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Abstract

First steps towards digital oceans rely on connecting datasets, harmonizing criteria and providing data access to wider user communities, but along the time, different storage codes have been adopted by the data providers according their own needs. The National Oceanographic Data Centre (NODC) is performing a strong effort in order to unify its datasets, making easier their identification and access. In the framework of (International Oceanographic Data Exchange, (UNESCO/IOC/IODE) initiatives, the IEO maintains a standardized catalogue of oceanographic surveys (CSR), integrated in international repositories as SeaDataNet or POGO. Although this activity has suffered ups and downs over 50 years of activity, the updating results sums up more than 4000 entries, including foreign surveys in national waters. Linked to it, the whole discrete water sampled analysis dataset has been renamed, profile by profile, following the same adopted naming criteria that CSRs. This assesses the uniqueness, prevent duplicates an improve their accessibility. More than 16000 profiles have been revised and updated following this approach, improving data access and allowing better storage protocols. The initiative accomplishes the european adopted criteria for metadata and data storage formats. A Geonetwork -OGC standard- catalogue possibilities the access to this information and data to a wide end-users community. As a case study, the information of the monthly standard oceanographic section of A Coruna (NW of Spain) is implemented in a local Geonetwork catalogue. Information about cruises and profiles is freely available. The technological harvesting capacities and machine to machine connections, increases the data visibility and reusing.