EXOAQUA

Biological invasions generate particularly important impacts on the aquatic environment. These are the cases of species such as water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes), zebra mussel (Dreissenia polymorpha) and Louisiana crayfish (Procambarus clarkii). Between the years 2008 and 2010, the Catalan Water Agency (ACA) and the CREAF have developed EXOAQUA, the Information System of the Exotic Species of Aquatic Ecosystems in Catalonia that collects the information available for these species as a basis for its management in the context of the Water Framework Directive (WFD). However, the information currently available on EXOAQUA is relatively old and its updating by ACA technicians entails important technical difficulties. On the other hand, during the last years, the Department of Territory and Sustainability (DTES) of the Autonomous Government of Catalonia and CREAF have developed EXOCAT, an information system that collects the bibliographic and cartographic data available for all the exotic species of Catalonia, including those in the aquatic environment. EXOCAT is bound to become the reference database for the deployment of the Alien species system alert in Catalonia.

Consequently, we must make an effort to standardize both databases and update EXOAQUA with the latest EXOCAT information. In order to achieve this goal, the project performs a series of tasks:

1. Review of the EXOAQUA architecture and adaptation to EXOCAT. This includes a review of tables and relations and the implementation of specific data entry forms for the ACA technicians. It also includes the integration and deployment of the EXOAQUA in the corporate systems of the ACA.
2. Adoption of the EXOCAT thesaurus with regard to the nomenclature and characteristics of the species. EXOCAT contains the most elaborate and complete thesauri on alien species, although it will be necessary to complete them with the data of species only present in the EXOAQUA.
3. Connection of the EXOAQUA and EXOCAT. Once the proposed architectural changes have been adopted, the dynamic connection between both databases will be effective. Initially, this connection will focus on the thesauri (which will reside in EXOCAT), and in a second phase the connection of the databases with the geographical locations will be made.