Accessing Diverse Data Comprehensively via a Web-Service Based Portal - The Coastal Observing System COSYNA

The coastal observation system COSYNA aims to describe the physical and biogeochemical state of a regional coastal system. The North Sea with a focus on the German Bight is used as an example. Diverse measurements and modelling systems help to gain a comprehensive picture of the state of the North Sea. This is achieved by making all gathered data available in an interrelated way. These challenging objectives are met by the use of a metadata system describing instruments and datasets in a highly standardised way. A data portal based on web-services enables a comprehensive retrieval and analysis of various data.