Rescue the data: Making LifeWatch Archeological datasets interoperable

Marine biodiversity data is crucial to understand the underlying processes driving the functioning of our ecosystems. However, there are still spatial and temporal gaps in its availability. Through the data archaeology activities in the framework of the LifeWatch Belgium project, this lack of information was addressed by resurfacing and digitizing existing historical collections of marine biological data hidden in books, field notebooks, tapes etc. It is our duty now to make this datasets freely available and interoperable for the scientific community.

We are seeking a motivated student who will be trained in our methods to make data interoperable so it can be reused and combined with any other datasets. This is a multi-task job that will require critical thinking to understand how the data was taken and how to translate it into a machine-readable language. She/he will have the chance of gaining in-depth insights on data management and quality control, using biodiversity standards like the Darwin Core and making the data available through data portals such as EurOBIS and EMODnet Biology

The student will have the opportunity to work and be trained by the Data Centre of the Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ), an accredited data centre with a long history in the management of marine data. The Data Centre currently coordinates several databases/projects of international importance such as EMODnet Biology, EurOBIS, the World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS), LifeWatch.be and MarineRegions.

Language requirements: 
English. Knowledge of Dutch and/or French is an advantage.
Specific competences required : 
Data management skills: Excel required. R programming desirable (dplyr library). Basic knowledge of biology and biodiversity desired.
Safety issues: 
None
Accommodation possibilities : 
We do not provide accommodation. However, we can help the students to find an affordable place to stay in Ostend.
Additional costs to be covered by the student: 
Yes
Describe the additional costs to be covered by the student: 
Bring lunch. Public transport to and from Ostend is covered by VLIZ.