Frequently Asked Questions

What is CIOOS?

The Canadian Integrated Ocean Observing System (CIOOS) is a powerful online platform for discovery, access, and analysis of open-access marine data and resources.

What is open data?

Open data is data which is shared freely and can be accessed, used, modified, and shared for any purpose (subject, at most, to requirements that preserve provenance and openness).

What is metadata?

Metadata is information about data. Dataset description, geospatial information, contact information for attribution and citation, and associated resources are a few useful metadata elements that help promote data discovery and reuse.

How can I access CIOOS data?

Explore and access our current data holdings using the CIOOS Asset MapMetadata Catalogue, or CIOOS Data Explorer.

What are Essential Ocean Variables?

Essential Ocean Variables are a collection of physical, biogeochemical, and biological ocean variables outlined by the Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS) that help improve the monitoring of key ocean processes.
For more information, see the CIOOS Atlantic Essential Ocean Variables.

How does CIOOS manage data?

CIOOS data and metadata standards follow national and international best practices to ensure that data is findable, accessible, interoperable and reusable (FAIR data principles). 

For more information, see the CIOOS Atlantic Data Management Principles.

What are data licenses?

A data license is a legal document that specifies the standard set of terms and conditions regarding sharing and re-use of your data.

What data license does CIOOS use?

CIOOS Atlantic applies the Creative Commons “Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)” license by default. This license allows for the sharing and re-use of all data so long as proper attribution is given. Other open licenses, such as open government licenses (e.g., “Open Government Licence – Canada”) and public domain licenses (e.g. CC0) are also supported.