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USGS Maps Sand-Rich Seafloor to Support Mississippi Coast Restoration

WASHINGTON, Dec. 25 (TNSLrpt) -- The U.S. Geological Survey has published Scientific Investigations Report 2025-5100 titled 'Shallow geologic framework of the Mississippi Sound and the potential for sediment resources,' authored by James Flocks and Arnell Forde. Produced in cooperation with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Mobile District, the document, issued in 2025 from the agency's Reston, Virginia, headquarters, outlines the geologic setting and sediment resource potential of the Mississippi Sound to support coastwide beach and dune projects.

The report describes how researchers compiled ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, Dec. 25 (TNSLrpt) -- The U.S. Geological Survey has published Scientific Investigations Report 2025-5100 titled 'Shallow geologic framework of the Mississippi Sound and the potential for sediment resources,' authored by James Flocks and Arnell Forde. Produced in cooperation with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Mobile District, the document, issued in 2025 from the agency's Reston, Virginia, headquarters, outlines the geologic setting and sediment resource potential of the Mississippi Sound to support coastwide beach and dune projects. The report describes how researchers compiledand interpreted high-resolution single-channel seismic profiles acquired between 1980 and 2010, along with bathymetric data and prior geologic studies, to build a three-dimensional framework of the shallow subsurface. Mapping of seismic horizons and stratigraphic units allowed the authors to distinguish Pleistocene deposits, Holocene lagoonal sediments, fluvial channels, tidal deposits and shoal features across the Sound and adjacent shelf. This framework underpins estimates of where sand- and shell-rich units suitable for coastal restoration may be present and accessible.

Within Hancock County, Mississippi, the study focuses on several potential sediment bodies, including Holocene lagoon deposits, fluvial channel and tidal deposits, and a prominent shoal deposit. Analysis of the Pleistocene seismic horizon helps define the depth and relief of older substrates that control the thickness and distribution of overlying Holocene units. The authors note that the Mississippi Sound is generally shallow, with about 80 percent of the area less than 5 meters deep, a factor that influences both sediment transport and the feasibility of resource extraction.

The methodology section explains that seismic data were ingested into the OpendTect software environment to construct a data cube for visualization and interpretation. Interpreters traced key reflectors to separate stratigraphic packages and identify sand-prone units with potential as borrow areas for beach and dune nourishment. The report emphasizes that while geophysical signatures can highlight likely sand resources, direct sampling is required to validate thickness, grain size, composition and environmental suitability.

To address this need, the authors outline a proposed reconnaissance coring strategy designed to "ground truth" the high-resolution seismic profiles in priority target areas. The plan calls for strategically spaced cores across lagoonal, channel and shoal features to refine estimates of sediment volume and quality. "The intent of the study is to provide information about sediment resources within the Mississippi Sound that could be utilized for coastwide beach and dune projects," the report states, highlighting its role in supporting U.S. Army Corps of Engineers planning efforts.

In its conclusion, the Scientific Investigations Report underscores that an improved understanding of the shallow geologic framework will help managers balance coastal protection objectives with navigation, habitat and resource-use considerations in the Mississippi Sound. By consolidating decades of seismic and geologic data into a coherent framework and identifying priority areas for coring, the U.S. Geological Survey and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Mobile District, aim to advance sediment resource assessments that can inform future coastal resilience projects along the northern Gulf of Mexico.

-- Moira Sirois, Targeted News Service

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View full text here: https://pubs.usgs.gov/sir/2025/5100/sir20255100.pdf

[Category: USGS]

USGS Highlights Alaska Science Push

WASHINGTON, Dec. 25 (TNSLrpt) -- The U.S. Geological Survey has issued Circular 1554, titled 'U.S. Geological Survey-Department of the Interior, Region 11, Alaska--2023-24 Biennial Science Report,' edited by Elizabeth M. Powers and Dee M. Williams and published in 2025 from USGS headquarters in Reston, Va. The 83-page report, covering fiscal years 2023 and 2024, provides an overview of scientific work across Alaska and associated observatories and centers, including the Alaska Science Center, Volcano Science Center and Alaska Climate Adaptation Science Center.

