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METADATA ON THE LAGOON ECOSYSTEM: 
THE VENICE CASE, ITALY* 
Alberta Bianchin 
Urban Department - Istituto Universitario di Architettura di Venezia 
S. Croce 1957, 30135 Venezia, Italy. e-mail: alberta@brezza.iuav.unive.it 
ABSTRACT 
A metadata database on the Lagoon Ecosystem has been designed and 
implemented. A review of major issues involved in the definition and collection, of 
environmental metadata is presented in this paper. 
The prototype of metadata database has been made available to the largest 
number of users through Internet by Web protocol. The sequence of the Metadata 
database tables as displayed in the web pages shows the frame of parameters (or 
metadata) selected to carry on the analysis of data. The query interface to the 
relational database has been designed and implemented in order to enable the 
navigation into the structure of metadata database through a series of web pages 
dynamically created by specially designed procedures. 
1. INTRODUCTION 
Environmental change analysis involves complex multivariable systems and complex data 
structures models. Complexity assumes a special dimension in a transitional ecosystem. Lagoons are 
especially difficult to study in a consistent manner because considerable and relevant changes happen and 
interfere with human perception of phenomena and human "acquisition and assimilation" times of each 
event. 
A major problem encountered using data available in existing databases is the lack of 
information on quality and the absence of error analysis. More specifically is the lack of any time 
reference and of any temporal validation. 
In the context of the Venetian Lagoon System Project (MURST funding) of the Istituto 
Universitario di Architettura - Venezia the Thematic Data Unit (Scientific Director: prof. Alberta 
Bianchin) is designing and developing a prototype of a thematic and environmental geographic 
information system on the lagoon and adjoinmg areas. Within such an aim, the gathering, organizing and 
analyzing of information available in different public, private and local authority agencies was the first 
step to be considered, since any new data was supposed to be acquired. 
From this need, internal to our research, stems the metadata database, its definition and its 
following organizations first in sequential database file maker-Pro, then in Relational Database in order 
to make the query easier. 
* Presented at the International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing 
"Workshop on New Developments in Geographic Information Systems" Milan, Italy, 
6-8 March 1996.