With the launching of its new website, SOPAC has improved access to its range of scientific, technical and developmental information, according to its Director, Dr. Russell Howorth.
Dr. Howorth said that the website is evolving and that it reflects the current changing status of SOPAC as it becomes the Applied Geoscience and Technology Division of the SPC from 1 January 2011 .
“There are really two themes to the website. First, core information that essentially communicates what we do. Secondly, an improved overview of SOPAC, its services, its staff and its member countries with easy navigation between links.”
He said that there is greater appreciation of the needs of the stakeholders, whether governments, academia or the commercial world.
“I think for those who do familiarise themselves with the SOPAC website they will find a vast amount of information on many of the issues confronting the region. This information in many instances goes back nearly 40 years to the early days of SOPAC right up to results from field surveys carried out in 2010”, said Mr. Howorth.
“We are expanding the coverage on the website both from our newsroom and from the region’s media. We understand the importance of feedback from all our stakeholders and the media is a good indicator of public opinion.
“We will also be using the website to distribute an increased flow of news stories from SOPAC to better share with our island stakeholders at the community level through radio and newspaper stories where geoscience could affect the quality of their lives,” Dr. Howorth concluded.
