Dr Siddeswara Guru1, Mr Javier Sanchez Gonzalez1, Mr Avinash Chandra1, Mr Enzhen Luo1, Miss Junrong Yu1, Mr Gerhard Weis1, Miss Megan Edward1, Miss Donna Lewis2, Miss Carly Steen2, Mrs. Sally O'Neill2, Mr Ben Sparrow2
1University Of Queensland, Indooroopilly, Australia, 2The University of Adelaide, Urrbrae, Australia
Biography:
Siddeswara Guru is the Program lead of TERN Data Services and Analytics Platform.
Abstract:
The Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network (TERN) is an NCRIS-funded land-based observatory that measures the environment from continental to site scales using various observation methods, including remote sensing, in situ observations, and human observations. As part of the site-based systematic survey monitoring program, TERN routinely collect physical samples from Australia's diverse landscape, including plant tissue, plant specimens, soil and metagenomics samples. Specimen samples, once collected, will be curated in the lab, catalogued and archived. It is essential to make these samples widely discoverable and accessible. However, Significant effort is required to make them discoverable, including digitisation of specimens and making them discoverable through digital means.
The sample repository is created as part of TERN EcoPlots, a systematic survey data integration platform, to publish all samples collected by TERN. Just like observational data, samples can be searched by regions, sites, and sample types. Each material sample is assigned a globally unique identifier (IGSN) that links to its sampling context, site information, and digital artefacts.
Through EcoPlots, users can select samples of their interest, review details and complete an Express of Interest (EOI) form to request an access. Once the EOI is submitted, the samples' curation team will get in touch with users to discuss further access methods. We envisage publishing more than 130,000 samples collection.
The presentation will provide an overview of challenges and approaches to publishing material samples as linked data in EcoPlots.