Data Standard

This page serves as a reference for the metadata terms used by the Reef Archive to describe historical coral reef photographs. Each term lists its definition, examples, and where relevant, the EXIF tag it maps to in the media file, and is marked as required or optional.

The terms are adapted from the Darwin Core standard and the Camera Trap Data Package (CamTrap DP), so that Reef Archive data can be shared with, and understood by, the wider biodiversity data community. Where a term follows Darwin Core or CamTrap DP, its meaning is the same; where the Reef Archive has added or modified a term, the definition on this page is the one that applies.

Need help? If something here is unclear, or you are unsure how to describe a media file, get in touch at info@reefarchive.org or open an issue on the Reef Archive GitHub repository.

Want to contribute? Suggestions for new terms, or changes to existing definitions and examples, are welcome. Please propose them as an issue or pull request on the GitHub repository.

How do I cite this? Archived media and metadata are deposited in the Reef Archive community on Zenodo. Please cite the relevant record, and the bibliographicCitation and license given for each media file, when reusing images or data.

List of Terms

mediaIDfileNamecollectionIDcollectionNametypebibliographicCitationlicenserightsHoldercapturedBydigitisedByprocessedByyearmonthdayhabitatwaterBodyislandGroupislandcountrycountryCodestateProvincecountymunicipalitylocalitydecimalLongitudedecimalLatitudegeoreferenceRemarksminimumDepthInMetresmaximumDepthInMetresmediaCommentsmodified
mediaIDRequired
Definition
A unique identifier for the media file. Concatenating collectionID and fileName is considered best practice.
Examples
10.5281/zenodo.22663465-IMG0001
EXIF tag
ImageUniqueID
fileNameRequired
Definition
The name of the media file. Prefixing still images with "IMG" and and moving images with "MOV" is considered best practice.
Examples
IMG0001, MOV0001
EXIF tag
OriginalRawFileName
collectionIDRequired
Definition
A unique identifier for the collection. Using a stable Digital Object Identifier is considered best practice.
Examples
10.5281/zenodo.22663465
collectionNameRequired
Definition
The name of the collection.
Examples
Eileen Graham's Collection, Discovery Bay, Jamaica, (1966–1968).
EXIF tag
ImageDescription
typeRequired
Definition
The nature of the resource. Constraints: StillImage, MovingImage.
Examples
StillImage, MovingImage
bibliographicCitationRequired
Definition
A bibliographic reference for the resource.
Examples
Johnson, K. and Jones, L.A. (2026) Eileen Graham Collection, Discovery Bay, Jamaica (1966–1968). https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.22663465.
licenseRequired
Definition
A legal document giving official permission to do something with the resource.
Examples
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode
EXIF tag
Copyright
rightsHolderRequired
Definition
A person or organisation owning or managing rights over the resource.
Examples
Trustees of the Natural History Museum
EXIF tag
Copyright
capturedByRequired
Definition
Name or identifier of the person or organization that captured the media.
Examples
Eileen Graham
EXIF tag
Artist
digitisedByRequired
Definition
Name or identifier of the person or organization that digitized the media.
Examples
Kenneth Johnson
processedByRequired
Definition
Name or identifier of the person or organization that processed the media.
Examples
Lewis A. Jones
yearRequired
Definition
The four-digit year in which the media was captured, according to the Common Era Calendar.
Examples
1984
EXIF tag
DateTimeOriginal
monthOptional
Definition
The integer month in which the media was captured.
Examples
6
EXIF tag
DateTimeOriginal
dayOptional
Definition
The integer day of the month in which the media was captured.
Examples
3
EXIF tag
DateTimeOriginal
habitatOptional
Definition
A category or description of the habitat in which the media was captured.
Examples
reef flat, reef edge, reef slope
EXIF tag
GPSAreaInformation
waterBodyOptional
Definition
The name of the water body in which the media was captured. Using a standard gazetters is considered best practice (e.g. marineregions.org).
Examples
The Caribbean Sea
EXIF tag
GPSAreaInformation
islandGroupOptional
Definition
The name of the island group in which the media was captured. Using a standard gazetters is considered best practice (e.g. marineregions.org).
Examples
Greater Antilles
EXIF tag
GPSAreaInformation
islandOptional
Definition
The name of the island in which the media was captured. Using a standard gazetters is considered best practice (e.g. marineregions.org).
Examples
Jamaica
EXIF tag
GPSAreaInformation
countryOptional
Definition
The name of the country or major administrative unit in which the media was captured.
Examples
Jamaica
EXIF tag
GPSAreaInformation
countryCodeOptional
Definition
The standard code for the country in which the media was captured (ISO 3166-1-alpha-2).
Examples
JM
EXIF tag
GPSAreaInformation
stateProvinceOptional
Definition
The name of the next smaller administrative region than country (state, province, canton, department, region, etc.) in which the media was captured.
EXIF tag
GPSAreaInformation
countyOptional
Definition
The full, unabbreviated name of the next smaller administrative region than stateProvince (county, shire, department, etc.) in which the media was captured.
Examples
Saint Ann Parish, Middlesex County
EXIF tag
GPSAreaInformation
municipalityOptional
Definition
The full, unabbreviated name of the next smaller administrative region than county (city, municipality, etc.) in which the media was captured.
Examples
Discovery Bay
EXIF tag
GPSAreaInformation
localityOptional
Definition
The specific description of the place.
Examples
Pinnacle 1 Sand Slope
EXIF tag
GPSAreaInformation
decimalLongitudeRequired
Definition
A geographic longitude (in decimal degrees) as per EPSG:4326 geodetic datum. Always reported in Eastings.
Examples
-121.1761111
EXIF tag
GPSLongitude
decimalLatitudeRequired
Definition
A geographic latitude (in decimal degrees) as per EPSG:4326 geodetic datum. Always reported in Northings.
Examples
-41.0983423
EXIF tag
GPSLatitude
georeferenceRemarksOptional
Definition
Comments or notes about the spatial description determination, explaining assumptions made or the protocol.
Examples
Coordinates inferred from local feature (buoy), precise to the nearest minute (0.01).
EXIF tag
UserComment
minimumDepthInMetresOptional
Definition
The least depth within a range of depths in metres.
Examples
10
EXIF tag
WaterDepth
maximumDepthInMetresOptional
Definition
The greatest depth within a range of depths in metres.
Examples
25
EXIF tag
WaterDepth
mediaCommentsOptional
Definition
Any comments or notes about the media file.
Examples
Media file corrupted.
EXIF tag
UserComment
modifiedRequired
Definition
Date on which the resource was changed. Formatted as an ISO 8601 string (YYYY-MM-DD).
Examples
1969-02-12