Provide information about Oregon coastal watersheds and the species inhabiting them;
To facilitate access to data and information from a wide variety of sources to citizens and decisionmakers
actively involved in natural resource use, policy and planning;
Provide a resource that meets user information needs, including:
Regional trends and current status of salmonids and other native fish species;
Regional trends and current status of land use and stream habitats;
Human caused barriers to fish passage and locations of currently inaccessible habitat;
Areas of greatest intrinsic potential for production of salmonids.
Distinguishing Features
Thematic atlas targeting a specific audience;
User controlled interface provides several levels of functionality and multiple map and font sizes;
Advanced searching of all site content;
Targets user needs: data, tools and expertise.
Target Audience
Researchers/Scientists;
NGOs;
Government/Public Bodies;
Consultancies;
Coastal/Environmental Managers;
Decision Makers;
Atlas Design and Usability
Focus:
Map content;
Textual content
Design:
Clear navigation and instruction;
Involved user feedback;
Access text from maps/maps from text;
Multiple point(s) of access to map/data;
Guided navigation;
Map Page:
View limited layers
View data independently/by theme;.
Separate legend & layer lists
Links to internal pages
Documentation:
Thematic text;
Metadata:
Database
Multiple format(s);
Illustrations, images and charts
Help page(s);
Tutorial;
Standards:
Metadata standards: FGDC;
Other:
Glossary;
User controlled interface;
Multi-media stories to inform users.
Technology Used
Mapping Software:
Proprietary: ArcIMS
Data Storage:
Locally: Database
Database Management System:
Yes: ASP.Net;
Other
Moxi Media Internet Mapping Framework front end (Java Server Page-based);
Used Open Archives Initiative Protocol for
Metadata Harvesting.
Functionality/Tools Available
Level:
Basic
Moderate
Advanced
Search Capability:
Search for data
Search for thematic information
Other:
Advanced search tool;
Mapping tools:
Pre-made maps;
Mapping Tool Wizard for novice users;
Advanced Mapping Tool for those familiar with GIS mapping;
Special tools for:
Interactive statistical report generation to create custom tables and graphs;
Submission to the Explorer Digital Library via scholarsArchive@OSU;
Discussion Forum (used very little);
Administration.
Mapping Tools:
Zoom, recentre and full extent;
Identify features;
Layer list control;
View by theme;
Print/Export maps;
Measure line and areas;
Download geospatial data;
Data/Cartographic Information Included
Geographic Area: North Coast Basin, Oregon
Number of Datasets: 43
Topics:
Physical Environment;
Coastal Habitats;
Biology;
Management;
Human Impact;
Environmental Monitoring;
Infrastructure;
Natural Resources;
Other:
Intrinsic potential;
Fish passage barriers.
Data Issues
IPR/Cost:
Data use restrictions
Accessibility:
Poorly managed, inaccessible data;
Limited GIS-ready data;
Data duplication;
Distributed network not yet feasible;
Data retrieval speed;
Quality:
Variable/inconsistent data quality;
Inappropriate data scales;
Incomparable regional datasets;
Management:
Data management plan development;
Regularity of data updates;
Manual upload of data to atlas;
Other Challenges
Funding for site maintenance;
Designing simple, intuitive and informative web interface;
Content balance of science and information;
Product promotion;
Design of efficient DBMS for content management;
Other:
Designing a product which combines power with ease of use.
