CISL Seminar: Crossing the chasm at NASA Earthdata and NOAA Fisheries

Abstract

“Crossing the chasm” is a metaphor about change and resilience as ideas spread within a population – organizations, communities, and user groups. This spring, our Openscapes community used this metaphor to share real change led by the awesome staff at NOAA Fisheries – stewards of the nation’s ocean resources and habitats – and at NASA Earthdata Data Centers (DAACs) – stewards of the nation’s Earth Science mission data from space-based and suborbital observations.

Claiming we’ve crossed a big scary chasm is a bold claim, especially for big goals: data modernization and workforce development across NOAA Fisheries and supporting NASA Earthdata users’ transition to cloud computing-based workflows. While the work is ongoing and still challenging, this crossing is a story to celebrate. To amplify. To point and say “this is possible”. To repeat/fork in new places. To join. To grow. For you, us, to do these things. This transformation builds on decades of work by many dedicated people inside and outside of NOAA Fisheries and NASA Earthdata, with varied job titles and contributions. We’ll share stories of new data workflows that are more efficient and robust, plus how we support people learning them, since adopting and developing new skills takes real time. We’ll highlight how the earthaccess Python library is helping users leverage the awesomeness of NASA Earthdata – a story of building a game-changing bridge between a data system and its open communities – plus new technical features including VirtualiZarr integration, and how we collaborate to further enhance NASA Earthdata workflows for all.