Society is being transformed through the connection of data - from databases, archives, sensors and models - to analytics and other services. Working at the boundaries of computational and environmental sciences, breakthroughs in enviro-informatics multiply the convergence already underway in natural sciences. The web paradigm of Linked Data promises a breakthrough in linked, science-ready information from persistent sources. However, environmental data is scattered across many organizations in formal and informal ways, expressed using many standards, and also frequently depending on physical samples taken from the real world. Challenges are technical, social, and institutional. A growing community of earth and environmental scientists, working on the interface with computational science, are developing detailed practices and standards around identifiers, vocabularies, and software interfaces, which are necessary for wider community application. Currently, these efforts are fragmented, as is the communication of technical solutions and organisational best practices. Linking Environmental Data and Samples will bring together thought-leaders in the computational-environmental sciences convergence space, with the goal of triggering the adoption of uniform practices across Australia and internationally. ... [Information of the supplier]
