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The Reef Futures Knowledge Management System

Reef Futures is a collaborative project funded by CRC Reef. This program facilitates synthesis, communication and information exchange among CRC Reef's partners and with interested outside parties. Its objective is to ensure that technology and knowledge developed under CRC Reef and all other relevant programs is utilised by industry, managers and the community to ensure benefits available from the Great Barrier Reef are maintained for current and future generations.

The influence of scientific problem solving on policy makers and the general public is a direct function of the perceived relevance and clarity of communication output. However environmental modelling is complex and this diminishes the ability of traditional media to clearly represent model output. Simplified brochures and news articles struggle to convey the complexity of the network of abiotic and biotic interdependent systems. Conversely detailed reports and scientific papers are rarely read. The optimum delivery of science involves the viewer dynamically determining the level of detail for a topic of interest. Static media such as newspapers and non-digital television have no provision for information expansion. This program generates a knowledge management model focusing on integrating GIS into dynamic web pages to deliver a scalable information product. This web site uses dynamically generated web pages (Coldfusion) to incorporate GIS (ArcIMS). Using textual search engines (Verity) within a highly graphical and dynamic website permits the viewer to fully explore a topic of interest. The interactive mapping technologies permit the viewer to zoom in and fully investigate the scientific complexities surrounding an environmental issue. For many viewers this will be the first time to examine the raw data used by scientists.

The first issue being addressed is coral bleaching on the Great Barrier Reef. Spatial data depicting recent coral surveys can be viewed in the full context of satellite derived sea surface temperatures. Hyperlinking offers a mechanism of connecting images of the corals from surveys to the map elements with metadata describing various modelling techniques used. The ability to deliver complex modelling results through a sophisticated communication delivery mechanism will significantly enhance the influence of science.