OSIS – Modernizing the Ocean Science Information System for marine Expedition Management

The O cean S cience I nformation S ystem (OSIS), developed at GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, is a central platform for managing and publishing metadata related to marine research expeditions, experiments and simulations. In response to evolving national needs and broader integration efforts, OSIS is currently undergoing a major transformation. A key driver of this development is its adoption by the Deutsche Allianz Meeresforschung (DAM) as the primary system for recording German research cruises across partner institutions. This expansion has necessitated enhanced interoperability, standardized metadata workflows, and scalable infrastructure. In parallel, OSIS is building stronger integration with the O2ARegistry, developed by AWI as a cross-institutional metadata registry for sensors and platforms. These efforts aim to support the reuse of expedition and instrument metadata in broader national and international contexts. As part of its modernization, OSIS will support single sign-on (SSO) via the Helmholtz AAI, enabling seamless and secure access for users across participating institutions. Another major focus is the automated import of planned expedition data from upstream expedition planning and logistics systems such as MFP (Marine Facilities Planning) and EIS (Expeditions-Informationssystem). These enhancements are designed to streamline data entry, reduce redundancy, and improve data consistency across the research lifecycle. This poster presents the architecture, current development roadmap, and emerging collaborations that position OSIS as a key component in Germany’s national marine data infrastructure.