SEACOOS CDL v2.0 December 9, 2004 2 2.2 Information Management within SEACOOS Ocean data and information  management within SEACOOS (http://www.seacoos.org) occurs in four steps: aggregation and storage, normalization, visualization and dissemination (Purvis, et al., 2004). Figure 2.1 shows how these four-steps are interrelated and how data flow from one step to the next. Figure 2.1. SEACOOS information management components are illustrated in this flow chart. It shows how the data flow from posting data on OPeNDAP Servers, to aggregation and database normalization, to visualization and then to the many levels of disseminated information. SEACOOS partners post data to the Internet and their own OPeNDAP Server in netCDF format using the SEACOOS CDL standard. In addition to data in netCDF, many remote-sensing satellite products are provided and incorporated using Portable Network Graphics (PNG) raster image format. Model products are posted in netCDF with an agreed upon netCDF model standard (Blanton, et al. 2004). All these data are then aggregated by the SEACOOS portal.  Since many sources report on different time scales and have varied spatial coverage, the data are normalized to a central database that is coordinated in space and time.  The database is then accessed by an online Geographic Information System (GIS) application.  The SEACOOS Internet visualization tool provides traditional mapping, animation, and plotting capabilities (http://www.seacoos.org).   Finally, data are disseminated at many levels. Metadata records maintain access to the original data and original OPeNDAP Server.  Also, Open GIS Consortium (OGC) data layers are made available using emerging technologies for such services as Web Map Service (WMS) and   Web Feature Service (WFS). Customized access and interface approaches are being developed by SEACOOS to target specific audiences such as fisheries, emergency management, and recreation (Purvis, et al., 2004).  Figure 2.2 shows the SEACOOS Internet interactive map display.