Developing and carrying out resource management
programs that are ecosystem-sensitive and have public
support requires that scientists and managers have efficient
access to high-quality coastal and marine data. Although
much data and information are available for the coast of
Oregon, they are scattered in various formats among several
federal, state, and local agencies, research institutes and
universities. There has been no central repository or access
point for natural resource geographic data for the Oregon
coast. This is a potential barrier to long-term effective,
coordinated assessment of hazards and response to disasters.
Therefore, as a collaborative effort between university,
federal, state, and regional entities, a much-needed geospatial
clearinghouse for the Oregon coast is in development. The
clearinghouse will be an NSDI-searchable node including
thematic data and FGDC-compliant metadata for the entire
coast, as well as embedded URL linkages to data throughout
the state. Data mining efforts in support of the clearinghouse
will serve as a testbed for the implementation of the new
FGDC Standards for Shoreline Data. The clearinghouse will
facilitate the assessment of coastal hazards at large spatial
scales. For example, temporal patterns can be quantified
using RADARSAT data, aerial photos, aerial videography,
and other retrospective techniques, thereby facilitating
disaster response and the analysis of changes in erosion,
management practices and economic activity on the coast. It
is anticipated that the clearinghouse will also be used to
project future changes by developing various scenarios for
natural disturbance (e.g., flooding), as well as for land-use
change and resource management.
Keywords: coastal and marine geography, geospatial
clearinghouses, hazards