Abstract:
Researchers of projects at the sub-Antarctic Prince Edward Islands are increasingly considering geospatial
data as an essential component in answering scientific questions. A need exists for high-resolution
geospatial data in both multi- and transdisciplinary research to better analyse fine-scale biotic–abiotic
interactions of the Islands’ landscape and ecosystems within the context of climate change and the impacts
of invasive species. However, much of the geospatial data that currently exist have limitations in spatial
coverage and/or resolution, are outdated, or are not readily available. To address these issues, we present
an online geospatial database for the Prince Edward Islands (both islands) produced from a high-resolution
digital surface model and satellite imagery. This database contains vector files, raster data sets, and maps
of topographical and hydrological parameters. It is freely available to download from Figshare – an open
access data repository. We encourage the South African polar science community to make use of similar
platforms for improved data sharing practices.
SIGNIFICANCE :
• A topographical and hydrological geospatial database – produced from a 1 m x 1 m digital surface
model of the Prince Edward Islands – is provided.
• These fine-scale geospatial data allow for a more comprehensive assessment of biotic–abiotic
interactions at an island scale.
• Also included are locality maps specifying place names and established long-term marine mammal
monitoring beaches and coastal zones for improved cross-referencing.
• The dataset is downloadable from an open access data repository and intended to promote open
science and data sharing practices.
Description:
DATA AVAILABILITY: Dataset posted on 29.09.2022, 10:09 authored by Elizabeth Rudolph, David William Hedding, Nico De Bruyn and Werner Nel.
This database contains vector files, raster datasets, and maps of topographical and hydrological parameters of the sub-Antarctic Prince Edward Islands. Data production procedures are described in the associated paper (see references below) and the metadata are described in the "README" word document. The data is intended for scientific and/or educational use.
(https://figshare.com/articles/dataset/Prince_Edward_Islands_geospatial_database/19248626)