find and use these datasets. Limited data access, discoverability, reporting, and interoperability represent a barrier to analyses within and across METS. Standardized guidelines on METS sampling and analytical methods, data and metadata reporting protocols, data sharing culture, and data citation practices are needed to track and expand time series data usage and facilitate comparative studies across METS stations. It is this set of data-related challenges that the METS Research Coordination Network set out to address. This report is a summary of METS RCN activities and efforts, including a culminating community workshop that included representation from a globally distributed set of METS. The report provides informatics tools and resources that are specific to METS datasets and includes actionable recommendations for strengthening a global METS network and broadening applications and users of METS datasets.