Broad science mission in Alaska

The ... Show Full Article

PNNL: Zero Trust Report Maps Federal Path Away From Perimeter Defense

WASHINGTON, Dec. 25 (TNSLrpt) -- Pacific Northwest National Laboratory has issued report PNNL-35697, titled 'Zero Trust Cybersecurity Concepts and Models for Application,' authored by Joel Doehle, Ian Johnson, Pierce Russell, Clifton Eyre, Mark Watson, and Penny McKenzie, and prepared for the U.S. Department of Energy under Contract DE-AC05-76RL01830. The document, dated February 2024, synthesizes concepts and models for transitioning to a Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA), with a focus on how the Department of Homeland Security's Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office can apply Zero Trust to ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, Dec. 25 (TNSLrpt) -- Pacific Northwest National Laboratory has issued report PNNL-35697, titled 'Zero Trust Cybersecurity Concepts and Models for Application,' authored by Joel Doehle, Ian Johnson, Pierce Russell, Clifton Eyre, Mark Watson, and Penny McKenzie, and prepared for the U.S. Department of Energy under Contract DE-AC05-76RL01830. The document, dated February 2024, synthesizes concepts and models for transitioning to a Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA), with a focus on how the Department of Homeland Security's Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office can apply Zero Trust tochemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear detection systems and networks.

The report defines Zero Trust as a cybersecurity paradigm built on the assumption that network breaches are inevitable and that no user, device, or asset should be implicitly trusted based on its location inside a perimeter. Instead, entities are continuously monitored and access decisions are made through dynamic risk assessment that draws on multiple attributes, including device configuration, user behavior, and threat context. The authors trace the concept to John Kindervag's work in 2008 and highlight its elevation in the federal government through Executive Order 14028, which directs agencies to adopt ZTA as a core part of cybersecurity strategy.

A central theme in the document is the shift from perimeter-centric security toward protection built around what it calls data, applications, assets, and services, or DAAS. For each of these elements, organizations are urged to define "protect surfaces" and design controls from the inside out, guided by mission-specific business outcomes and risk tolerance. Access policies are expected to specify in granular terms who or what can reach a given resource, from where, under what conditions, and subject to which additional checks, such as device health or intrusion detection status.

The authors also describe how Zero Trust principles have been codified in seven tenets from the National Institute of Standards and Technology, emphasizing that all data sources and services are treated as resources, all communications are secured regardless of network location, and all authentication and authorization are dynamic and continuously enforced. Logging, monitoring, and analytics play a crucial role in this model, supporting centralized visibility into assets, infrastructure, and communications so that context can inform every access decision. Implementing Zero Trust is characterized as a gradual journey that demands careful mapping of workflows and sensitive resources rather than a quick technology swap.

To translate abstract principles into practice, the report outlines "pillars" that organize Zero Trust implementation across an enterprise. Drawing on models from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and the Department of Defense, it describes pillars for identity, devices, networks, applications and workloads, and data, supported by crosscutting functions such as visibility and analytics, automation and orchestration, and governance. For identity, for example, the report highlights multi-factor authentication, least-privilege permissions, and privileged access management, while the devices pillar encompasses endpoint protection, patch management, and posture assessment.

The document dedicates a substantial section to Zero Trust maturity models that break the transition into phases, from traditional practices through initial, advanced, and optimal stages. In the earliest phase, organizations typically rely on manual provisioning, fragmented logging, and limited encryption, while later stages introduce automation of configuration and patching, centralized log analysis, and contextual access tied to device compliance and behavior. At the optimal level, the report describes an environment where phishing-resistant multi-factor authentication is standard, micro-segmentation isolates applications and systems, data are continuously inventoried and labeled, and access decisions are continuously re-evaluated with behavior-based analytics and dynamic policies.

Issued in February 2024, 'Zero Trust Cybersecurity Concepts and Models for Application' positions these concepts and models as a foundation for subsequent work that will apply them to DHS Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction use cases. The authors close by framing Zero Trust not only as a technical architecture but as an organizational trajectory--one that hinges on governance, mission alignment, and a staged increase in automation and analytics to reduce risk from sophisticated cyber threats.

