MARS: A middleware that assists in the registration of physical sample metadata with SESAR

ESIP Poster Presentation:

MARS (Middleware for Assisting the Registration of Samples) is a tool that helps map metadata describing material samples in personal or institutional collections and sample catalogs to the metadata required for registering samples with the System for Earth Sample Registration SESAR, the primary US Allocating Agent for the IGSN Global Sample Number. Obtaining IGSNs as globally unique and persistent identifiers for samples is increasingly adopted as a best practice in collection management to ensure tracking of samples through their life cycle and linking of samples with data and publications. MARS was developed through a collaboration among the College of Charleston (CofC), Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO) and SESAR. The use of MARS to assist in registering samples drastically cuts down on effort and time required for sample registration. With additional support from an Earth System Information Partners (ESIP) Funding Friday award, MARS is currently testing an additional mapping tool. MARS Map Maker (MMM) was developed to allow users to map data in any format, using any vocabulary, to SESAR’s data format. The MMM service has the potential to register a huge number of physical samples so that the samples themselves are discoverable, as well as any data produced from the samples. MARS middleware and the Map Maker are developed solely by undergraduate students at the College of Charleston, overseen by their advisor Dr. Jim Bowring. This poster was presented at the 2021 Earth Science Information Partners (ESIP) Winter Meeting held virtually in January 2021.