The coast is a dynamic setting rich in natural resources. A geographic information system (GIS) is the perfect tool for managing those resources. A wealth of coastal spatial data exists to help coastal resource management organizations utilize GIS in their resource management activities. This module focuses on GIS data management tools and techniques, including metadata and the personal geodatabase. Metadata records document geospatial data in a consistent form that helps users find data of interest, determine the usefulness of the data, and determine how to access the data. The personal geodatabase facilitates data management by centralizing datasets into a single location. Students will gain an understanding of each of these topics through a series of lectures and hands-on exercises. The first exercise focuses on the creation of a geodatabase, and the tools that can be used to convert between the geodatabase and other spatial data formats. The second exercise focuses on metadata as a data discovery tool, and provides students with the ability to view metadata in ArcCatalog. The third and final exercise allows students to import coastal observational data in a tabular format, then load it, along with some associated raster data, into their personal geodatabase.
At the conclusion of this module, students will be able to: