Portal Updates

Portal Update Releases & Release Notes

This page lists the release notes from every version of the data portal and catalog developed by Axiom Data Science in collaboration with its scientific partners.

July 31, 2022

Version 2.14

Release Summary

This version implements updates to the version 2.13 and new user-requested features, including tabular data panel, print charts feature, in-map tag filter, and custom configured dashboards for quicker access to data themes.

New Features

  • introduction of print charts and data views as jpg image

  • tabular view panel for latest observations of real-time sensors

  • user-selected feature to show latitude and longitude grid on a map

  • introduction of in-map spatial, tag, and result type search filters

  • prototype of dashboards for custom configurations of spatially-enabled time series data layers (examples:Mariner Dashboard, CalHAB Map, Automated Shore Stations).

  • beta release of glider dashboard for comparing real-time glider observations to World Ocean Atlas climatology

  • backend integration of Avalanche system for ingestion and visualization of high-resolution data

  • bug fixes

Tabular view for latest observations of real-time sensor.

Mariner Dashboard with custom configurations of spatially-enabled time series data layers.

December 8, 2020

Version 2.13

Release Summary

This release version features improvements to time slider performance, including brush selection for timeseries charts and introduces a user timezone selector. Enhancements were made to the data download UX to allow users to queue multiple datasets for download, add datasets to a download ‘shopping cart’, and share download compilations with other users. For applicable portals, custom draw and measuring tools are available in the main portal map. Additionally, users can add annotations to the map view and print the image to a pdf for integration in presentations and reports.

New Features

  • Display custom instrument narrative and annotations (where applicable) on in-situ station pages

  • User timezone selector in unit management

  • Dataset download interface improvements, including:

    • Ability to add queue multiple datasets for download

    • Download queue in toolbar

    • Share url for download compilations

  • Time slider-related improvements, including:

    • Brush time selection for timeseries charts

    • Time slider advancement buttons on the keyboard

    • Clear time bound selection

    • Code modularization

    • Bug fixes for fine time controls

  • Addition of search tags at the station level for advanced search and station filtering

  • Custom draw tools on the portal maps, including draw custom polygons, add shapes, measure distances, and create custom labels

  • Print custom map state to a pdf templates with annotations

  • Integration of prototype regridding service based on Django REST Framework to apply the stored configurations to produce regridded netCDF files for vector and model datasets

  • Performance enhancements for loading of animal movement data to enhance the track binning display to optimize loading and filter test or erroneous tracks

Brush selection for timeseries charts.

Timezone selector under Advanced Settings.

March 31, 2020

Version 2.12

Release Summary

This version release addresses user-defined improvements, implementation of service error messages, and continuation of portal code migration to an open source platform. Prototype versions of platform tracks have been introduced for optimization in future releases.

New Features

  • Custom narratives available on station level pages

  • Continuation of portal code migration to open source platform for time slider and charting features

  • Introduction of service error messages

  • Remove dependency on user state service for load

  • Published documentation available for data providers to submit station log text files for display in applicable data portal(s)

  • Added thematic tags to individual data layers

  • Bug fixes relative to UTC time zone display in the browser

  • Prototype adding platform tracks (i.e. gliders) to a map

  • Additional portal user updates as identified by feedback to version 2.11a

November 1, 2019

Version 2.11a

Release Summary

This release resolves bug fixes and updates to key features that proceed the version 2.12 release.

New Features

  • Expanded quality review inventory (i.e. summary) pages showing flag roll-up for data sources and stations and full display of quality review flags at the individual sensor level for IOOS RA funded assets

  • Demonstrate a few examples migrated elements of portal code to open source platform (charts, etc)

  • Integration of v2 platforms to the portal backend

  • Added custom unit display manager for users

  • Performance optimization and harden cache service for historical datasets using v2 service

  • Bug fixes

August 1, 2019

Version 2.11

Release Summary

This release realizes full integration and enhancements of the v2 sensor system together with the calculation and display of QARTOD tests for observation data within the portal.

