1. Global Biodiversity Information Facility Background Presentation for Cyberinfrastructure for Environmental Research & Education Workshop Boulder, Colorado 31 October 2002 Meredith Lane Communications Officer, GBIF mlane@gbif.org www.gbif.org GBIF

2. NGO & science-driven resources and networks, mid-late 1990s CONABIO INBio FishNet GenBank EMBL ANGIS ABI AETFAT WDCM WCMC

3. EIOnet ERIN NBIICONABIO INBio NABINNABIN IABINIABIN Politically-driven content networks, mid-late 1990s

4. MEGASCIENCE FORUM of the OECD (became Global Science Forum after the GBIF recommendation was adopted)  Examples of Working Groups:  Neutron Sources  Nuclear Physics  Radio Astronomy  Biological Informatics (1996–1999) Subgroup : Biodiversity InformaticsSubgroup : Biodiversity Informatics Subgroup : Neuroinformatics Subgroup : Neuroinformatics Recommended that the Megascience Forum endorse development of the Global Biodiversity Information Facility Recommended that the Megascience Forum endorse development of the Global Biodiversity Information Facility

6. Nature IS Networks

7. NBII CONABIO INBio EIOnet ERIN GBIF vision NABINNABIN IABINIABIN NBII CONABIO INBio EIOnet ERIN FishNet GenBank EMBL ANGIS ABI AETFAT WDCM WCMC

8. Characteristics of this information domain: Biodiversity Itself Developing World Biodiversity Information Developed World

9. RATIONALE for a global biodiversity informatics effort l The biodiversity information domain is vast, complex, and critically important to society. l However, most existing biodiversity data and information are not at present dynamically accessible, and therefore are not yet fully useful. l Recent technological and political developments provide exciting research opportunities in biodiversity informatics.

11. GBIF

12. An international scientific co-operative project based on a multilateral agreement (MoU) between countries and international organisations, dedicated to: establishing an interoperable, distributed network of databases containing scientific biodiversity information, in order to: make the world’s scientific biodiversity data universally and freely available via the internet, with initial focus on species- and specimen-level data, and with links to molecular, genetic, ecological data levels What is GBIF? GBIF

13. GBIF PRINCIPLES Equitable sharing of information and its benefits Equitable sharing of information and its benefits Providers maintain and upgrade their own data Providers maintain and upgrade their own data Public-private partnerships Public-private partnerships User-driven User-driven Transparent Transparent Best-practice use of technologies, standards and procedures Best-practice use of technologies, standards and procedures Protection of intellectual property rights Protection of intellectual property rights International and inter-institutional coordination International and inter-institutional coordination

14. The Market for GBIF’s Products: Biodiversity knowledge management at the global level Global biodiversity policy Natural resource management at regional and national levels Biological research support at global, regional, national and local levels GBIF

15. GBIF Relationships GLOBAL Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) Clearinghouse Mechanism (CHM) NATIONAL CBIN (Canada) CONABIO (Mexico) ERIN (Australia) InBIO (Costa Rica) NBII (U.S.A.) REGIONAL Inter-American Biodiversity Information Network (IABIN) North American Biodiversity Information Network (NABIN) European Information Organization Network (EIOnet) LOCAL Many examples: Natural History Museum Collections, research databases, etc.

16. GBIF Relationships COMMUNITY Species 2000 TDWG OBIS GenBank Protein DataBank RESEARCH FishBase FlyBase HerpNet GOVERNMENT GBIF Participant Nodes Clearinghouse Mechanism (CHM) WCMC NCEAS ORGANIZATION NatureServe ETI BIOSIS CABI

17. Characteristics of a Megascience Effort l Something that cannot be undertaken by only one country  expense  no one country has access to all the data l Some components of the research can be done at the national or regional levels, but some must be truly global l Usually infrastructural in nature (e.g. CERN) l Involves Public-Private Partnerships l Scientists do some research in their own laboratories and some in the megafacility l Involves collaboration among many scientists and others The topic is hugely inclusive and affects many disciplines The topic is hugely inclusive and affects many disciplines

18. Molecular Biological Informatics “bioinformatics” Biodiversity & Ecosystem Informatics Age of “molecular biology” virtually equals age of computers (ca. 50 yr); > 95% of all data are digitized Knowledgebase is 5X older than computers (ca. 250 yr); < 5% is digitized Many of the data automatically share common language (i.e., ATGC, amino acids, etc.) with binary structure Data languages are immensely complex on biological and sociological levels (no standardization; not binary) Minimum of $500M spent per year on "bioinformatics" $50M per year spent on biodiversity informatics, even though a minimum of $1B is spent per year on environmental observations globally Retroactive Data Capture is a Megascience Activity

19. Electronic Catalog of Names ClimateData GenBank, et al. Specialized Search Engines Data Access/ Interop-erability Sequence Data (RNA, protein, etc.) Ecosystems Data Geospatial Data Ecological Data Biological Specimen Data Content area responsibilities of GBIF Existing responsibilities of other agencies GBIF will enable synergism among existing investments that is not possible at present How GBIF’s Tasks Were Chosen