-- Moira Sirois, Targeted News Service

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View report at: https://www.pnnl.gov/main/publications/external/technical_reports/PNNL-35697.pdf

PNNL: Template Aims to Speed Adoption of Transactive Energy Networks

WASHINGTON, Dec. 25 (TNSLrpt) -- Pacific Northwest National Laboratory has issued report PNNL-28420 Ver. 4, titled 'The Transactive Energy Network Template Metamodel Version 4,' authored by D. J. Hammerstrom and D. Raker and prepared for the U.S. Department of Energy under Contract DE-AC05-76RL01830. The October 2024 document describes an object oriented metamodel and accompanying reference implementations intended to accelerate the design and deployment of decentralized transactive energy networks that coordinate electricity use and generation via dynamic prices.

The report explains that while ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, Dec. 25 (TNSLrpt) -- Pacific Northwest National Laboratory has issued report PNNL-28420 Ver. 4, titled 'The Transactive Energy Network Template Metamodel Version 4,' authored by D. J. Hammerstrom and D. Raker and prepared for the U.S. Department of Energy under Contract DE-AC05-76RL01830. The October 2024 document describes an object oriented metamodel and accompanying reference implementations intended to accelerate the design and deployment of decentralized transactive energy networks that coordinate electricity use and generation via dynamic prices. The report explains that whiletransactive energy--defined as allocating electricity based on dynamically discovered values or prices--has been widely studied, adoption has lagged because of the complexity of engineering interoperable multi agent systems from scratch. To address this, the Transactive Energy Network Template (TENT) provides a standardized set of base software classes and behaviors, expressed in Unified Modeling Language and implemented in MATLAB and Python on the VOLTTRON platform, that any transactive agent can extend to represent local assets, neighbors, and markets. Early implementations model the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory campus and two university campuses, with each agent managing a circuit region and negotiating with others through "transactive signals" that pair prices and quantities over time intervals.

At the heart of the metamodel are three core responsibilities allocated across base classes: balancing, scheduling, and coordination. Market objects are responsible for balancing supply and demand within an agent's circuit region by discovering locational marginal prices that make the sum of generation, consumption, imports, and exports equal zero under a "copper plate" assumption with no internal losses. Local asset and neighbor objects schedule their power and compute price flexibility--represented as piecewise linear supply or demand curves--given forward prices, while neighbor objects also manage transmission losses, capacity constraints, and features such as demand charges. The report describes how these elements together allow an agent to iteratively converge to a balanced solution using either subgradient methods or more efficient interpolation when full flexibility curves are shared.

For coordination, the template treats a transactive energy network as a decentralized multi agent system where each agent independently decides when to send or update its transactive signal to neighbors, based on changes in local conditions or discrepancies between sent and received schedules. Signals consist of "transactive records"--tuples of price, power, and time interval--that convey both scheduled exchange quantities and residual flexibility via vertices of marginal supply or demand curves. The authors stress that TENT is agnostic to low level communication protocols but standardizes business level record structures so that agents using different codebases can still interoperate within the same network.

Version 4 introduces major enhancements over earlier versions, particularly in how the template handles multiple overlapping markets and diverse negotiation mechanisms. Rather than a single rolling consensus market, the updated design supports series of market objects (for example, shaping, day ahead, and real time markets) each with its own clearing time, interval duration, and state machine that governs transitions through inactive, active, negotiation, market lead, delivery lead, delivery, reconcile, and expired states. This structure enables both iterative consensus negotiations and auction style interactions, where downstream agents aggregate bids for upstream actors, as well as "correction" markets that refine or translate earlier commitments by shifting supply and demand curves to account for prior scheduled quantities.

To support assets that must schedule over horizons longer than the explicit price signals available--such as storage systems optimizing arbitrage--TENT now includes models for market price prediction across forward intervals and for asset level price forecasting when markets discover prices only at single points in time. The report also devotes an appendix to harmonizing dynamic transactive prices with approved retail tariffs, outlining methods for calculating global and local price correction terms so that cumulative revenue aligns with regulated rates while customers still see location and time specific signals. Another appendix recommends a relational database schema for storing markets, assets, neighbors, time intervals, vertices, and transactive records in a way that supports querying and analysis across implementations.

Looking ahead, 'The Transactive Energy Network Template Metamodel Version 4' identifies several areas for further development, including extending the market class to incorporate DC and AC power flow calculations so that voltage and reactive power constraints can be handled, adding richer support for financial settlement and billing tied directly to dynamic prices, and creating step by step training tutorials so new users can configure agents without deep familiarity with VOLTTRON or campus scale examples. The authors argue that by standardizing object models and responsibilities while allowing extensive specialization for particular devices and strategies, the template can lower barriers to implementing transactive energy networks across buildings, feeders, campuses, and microgrids.