New Features

  • Improvements to quality review flags and user interface based on initial feedback

  • Quality review inventory (i.e. summary) pages showing flag roll-up for data sources and stations and full display of quality review flags at the individual sensor level for sensors containing data quality flags submitted by the data provider

  • Enhancements to mobile platform visualization

  • Aggregation of in situ platforms by source provider within catalog (available April 2019)

  • Update depth and climatology charts for new v2 sensor system and enable data views for v2 sensor interface*

  • Integration of catalog search tag for QARTOD datasets

  • For real time sensors, highlighting of selected parameter on the map to differentiate cells that contain the parameter and those that don’t when ‘Show all’ is selected

  • For real time sensors, default time slider to ‘off’ and added an advanced filter option for ‘Enable time filter’ in response to user feedback when exploring real-time conditions

  • Bug fixes

February 27, 2019

Version 2.10

Release Summary

This 2.10 version introduces portal display of existing data quality flags from sources, layer opacity controls, and updates to the visualization and data handling for moving platforms.

New Features

  • Implementation of basic QARTOD test calculations for observation data and display of quality flags in portal

  • Updates to moving platform visualization and improved performance through data binning

  • Performance improvements to speed viewing of climatology and binned data charts

  • Ongoing improvements to user navigation and search interface for data catalog relative to feedback, and the inclusion of variable roll-up for search terms and layers groups

  • Reintroduction of opacity control for stacked data layers

  • Migration of custom or regional data portal visualizations to the v2 interface

Layer opacity control for stacked data layers.

Data quality test display for flagged sensor data streams.

December 5, 2018

Version 2.9

Release Summary

The 2.9 version replaces the beta 2.8 version with improvements to the existing search functionality and introduction of a new method for accessing help docs.

New Features

  • Improved catalog search interface
    • Easier navigation between search types
    • New ‘Variable Type’ result type
    • Cleaner catalog interface
    • Improved search ranking
    • Easier access to active filters for quick removal
  • In-map search interface
    • Users can find mappable layers and add them directly from the map
  • Interactive help
    • Users can toggle on and off interactive help layer that gives direct access to help documentation snippets and gifs
    • Application remains usable while help layer is visible

Improved catalog search with active filters for quick removal.

Variable type result page with links to station and source pages for closer data investigation and access.

In-map access to search to add layers directly from the map.

Interactive Help


April 2, 2018

Version 2.7

Release Summary

The 2.7 version replaces the beta 2.6 version with an operational version of the new portal. Enhancements were made to partition real-time from historical data feeds to quicken load speeds. Additionally, real-time conditions are available on a mouse hoiver and persist to selected data views.

New Features

  • Preview of real-time data streams on feature hover
  • Partitioning of real-time and historical data to quicken load time
    • Users can change default time period views for the entire map under Settings
    • Or, users can toggle between data time period options within charts
  • Data views respect relative time period selection (e.g. real-time data will auto-refresh within a data view, if the real-time time period is selected)
  • Bug fixes for biological data layers and biodiversity index calculations
  • Migration of existing data layers from the earlier portal version (1.0 generation) to the 2.7 map interface
  • Introduction of branded versions of help documentation

Real-time conditions and trend lines are available on feature hover.

Sensor data are partitioned into real-time and historical time periods. Users can change the default time period view under map Settings. Or, by toggling between real-time and historical conditions within the chart view.


March 1, 2018

Version 2.6

Release Summary

The opt-in 2.6 beta version optimizes the portal search engine and reworks the catalog and metadata views. The catalog now includes icon for quick, visual identification of data types (e.g. layers, sensors, and mobile platforms). Enhancements were made to more easily manage layers and download or add interactive data to a map.

