On April 3, the U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System released the newest version of their Data Catalog, version 1.5. Updates for this version focus on improving user experience with searches and filtering of IOOS data in line with FAIR Data Principles.

IOOS data is now more findable through Google Dataset Search

"FAIR data management principles focus on ensuring that datasets are Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable. Incorporating these principles into the data catalog not only extends the reusability and utility of IOOS datasets but also directly supports our mandate to gather and disseminate ocean data," says Derrick Snowden, IOOS Operations Chief.

Notable changes include:

This dataset from the Catalog shows the new keyword functionality available with this update

• enhanced Schema.org metadata: metadata now includes a dataset’s geographic bounding box, time period coverage, download formats, and dataset license in the format recommended by Google which allows for improved searchability and filtering of IOOS data by Google Dataset Search.
• improved keyword functionality: the Catalog now parses keywords from CF Standard Names and NASA Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) as distinct from general keywords, allowing presentation in distinct UI elements and improved filtering ability for users.
• centralized WAF: the Catalog now provides a centralized WAF of all IOOS metadata records, enabling easier harvest into NOAA metadata management systems.

In addition, minor updates have been made to the base map, point dataset display, harvesting job management, and service security and monitoring. The overall Catalog server architecture was also built out to better support its growing user base.

You can read the full notes on the new release here and access the data catalog here.