About InPort

InPort is the authoritative metadata repository and data inventory platform for NOAA Fisheries and the National Ocean Service. The system supports documentation of datasets and provides tools to facilitate data discovery, public access, and responsible stewardship of scientific data within these line offices.

InPort also serves as a centralized NOAA platform for the creation and management of Data Management Plans (DMPs), supporting all NOAA line offices in meeting data planning requirements.

InPort stores metadata — "data about data" — so users can find, understand, and leverage NOAA's data resources. InPort does not store the data itself. Instead, it serves as a catalog that helps answer questions like:

• What datasets exist for a given mission, region, or time period?
• What are the spatial and temporal extents of these data?
• Who is responsible for the data, and how can I access or request it?

Metadata records in InPort typically describe the "what, where, when, how, and who" of NOAA data holdings. They may include information on data quality, access constraints, confidentiality, methodology, responsible parties, and usage guidance.

InPort also supports compliance with a range of federal mandates and NOAA administrative orders, including the following:

• NAO 212-15B: Management of NOAA Data and Information
• OMB M-19-18: Federal Data Strategy - A Framework for Consistency
• H.R. 4174: Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act of 2018
• H.R. 1770: Open, Public, Electronic, and Necessary Government Data Act
• OMB Circular A-16: Coordination of Geographic Information and Related Spatial Data Activities
• OMB M-13-13: Open Data Policy
• OSTP 2013 Memorandum: Increasing Access to the Results of Federally Funded Scientific Research