Best Practices in Data Management at Ocean Networks Canada: a Citizen Scientist case study

Ocean Networks Canada (ONC), an initiative of the University of Victoria, operates world-leading ocean observatories and data repository services. ONC has been a member of the World Data System since 2014, meeting rigorous data repository certification criteria. As such, ONC is committed to adhering to research data community standards and best practices in data management including FAIR (findable, accessible, interoperable and reusable) data principles. ONC's data infrastructure, Oceans 2.0, serves a growing array of instruments and platforms from data collection, assurance, and description, to data preservation, discovery, integration, analysis, and distribution. Many existing frameworks within Oceans 2.0 are a result of other oceanographic organizations forming partnerships with ONC for data solutions and services. Here, we feature the best practices in data management ONC applied to a Community Fishers Program for citizen scientists that ingests CTD (conductivity, temperature, and depth), oxygen, and chlorophyll profiles. While the initiative began through a partnership with the Pacific Salmon Foundation's Salish Sea Marine Survival Project in 2015, additional partnerships have recently lead to data acquisition, processing, and product improvements for increased functionality and scalability.