Job Type
Data Management
Natural Resource Management
Subject Area
Biological Oceanography, Marine Ecology
Fisheries, Aquaculture
Activities
Mr. Robert M. Branton (Bob) retired from Dalhousie Faculty of Science in 2014 after 6 years as Director, Data Management for the Ocean Tracking Network (OTN) and from Canada Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) in 2008 after 28 years at the Bedford Institute of Oceanography fisheries as a biologist and data manager.
Bob earned a Bachelor of Science Degree from Dalhousie in 1972 and prior to arriving at BIO in 1980, was a research technician at various science laboratories including BIO (1972-75) and a Computer Programmer / Systems Analyst for Engineering and Financial Divisions at the Nova Scotia Power Corporation (1976-80). While at BIO from 1980-2008, Bob contributed to oceanographic and biological research from a wide variety of senior positions including: Senior Data Analyst for Ocean Circulation Division (1980-82); Electronic Data Processing Coordinator, Section Head, Biologist and Senior Biologist for Marine Fish Division (1982-2005) and Section Head and Senior Biologist for Population Ecology Division (2005-08).
Other actvities had included: Scientific consultant with Kiely Cove Marine Enterprises and member of the Coastal & Ocean Information Network for the Atlantic (COINAtlantic) and volunteer lecturer for the International Ocean Institute, located at Dalhousie University.
Sea regions of study
North Atlantic Ocean
North Pacific Ocean
Global
Skills
Research / studies have provided key advice on: resource assessments of various marine groundfish stocks, commercial port sampling, research vessel trawl surveys, international observer program, industry surveys and development / operation of scientific data management, analysis and visualization systems. His research interests have been focused on a number of multi-species issues, principally: commercial harvest of marine plants, evaluating effectiveness of fisheries management measures (e.g. bycatch in small mesh gear fisheries), improving quality of regional commercial statistics for mixed fisheries, integrating research trawl survey results across the Northwest Atlantic, and developing authoritative species lists for DFO's national science data inventory.
Comment(s)
Keen interest in scientific data management has led to successful adoption of the Oracle relational data management system at BIO (1988), development of the Maritime Virtual Data Center (VDC) (1999) and the Ocean Biogeographic Information System (OBIS) Canada Portal (2005). As chair of the Centre for Marine Biodiversity Technical Committee (2004-08), Bob has led the organization of numerous public data management workshops and conferences, the most recent being the International Ocean Biodiversity Informatics Conference at BIO in October 2007. Bob has on many occasions represented Canada at the international level, including: International Council for Exploration of the Sea (ICES) Marine Data Management Committee (1986-89), International Ocean Biogeographic Information System (OBIS) Managers' Committee (2004-07), the Gulf of Maine Ocean Data Partnership (GoMODP) Executive Committee (2004-08) and chairman of the Canadian National Committee (CNC) for the International Committee on Data for Science and Technology (CODATA) (2013-15).
