Die Kuste, 81 (2014), 29-43 
40 
3.2 Web services 
Preparation, maintenance and use of metadata in die MDI-DE are described in a Metada 
ta Guide by WOSNIOK and RAder (2013). The INSPIRE directive provides for metadata 
of both geo-data sets and Web services related to tiiese data. The target system GDI-DE 
(GeodateninfrastrukTUR DeuTSCFILAND 2008) has designed appropriate conven 
tions for metadata for this purpose. GDI-DE also makes available a test suite in order to 
assure compliance of all metadata within its network including MDI-DE with the tech 
nical form and content required by INSPIRE. 
Efficient search clients implemented in Web portals rely on consistent metadata 
for geo-data and services. An index is used in the portals of GDI-DE and MDI-DE to 
first register all existing metadata records within the network and then associate data and 
services in a second step. This mechanism allows result lists on die portals to display the 
found records together witii related services for dieir visualization and download. 
4 The MDI-DE Web portal 
According to die concept of die new Web portal for marine and coastal data, die 
MDI-DE Web portal serves as die central access point for data and information from 
the German coastal zone and the adjacent marine waters. It provides die following 
functionality: 
• Simple and expert search using a metadata catalogue, a thesaurus for controlled vo 
cabulary and a coastal gazetteer for geographic names in the marine environment, 
• Intersectorally consistent data structures for interdisciplinary views on marine data, 
• Web services and download services for visualization and data access, 
• Implementation of prototype services for data analysis and automatic report genera 
tion with respect to the requirements put forward in EU framework directives. 
The MDI-DE portal relies on a network for marine data, connecting local nodes at the 
major data sources of Federal and State agencies, which provide a wide range of data 
types. The experience gained in the research and development project will be used for 
further implementations in the coastal States of Germany. 
The future Web services provided by the new Marine Data Infrastructure will support 
system analysis applications related to coastal engineering, spatial planning, nature con 
servation, science and ecology.