-- Moira Sirois, Targeted News Service

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View report at: https://www.pnnl.gov/main/publications/external/technical_reports/PNNL-28420Ver4.pdf

Forest Service Reports Rising Public and Private Investment in U.S. Forest Sector

WASHINGTON, Dec. 25 (TNSLrpt) -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service has issued a report titled 'Indicator 6.34: value of capital investment and annual expenditure in forest management, wood and nonwood product industries, forest-based environmental services, recreation, and tourism, 2020,' authored by Jaana Korhonen and Gregory Frey and designated FS-Indicator-6.34-2030. Released on 1 November 2025, the document summarizes trends in public and private capital investment and annual expenditures across the U.S. forest sector, drawing heavily on a 2023 analysis by Korhonen and Frey ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, Dec. 25 (TNSLrpt) -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service has issued a report titled 'Indicator 6.34: value of capital investment and annual expenditure in forest management, wood and nonwood product industries, forest-based environmental services, recreation, and tourism, 2020,' authored by Jaana Korhonen and Gregory Frey and designated FS-Indicator-6.34-2030. Released on 1 November 2025, the document summarizes trends in public and private capital investment and annual expenditures across the U.S. forest sector, drawing heavily on a 2023 analysis by Korhonen and Freyand multiple Federal and industry data sources.

The indicator tracks investment in forest management, forest product industries, forest-based environmental services, recreation and tourism, emphasizing that such spending underpins forest ecosystem services and the capacity of forest-related enterprises and institutions. The authors distinguish three main components: public sector capital investment, public sector annual expenditures and private sector capital investment and annual expenditures. Their assessment acknowledges that the available information covers only a subset of public and private entities and activities, owing to data gaps and confidentiality constraints.

Using 2012 as a reference year, the report shows broad increases in investment and expenditure through 2020. Public capital investment in the forest sector in 2020 reached 535 million dollars, 36 percent higher than in 2012, while public annual expenses totaled 7.8 billion dollars, up 43 percent over the same period. Public expenditures on recreation amounted to 263 million dollars in 2020, a 20 percent increase compared to 2012, and the National Forest System's 262 million dollars for recreation, heritage and wilderness programs is included in the public annual total.

Private sector spending grew even faster. In 2020, private capital investment in the forest sector totaled 13 billion dollars, and private annual expenditures for payroll and materials reached 220 billion dollars, contributing to an overall 48 percent increase in combined public and private investment and expenditure since 2012. The greatest relative gain was a 62 percent rise in private capital investment between 2012 and 2020, reflecting robust spending in wood products, paper products and wood furniture industries. Between 2012 and 2020, annual private expenditures increased 47 percent, with wood products up 76 percent, paper products up 32 percent and wood furniture up 67 percent.

The report details Forest Service capital investments in facilities, roads, trails and land acquisition, which rose from 394 million dollars in 2012 to 535 million dollars in 2020 after a dip in 2013 and a sharp increase in 2018. In 2020, Forest Service program expenditures totaled 4.96 billion dollars, with Wildland Fire Management accounting for 47 percent of the reported program costs. State forestry agencies reported 2.9 billion dollars in annual expenditures in 2020, 22 percent above 2018 but still 7 percent below 2016 levels, and 201 percent higher than in 1998, with much of the long term growth occurring in the North and South regions.

Regional analysis shows substantial differences in private capital investment and expenditures. In 2020, the South held 7 billion dollars, or 55 percent, of private capital investment in wood and paper industries, followed by the North with 4 billion dollars, the Pacific Coast with 1 billion dollars and the Rocky Mountain region with 0.3 billion dollars. Over 1997-2020, capital investment in the South increased 148 percent and in the North 97 percent, while Pacific Coast and Rocky Mountain investments more than doubled from lower bases. By 2020, private annual expenditures reached 80 billion dollars in the North, 78 billion dollars in the South, 26 billion dollars in the Pacific Coast and 8 billion dollars in the Rocky Mountain region, with total regional expenditures more than doubling since 2002 despite a decline in the Rocky Mountain region.

