These help to expand the global marine database and improve the dissemination of marine data for applications in science, industry and education. The IODE system is designed as a global service oriented network. IODE is coordinated through the IOC's Committee on International Oceanographic Data and Information Exchange. The IODE System is oriented toward disseminating oceanographic data. It aims to aid users in finding and applying marine data and information world-wide.
Access is available to millions of measurements and observations.
The data results from more than 10,000 research expeditions by ships from over 70 countries and is archived in more than 2,000 databases. The IODE System operates on the basis of voluntary contributions of data to the IODE data centres network. Data are intended to be easily accessible and quality controlled. To simplify the exchange of ocean data sets, a system for handling geo-referenced data, called GF3, was developed. This system includes a well documented data format and a large library of software utility routines.