Union Minister for Science and Technology Harshvardhan on Monday launched the ‘Digital Ocean’ platform of Indian National Centre for Oceanic Information Services (INCOIS) here as a one stop-solution for all data related needs of a wide range of users, including research institutions, operational agencies, strategic users, academic community, maritime industry, and the public.
“Digital Ocean (www.do.incois.gov.in) is expected to bring a sea-change in how the oceanographic data is served for a better understanding of oceans surrounding us. It will play a central role in sustainable management of our oceans and expanding our ‘Blue Economy’ initiatives,” informed INCOIS Director T. Srinivasa Kumar.
Dr. Harshvardhan virtually unveiled the web platform in the presence of secretary of Ministry of Earth Science M. Rajeevan, Joint Secretary Vipin Chandra and others from New Delhi. This first of its kind platform for ocean data management has a set of applications that present heterogeneous oceanographic data with geospatial technology.
“It will facilitate an online interactive web-based environment for data integration, 3D and 4D data visualization, data analysis to assess the evolution of oceanographic features obtained from multiple sources like on site monitoring devices, remote sensing and model data,” said the Director.
INCOIS provides ocean information and advisory services to various stakeholders in the country, including Potential Fishing Zone (PFZ) advisories, Ocean State Forecast (OSF), high wave alerts, tsunami early warnings, storm surge and oil-spill advisories, among others., using state-of-the-art technologies and tools to get real time information on oceanographic and marine meteorological data. The institute has been serving as the National Argo Data Centre and Regional Argo Data Centre of the International Argo Programme, he added, in a press release.
