The South Florida Information Access (SOFIA) system was created by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in 1995. Its mission is to provide easy access to information about research projects and products generated as part of the USGS South Florida Placed-Based Studies (PBS) and other Federal, state, and local science providers. SOFIA provides this service by integrating information systems and tools enabling efficient storage, organization, and search and retrieval of scientific information about the south Florida ecosystem.

A principal objective of the USGS South Florida PBS is to assist resource managers who require an improved scientific information base to resolve or prevent complex resource conflicts or environmental problems in southern Florida. SOFIA is an integral element of this program and is a primary resource for providing the USGS scientific information to resource managers and scientists working to preserve and restore the south Florida ecosystem. SOFIA was designed to benefit three major user groups: USGS program managers and scientists working with the South Florida PBS, managers and scientists working for other organizations involved with Everglades restoration, and members of the public interested in USGS research and/or the science behind the Everglades restoration effort. Program managers and scientists working within the South Florida PBS use the SOFIA website in various ways: (1) coordination and sharing of scientific research information; (2) access to announcements and registration links for upcoming workshops, conferences, and seminars; (3) monitoring of current ecosystem conditions through the real-time data pages; and (4) access to synthesis of topic-specific research results to benefit from lessons learned and avoid duplication of effort.

The users of the SOFIA site have a variety of interests and informational needs. Information is provided at many levels of detail, catering to users from a wide range of technical understanding. The general public uses the site to understand the problems and research behind Everglades restoration. The site provides information for children and adults, including summaries already adapted for use in classroom, museum, and other public venues, as wells as for journalists, government, and non-government organizations. SOFIA is used by stakeholders who follow USGS activities in the community and outdoorsmen to track research as well as monitor real-time conditions in planning activities.

SOFIA is an evolving and dynamic system that builds on the ever-increasing sophistication of new information technology. The current architecture consists of three tiers. The top tier is the web browser; the middle tier is the web server with business logic, and static web pages and data files; and the bottom tier is the SOFIA database. A map server using geographic information system (GIS) technology is being developed to provide a map-based interface to the database and the website.

Data is served by three mechanisms on the SOFIA website. The Data Exchange (URL http://sofia.usgs.gov/exchange/) provides access to files organized by project. The projects are further organized using six primary themes: biology, chemistry, ecology, geology, hydrology, and mapping. Data are stored in various file formats, such as ASCII text files, spreadsheets, and databases. For each data set, additional information is provided, including a description of the method of data collection, an explanation of the data file format, and a listing and a map of the data collection locations. The Data Exchange provides an efficient means of providing data to users who are familiar with a project and would like to obtain the project data sets.

The second mechanism of serving data is through a web interface (URL http://www.envirobase.usgs.gov) to an SQL-based database. The SOFIA database is currently being developed using PostgeSQL 7.2 as the database engine. The web interface is being developed using PHP, a server-side scripting language developed for the web. The database consists of over 50 tables, providing a means of storing the data and associated metadata. Included in the tables are the data values as well as information about methods of data collection, data-collection locations, and associated projects, publications, and photographs. Many of the database objects provide links to related information on the SOFIA website.

The third mechanism of serving data is through a web-based map server. The map server, which is being developed using ArcIMS software, will provide a means of accessing information stored in the SOFIA database and the SOFIA data exchange website through a geospatial query. The spatial data will be served using the ArcSDE software, which provides a mechanism for storing spatial data in a relational database. The spatial database will contain point data sets showing data-collection locations presented on the SOFIA website, published maps, such as bathymetric contours, geologic surfaces, and vegetation grids, as well as background data sets, such as political boundaries, hydrography, and roads. The map server will provide access to related information stored on the SOFIA website and in the SOFIA database.

Contact: Sonenshein, Roy, U.S. Geological Survey, 9100 NW 36th Street, Suite 107, Miami, FL, 33178, Phone: 305-717-5824, Fax: 305-717-5801, e-mail: sunshine@usgs.gov, Information Systems

(This abstract was taken from the Greater Everglades Ecosystem Restoration (GEER) Open File Report 03-54)

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