Best practices for data management in marine science: lessons from the Nansen Legacy project

Abstract

Large, multidisciplinary projects that collect vast amounts of data are becoming increasingly common in academia. Efficiently managing data across and beyond such projects necessitates a shift from fragmented efforts to coordinated, collaborative approaches. This article presents the data management strategies employed in the Nansen Legacy project (https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-323-90427-8.00009-5, Wassmann, 2022), a multidisciplinary Norwegian research initiative involving over 300 researchers and 20 expeditions into and around the northern Barents Sea. To enhance consistency in data collection, sampling protocols were developed and implemented across different teams and expeditions. A searchable metadata catalogue was established, providing an overview of all collected data within weeks of each expedition. The project also implemented a policy that mandates immediate data sharing among members and publishing of data in accordance with the FAIR guiding principles where feasible. We detail how these strategies were implemented and discuss the successes and challenges, offering insights and lessons learned to guide future projects in similar endeavours.