As the synthetic marine data bank of Japan, the Japan Oceanographic Data Center (JODC) collects and manages the oceanographic data observed by various organizations in Japan, which include the governmental organizations, universities and the other marine research institutes. Then JODC ensures data quality, and provides various users with such marine data.
JODC has been also acting as National Oceanographic Data Center of International Oceanographic Data and information Exchange(IODE) promoted by UNESCO/IOC since 1965.