New Features

  • Icons were added to catalog modules for easier identification among data types (e.g. data layers, sensor stations, and moving platforms)
  • Sensor stations are now uniquely searchable within the catalog
    • The number of sensors available for each station are shown in the catalog
    • Quick links to the station source page or time series for individual stations are available
    • Data can be quickly downloaded from the catalog using interoperability
  • Reworked catalog search and metadata views to ease managing of layers and metadata readability
    • The number of layers within a data catalog module are summarized for quick reference
    • Layers can be quickly added to the map or downloaded from the catalog view
  • Search engine optimization for catalog, includes metadata search
  • Improved user experience for transitioning between the portal map and the catalog using ‘add to map’ button

Icons were added to layers in the Data Catalog for easy identification among data types. The catalog views were reworked to ease the readability of data layers.

The number of layers within a Data Catalog module were summarized for quick reference. Users can quickly downloaded data using interoperability from with the Catalog and data layer views.


February 1, 2018

Version 2.5

Release Summary

The opt-in 2.5 beta version release features the integration of biological vector data layers with physical and environmental data. Enhancements were made to Data Views to include the stations or spatial areas of interest in a map; individual stations or spatial areas were uniquely numbered for easier identification in data charts; and improved the ability for users to download data and add individual charts to a data comparison.

New Features

  • Add/explore vector layers using hex bin heatmap
  • Query vector data spatially and save query and timeseries to Data Views
  • Display binned time series and compare with in situ and model time series data
  • Enhance data download features for queried and binned data using interoperability
  • User option for box plot and histogram charting, in addition to existing binning visualizations
  • Ability for users to add or manipulate biological data layers within Data Views
  • Data Views enhancements, including:
    • Added associated station number in map to individual charts and in chart hover view
    • Create data download feature with Data View charts
    • Added data comparison icon to more easily data individual charts to data comparison
    • Map location in Data Views bug fix

Vector data can be added to the Portal Map using hex bin heat mapping, and quiered spatially to visualized and download timeseries data summaries.

Biological data can be added to custom Data Views and compared with physical, environmental, or spatially-quiered model data (e.g. virtual sensor) for data comparison (right).

December 20, 2017

Version 2.4

Release Summary

The opt-in 2.4 beta version includes 4D explorer and raster enhancements for glider, cruise, and model data. A data catalog is now accessible in the 2.4 version for discovery, browsing, and visualization through the portal map. Within the catalog, only real-time sensor, glider, and model data are available for visualization using the 2.3 and 2.4 version features. Visualization of the remaining data layers will be made in the version 2.5-2.7 releases. This release also includes user interface improvements and bug fixes.

New Features

  • Explore glider, cruise, and model data layers through the data catalog
  • Virtual sensors to calculate an estimate of the quantity of interest for model data
  • Customizable data comparison charts for real-time sensor and model data
  • Interactive, 3D visualizations of glider data with temporal and spatial parsing for glider trajectories
  • Curtain plots for depth profiling sensors (including gliders) with user-selected options for data interpolation
  • Depth filter for profiling sensors
  • Improved map palette control, including user-controlled scale manager

Real-time sensor data can be explored in the Data Catalog and added to the Portal Map for visualization (left). Real-time and virtual sensors for model layers can be added from the Portal Map to the Data Views for data comparison (right).

Individual pages for glider deployments, including 3D data charting and trajecotry parsing (left). Depth filtering of profiling sensor available with user-selected methods of interpolation (right).


October 1, 2017

Version 2.3

Release Summary

Opt-in beta version offered as link from existing map portal. Enhancements made to real-time data layers only. Future releases will migrated other data layers, such as model data, biological data, etc in future releases. New map interface includes splash page with introductory text and featured data dashboards (e.g. tool for visualizing highlighted data scenarios).

New Features

  • Palette control
  • State saving (save filters or searched objects)
  • Integrate historic sensor stations with real time
  • Climatology and anomaly charts
  • Station and source level metadata pages
  • Data comparison between sensor data streams
  • State saving of user selections
  • Improved user behavior tracking & analytics

New map interface with palette control (left), and comparison charts between different sensors and parameters (right). Data charts offer user selection of climatology or anomaly views for longer timeseries (>3 years).

Station level pages both station data alongside metadata and source information (left). Data sources are discoverable with links to individual stations (right).


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