GEBCO Visual Library
Proof of Concept

Monahan, D. Schwehr, K., Wigley, R., Tinmouth, N.,
Goncalves, D., Jinidasa, P., Uddin, J., Ito, K.

The GEBCO Visual Library is a conceptual model that could incorporate,
in the broadest sense, all oceanographic and hydrographic research
compiled from various sources and allows it to be geo-referenced in an
easily accessible and familiar visual interface. Google Earth, a
freely-available virtual globe, was chosen as the platform due to its
user-friendliness to a global community of varying educational
backgrounds.

The objective is to provide the user with as much scientific
information as possible for any chosen location within the global
oceans. The initial conceptual model has concentrated on multibeam
bathymetry only. Data is presented in the form of an image of the
bathymetric data with figure caption, research publication reference,
and abstract. Information is positioned using Google Earth
"thumbtacks" displayed over the GEBCO world chart. These "thumbtacks"
can be selected to provide pop-up windows, which display the embedded
bathymetric image together with the other contents mentioned above.

The GEBCO Visual Library is envisioned to be a resource that will
facilitate the dissemination of oceanographic information amongst an
interdisciplinary international community with diverse requirements.

CONCEPT:

The GEBCO Visual Library is a conceptual model which aims to
effectively and efficiently:

* Provide a visual and accessible interface which will facilitate the
  organisation, dissemination and preservation of bathymetric data and
  associated metadata using Google Earth, a widely used and familiar
  software throughout the world;

* Provide a link between available bathymetric survey data and user in
  a geo-referenced framework which overlies the current General
  Bathymetric Chart of the Ocean draped within Google Earth. This
  interface may provide the platform to supply the viewer gazetteered
  undersea feature names at relative zoom levels;

* Allow for the ease of identification of the relative densities of
  existing survey data of oceanic areas, emphasising the scarcity of
  oceanic data and the need for further studies;

* Encourage interdisciplinary collaboration among individuals,
  institutions, coastal states, and organizations, allowing for
  development of new products that could be widely used in science and
  education, and would help users identify the needs of various user
  communities;

* Promote capacity building by allowing bathymetric data to be easily
  located and identified within third world countries, which often
  lack the resources required for in depth literature reviews &
  research.


POTENTIAL:

* The visual library can be expanded to include all oceanographic
  research, with unlimited options, such as other hydrographic survey
  tools, habitat mapping, fisheries data, all earth and life science
  research

* Searches by bounding box will allow the location of all
  geo-referenced research within the selected area to be identified;
  filters will facilitate the perusal of this data

* In time, the bathymetry images could be overlain onto Google Earth,
  scaled and located in their proper geographic location

* Scientific publishers could request locational information from
  authors, thereby automatically updating the visual library with the
  central location of images from new publications

* Archiving of all data sources and possible URL link to original
  download resource via web browser

* Regular updates
  
* Interaction with new technology, such as Google's Geo search or
  Wikipedia, which can interrogate the Endnote database and display
  results directly.

* Promote education and training in ocean mapping science for all
  coastal states by providing a readily accessible resource. This
  should stimulate the flow of data and ensure that it is incorporated
  into an international knowledge base.