OGS is recognised as the Italian National Oceanographic Data Centre (OGS-NODC) within the International Oceanographic Data Exchange System of the UNESCO Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) since 27/6/2002.
OGS is also listed in EurOcean (Marine Research Infrastructures Database) and in EDMO (European Directory of Marine Organisations).
OGS as part of the IOC's network of National Oceanographic Data Centres has designated responsibility for the coordination of data and information management at national level. The oceanographic database covers the fields of marine physics, chemical, biological, underway geophysics and general information on Italian oceanographic cruises and data sets.
The main objectives are (revision IODE-XXII, March 2013):
-Facilitate and promote the discovery, exchange of, and access to, marine data and information including metadata, products and information in real-time, near real time and delayed mode, through the use of international standards, and in compliance with the IOC Oceanographic Data Exchange Policy for the ocean research and observation community and other stakeholders;
- Encourage the long term archival, preservation, documentation, management and services of all marine data, data products, and information;
- Develop or use existing best practices for the discovery, management, exchange of, and access to marine data and information, including international standards, quality control and appropriate information technology;
- Assist Member States to acquire the necessary capacity to manage marine research and observation data and information and become partners in the IODE network;
- Support international scientific and operational marine programmes, including the Framework for Ocean Observing for the benefit of a wide range.