Our first in a series of free technical workshops was held on 8 March 2012 at the University of British Columbia’s Department of Earth and Ocean Sciences in Vancouver. 12 attendees from UBC, Simon Fraser University and the Federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans joined Ocean Networks Canada staff members for the day-long session.
Ocean Network Canada’s VENUS Observatory has been collecting oceanographic data from Saanich Inlet and the Strait of Georgia since 2006. NEPTUNE has been gathering real-time oceanographic data from 5 locations off the west coast of Vancouver Island, BC for over 2 years. These extensive time series datasets include thousands of daily observations from hundreds of instruments. Our records even detail from some major events such as the September 2009 Samoan Tsunami and the March 2011 Japanese earthquake. Now, by hosting technical workshops, we’re trying to make it easier for scientists and researchers to make use of our data.
Workshop Goals & Format
These workshops have two main goals:
- Show participants how to view, search and download data from our archives
- Provide opportunities for scientists to explore our data and consider applications to their specific research interests
Working in the EOS computer lab, participants first became familiar with our Web-based software, learning how to access our data directly. After this, smaller focus groups explored topics or events of interest such as oceanographic impacts of Japan’s March 2011 Tohoku earthquake or alocal storm
Positive Feedback
Participants found the workshop informative and useful. One participant was pleased that the entire data archives are “open source and easily accessible.” Many participants enjoyed the workshop’s hands-on experience.
Join an Upcoming Workshop!
We invite scientists, educators and students to attend upcoming workshops (free of charge). We'll show you how to access and work with our data archives and instrument information. Hopefully, this will help support your research, labs, experiments and educational activities.