Korhonen and Frey note that the indicator cannot be fully reported because many capital and expenditure data for forest protection and management entities--such as local governments, conservation organizations, family forest owners and some corporate landowners--are not publicly available. In addition, limitations in Census classifications, data aggregation and disclosure rules, especially for forestry data combined under broader agriculture and resource sectors, restrict the completeness and geographic resolution of the indicator. The report concludes that, despite these constraints, observed increases in public and private investment point to expanding financial commitments to forest management, forest industries and forest-based services across the United States in 2020.

-- Moira Sirois, Targeted News Service

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The report is posted at: https://www.fs.usda.gov/research/publications/fs/Indicator-6-34.pdf

Forest Service Note Guides Producers on Direct Marketing for Agroforestry

WASHINGTON, Dec. 25 (TNSLrpt) -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service National Agroforestry Center has issued Agroforestry Note 27, titled 'Direct marketing for agroforestry producers,' by Sam Feibel, Kelsi Stubblefield, and Andrew Bahrenburg. Released as a revised note in December 2025 under the citation NAC-AN-27, the document outlines strategies and considerations for producers who seek to sell agroforestry products directly to consumers rather than through wholesale markets.

The note defines direct marketing as selling products and experiences straight to consumers through channels ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, Dec. 25 (TNSLrpt) -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service National Agroforestry Center has issued Agroforestry Note 27, titled 'Direct marketing for agroforestry producers,' by Sam Feibel, Kelsi Stubblefield, and Andrew Bahrenburg. Released as a revised note in December 2025 under the citation NAC-AN-27, the document outlines strategies and considerations for producers who seek to sell agroforestry products directly to consumers rather than through wholesale markets. The note defines direct marketing as selling products and experiences straight to consumers through channelssuch as farm stands, farmers markets, "pick your own" operations, agritourism, on farm stores, community supported agriculture, and internet sales. It contrasts these approaches with wholesale marketing to bulk buyers, emphasizing that direct channels allow producers to capture a larger share of the retail price and build closer relationships with customers. The publication is aimed at technical assistance providers, agricultural advisors and producers who are exploring market options for tree crops, nontimber forest products and other goods from agroforestry systems.

According to the authors, agroforestry can generate income from both specialty and conventional products, but marketing often poses a greater challenge than production. Many agroforestry operations focus on higher value, less common crops--such as pawpaw, black walnut, elderberry, ramps, mushrooms and other nontimber forest products--to offset establishment and management costs. These products may have small or unfamiliar markets, so producers need to invest in educating consumers, offering samples and tailoring messages to local demand.

The note outlines several potential benefits of direct marketing for agroforestry producers. These include higher financial returns per unit sold, more control over prices and marketing decisions, direct interaction with consumers and the opportunity to test products and receive feedback before making large investments in value added goods. At the same time, it underscores challenges such as localized or volatile markets for specialty crops, greater time and skill requirements compared with selling through intermediaries, and the risk of unsold product. Because agroforestry systems are long term and successional, marketing plans may also need to evolve over time.

Feibel, Stubblefield and Bahrenburg recommend that producers conduct market research and analysis when developing marketing strategies. This includes assessing existing market channels, customer preferences, competition, pricing and sales volumes in the area. The note discusses practical issues for specific channels--for example, farmers markets can provide many customers in a short time and an easier entry point for new producers, while farm stands depend heavily on location and may see variable turnout.

The publication also highlights community oriented opportunities such as farm to school and farm to institution programs. Although these channels introduce an intermediary, they can still fit within a broader direct marketing strategy by providing stable demand, raising brand awareness and enabling educational activities like farm tours and field trips. Online marketing, including websites and social media, is presented as another way to reach both local and distant customers and to share information about farm practices and agroforestry systems.

A summary table in the note compares common direct marketing channels by listing typical expenses, key benefits, drawbacks and agroforestry specific considerations. The authors advise producers, especially those new to direct marketing, to start small, build local relationships, and gradually expand into more complex arrangements such as community supported agriculture or institutional sales as capacity and demand grow.

