SIOFA scientific data management framework workshop (WS2026-DAT)

SIOFA scientific projects, surveys, and collaborative research initiatives within the Convention Area have generated a diverse and growing body of primary and derived scientific data. These assets include SIOFA project data sets, physical and biological samples, VME observations, environmental DNA (eDNA) records, oceanographic measurements, acoustic datasets, bathymetric data, and high-resolution imagery and video.
While ownership and access provisions may be governed by programme-level arrangements, SIOFA currently has no metadata catalogue or overarching framework to manage the long-term stewardship, integrity, traceability, and accessibility of these scientific assets. As ecosystem-based fisheries management, spatial modelling, and VME assessments place increasing demands on data continuity and reproducibility, this gap represents a material risk to the Scientific Committee's advisory functions.
This workshop aims to address that gap by developing a Scientific Data Management Framework (SDMF) as well as a workplan to implement the framework.
The SDMF is specifically concerned with scientific data generated in the context of SIOFA-related research that falls outside the data submission requirements of CMM-02. This includes, but is not limited to:

• physical and biological samples collected during scientific surveys or observer programmes
• VME indicator records and video or imagery transects
• environmental DNA (eDNA) sequence data and associated metadata
• oceanographic and acoustic datasets
• bathymetric data with associated uncertainty information
• derived analytical outputs (model inputs/outputs, standardised CPUE indices) traceable to the above, and
• SIOFA scientific consultancy project data, files, and outputs.

Objectives:

1. Develop a scientific data management framework document for consideration by SC12, outlining the elements for a SIOFA Scientific Data Management Framework applicable to scientific datasets beyond catch-effort and observer logbook reporting.
    
2. Develop a workplan for creating a structured inventory of scientific data assets and the metadata fields that should be captured in a SIOFA Scientific Data Metadata Catalogue.

Chairs: FR-OT (Alexis Martin) / SC Chair (Alistair Dunn)