The Jamaica Bay Water Quality Database is an interactive Web application for Jamaica Bay, New York created by the Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN) and Brooklyn College. Data were provided by Gateway National Recreation Area (Gateway) of the National Park Service (NPS) and the New York City Department of Environmental Protection (NYCDEP). The datasets were then formatted to ensure compatibility of measurement units and facilitate integration into a single database.
The purpose of this database is to centralize access to water quality data in support of research, management and education that promote resilience in Jamaica Bay and the surrounding communities. The project team is identifying other water quality datasets that may be integrated into the database in the future, and planning additional information layers that contribute to understanding patterns and changes in water quality.
Current Data Availability: During initial database development the NYCDEP provided data from the New York Harbor Survey Program covering the years 1909 through 2013. Gateway provided data covering the years 1979 through 2013. For the initial database release in 2017, only the 11 years from 2001–2011 have been ingested into searchable geo-referenced interface. However, the entire dataset is available as a single downloadable file. The team plans to ingest the entire dataset in the future.
Project Team:
City University of New York (CUNY) Brooklyn College, Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN) Columbia University, New York City Department of Environmental Protection (NYCDEP), National Park Service (NPS). 2017. Jamaica Bay Water Quality Database. Palisades, NY: CIESIN, Columbia University. http://www.ciesin.columbia.edu/jbwq. Accessed DAY MONTH YEAR.
The work is funded by the Department of the Interior through the Hurricane Sandy Mitigation Funding program and is a contribution to the Science and Resilience Institute of Jamaica Bay (www.srijb.org ).