The WCODP ACT is the steering committee that is guiding the development and progress of the WCODP as well as providing a point of connection back to the WCGA Executive Committee. The group met today to make decisions about a new funding opportunity, provide feedback on new Network communication tools, and discuss ongoing grant work. The group decided that among the many different projects we could support with new funding, the most important work to fund is the development of regional data products that would be made available through the WCODP and support the regional priorities of the WCGA, federal partners, and tribes. As we learn more about the availability of the funds, we will make announcements here.
The WCODP ACT also provided feedback on the development of draft communication tools that were refined by the Outreach Working Group. The group agreed that the blog, social network, and calendar will provide additional opportunities for communication and engagement with members of the West Coast Ocean Data Network. We hope to launch the blog in late May.
Finally, the Marine Debris Use Case project, working with the Marine Debris ACT and others to develop Portal tools to address the issue of Marine Debris on the West Coast, is entering its next phase. We are developing data visualization tools and busily working with our Network partners to import and add data. We hope that there will be a prototype of the viewer by the end of summer to share with the Network for feedback and comments.