CoastNet in conjunction with the EU project, Corepoint, today (29 June
2006) launches a new and innovative coastal and marine portal, CoastWeb
(http://www.coastweb.info/).
For the first time, coastal and marine professionals will be given a
free, online, dynamic resource that not only stores information but
intelligently links this to other internal sources and to external
sites.
Aimed at everyone with an interest in coastal and marine issues, the
site promises to cut information searches from hours to minutes with
the use of its innovative web technology.
The uniqueness of the site comes from the way CoastWeb's technology
links information, making cross-thematic connections without users
specifying this in their initial search. In this way, users are able to
broaden their knowledge base in what would otherwise be a complex and
un-connected mass of coastal and marine information. The site is also
interactive with users being able to add their own information through
a free registration process, adding to the site's ever-increasing
knowledge base.
The potential of the site for those accessing it is huge. Coastal and
marine students for the first time will have one site to access
relevant information and upload their own research and theses.
University departments could create their own dedicated space to
populate with their materials and information. Employers will be able
to search CoastWeb's online biography section for potential employees,
saving time and money advertising for candidates. Crucially, coastal
and marine professionals and local authorities will be able to access
information relevant to their specific region and area of work while
also tapping into national and international knowledge. And, for all
those time-poor professionals, CoastWeb hopes to shave hours off search
time.
Today, marks the completion of Phase I in what is a multi-phased
project. Currently, the site hosts an online library of information and
provides an automated news service but additional features such as a
local search facility are planned for Phase II.
Alex Midlen, Chair of CoastNet said of CoastWeb: "Like many sectors,
the coastal and marine community suffers from information-overload with
no central place to access such information. CoastWeb is a
user-friendly, accessible site that has such enormous potential to
provide an all-in-one, dynamic coastal and marine resource. Now it's up
to the coastal and marine community to ensure the site fulfils this
huge potential by adding their own documents and building a great
resource for themselves and the rest of the community."
256MMcS
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