-- Moira Sirois, Targeted News Service

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The report is posted at: https://www.fs.usda.gov/research/publications/an/direct-marketing-an27.pdf

DOE Microbiome Data Collaborative Charts Progress on FAIR Data Infrastructure

WASHINGTON, Dec. 25 (TNSLrpt) -- Pacific Northwest National Laboratory has issued report PNNL-35573, titled 'DOE BSSD Performance Management Metrics Report Q1 January 2024,' authored by Emiley Eloe-Fadrosh, Chris J. Mungall, Patrick Chain, Lee Ann McCue, Shreyas Cholia, Kjiersten Fagnan, Douglas M. Mans, and Nigel J. Mouncey, prepared for the U.S. Department of Energy under Contract DE-AC05-76RL01830. The report, dated January 16, 2024, outlines first-quarter performance for the National Microbiome Data Collaborative (NMDC), a multi-laboratory effort to build an open, online microbiome data resource ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, Dec. 25 (TNSLrpt) -- Pacific Northwest National Laboratory has issued report PNNL-35573, titled 'DOE BSSD Performance Management Metrics Report Q1 January 2024,' authored by Emiley Eloe-Fadrosh, Chris J. Mungall, Patrick Chain, Lee Ann McCue, Shreyas Cholia, Kjiersten Fagnan, Douglas M. Mans, and Nigel J. Mouncey, prepared for the U.S. Department of Energy under Contract DE-AC05-76RL01830. The report, dated January 16, 2024, outlines first-quarter performance for the National Microbiome Data Collaborative (NMDC), a multi-laboratory effort to build an open, online microbiome data resourcefor the research community.

The document describes how NMDC was launched in 2019 to connect DOE national laboratories and user facilities around a shared vision of findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable multi-omics microbiome data. Led by investigators from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Los Alamos National Laboratory, and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, the project aligns with DOE's Office of Biological and Environmental Research goals to apply systems biology to microbial genomes and environmental processes. The report frames NMDC as both a data infrastructure platform and a community engagement program for bioenergy and environmental research.

In its executive summary, the report notes that microbiome data from genomes, proteins, metabolites, and other omics are scattered across individual laboratories and repositories, creating barriers to access and reuse. "We have built the National Microbiome Data Collaborative (NMDC) to advance how scientists create, use, and reuse data to redefine the way we understand and harness the power of microbes," the report states, emphasizing a data sharing network that connects data, people, and ideas. The authors tie this mission to federal priorities identified in the 2018 Interagency Strategic Plan for Microbiome Research, which called for platform technologies for open, user-friendly data sharing.

Central to the report is a description of three core software products: the Submission Portal, NMDC EDGE, and the NMDC Data Portal. The Submission Portal is presented as a template-driven metadata tool that lowers barriers to using standards such as MIxS, harmonizing sample and assay descriptions for DOE user facilities like the Joint Genome Institute and the Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory. NMDC EDGE provides web-based access to standardized bioinformatics workflows for metagenomics, metaproteomics, and natural organic matter data, with documentation and tutorials translated into Spanish to broaden accessibility.

The Data Portal, launched in 2021, is described as a distributed platform for access to integrated multi-omics studies, offering faceted search, visualizations, and links to external resources across thousands of biosamples and tens of thousands of data files. A public application programming interface exposes study and biosample metadata for programmatic use and has already been adopted by external platforms such as JGI's IMG/M system. The report highlights an NMDC schema built with the Linked Data Modeling Language, integration of community standards like MIxS and OBI, and the January 2023 launch of a persistent identifier service to support long-term interoperability.

The authors also detail organizational strategy, including a three-year roadmap with 81 milestones, use of Agile methods and "Product Squads" to manage work, and user-centered design activities that have yielded hundreds of insights and actions to refine tools. They describe challenges in curating legacy datasets and building distributed infrastructure across diverse DOE and non-DOE data systems, leading to a focus on improving data management at the start of the data lifecycle and on structured, standards-based submission.

Looking ahead, the report points to development of NMDC Field Notes, a mobile application intended to capture field metadata in real time via connected sensors, and to machine learning approaches that translate free text into standardized terms. These planned capabilities are portrayed as ways to reduce the cost and burden of data curation so that researchers can concentrate on questions related to climate change, ecosystem health, and the microbial processes that underpin life on Earth.

-- Moira Sirois, Targeted News Service

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View report at: https://www.pnnl.gov/main/publications/external/technical_reports/PNNL-35573.pdf

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