20. Content Connectivity Computational Capacities What is needed? Content Content Content Content Content Content Content Content Content Content Content Content Content Content Content

21. 1.5 - 3 B specimens worldwide 1.5 - 3 B specimens worldwide

22. New data from research and monitoring Data from static media Active Databases (cross-disciplinary) Active Databases (disciplinary) Legacy Datasets Data Entry Tools Data Entry Tools Processing Bulk Data (T3 & up) Information (T1, ASDL) Content Hardware Software TransportDelivery Append-only S TRUCTURED D ATA A NALYZED D ATA R AW D ATA E NTERTAIN - MENT E DUCATION I NFORMATION Appropriate Capacity Dynamic, Data Storage Data Management Tools Data Description, Cleansing, Indexing Tools Cross-Database Linking Tools Data Correlation & Analysis Tools Presentation Reporting Tools

23. Example: User = Decision- maker working on location of Wildlife Reserves Species distribution GIS layers Single species model Environmental Decision-Support

24. Example: User = Decision- maker working on location of Wildlife Reserves Combined single species models “Species Richness” and/or “Habitat conservation” models Using Biodiversity and other data interoperably

25. Presentation tools can simplify the analysis for end users Dave Peters Tasmanian Parks Dept.

26. 250 years of literature250 years of literature

27. ImagesImages ArtArt Film / SoundFilm / Sound Sequences …Sequences … COMPLEX LEGACY

28. Megascience is Strategic

29. Beneficiaries of this Megascience Effort l Biodiversity-rich countries  repatriation of data  access to global biodiversity knowledge-base l Information networks (CHM, IABIN, EIOnet, et al.) l Governments and others responsible for management of living natural resources l Private Sector, e.g.  agriculture, forestry, fishing...  publishing and biotechnology  pharmaceuticals and other health-related areas l Scientific research l Education (formal and informal)

30. Characteristics of GBIF Equitable sharing of information and its benefits Providers retain control over their own data Protection of intellectual property rights Complement existing biodiversity information networks Open facility architecture Reduces duplications of effort Coordinated by Secretariat staff, but Most of the real work de-centralized GBIF

31. Membership Voting membership is open to any country or economy that agrees to:  Sign MoU  Make required financial contribution  Share scientific biodiversity data  Establish a national GBIF node Associate (non-voting) membership is open to any country, economy or organisation that agrees to:  Sign MoU  Share scientific biodiversity data  Establish a GBIF node GBIF

32. Established: 2001 March: 1st Governing Board Meeting (GB1)  Elected Christoph Häuser Chair  Established Ebbe Nielsen prize June: GB2: Denmark (University of Copenhagen) selected to host the GBIF Secretariat September: GB3:  Selected Dr. James L. Edwards to be Executive Secretary  Established Science and Budget Committees March 2002: GB4:  Awarded first Ebbe Nielsen Prize  Established Participant Node Managers Committee GBIF

33. Where we are now: October 2002: GB5:  Work Programme  Participant Nodes 24 Voting Participants 25 Associate Participants (11 countries, 14 organizations) as of 31 Oct 2002 GBIF

34. What we’ve done - YEAR 1 Secretariat established in Copenhagen Secretariat staff hired STAG meetings held to aid in developing the priority work programmes IT infrastructure designed and in process of implementation Work Programme developed by Secretariat and approved by Science Committee and the Governing Board GBIF

35. Work Programmes Data Access and Database Interoperability (DADI) Data Access and Database Interoperability (DADI) Electronic Catalogue of Names of Known Organisms (ECAT) Electronic Catalogue of Names of Known Organisms (ECAT) Digitization of Natural History Collections (DIGIT) Digitization of Natural History Collections (DIGIT) Outreach and Capacity Building (OCB) Outreach and Capacity Building (OCB) Down the road: Down the road:  “Species Bank”  Digital Biodiversity Literature Resources GBIF

36. Relationships & IT Services GLOBAL REGIONAL NATIONAL LOCAL Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) CBD Clearinghouse Mechanism (CHM) CBIN (Canada) CONABIO (Mexico) ERIN (Australia) INBio (Costa Rica) NBII (U.S.A.) Inter-American Biodiversity Information Network (IABIN) North American Biodiversity Information Network (NABIN) European Information Organization Network (EIOnet) Natural History Museum Collections, libraries, research databases, etc. GBIF

37. What GBIF will do - YEAR 2 - Adopt standards for interoperability (DADI) Development of appropriate search engines, the GBIF central portal and Participant portals (IT) Build on the Catalog of Names of Known Organisms (ECAT) Increase rate of digitisation of biodiversity data (DIGIT) Plan for installing GBIF hardware and software and for training individuals in their use (OCB) Data-rich biodiversity databases agree to affiliate with GBIF via Participant Nodes (Participants) working with the Participant Nodes: GBIF

38. The Participants are GBIF... GBIF

39. GBIF WILL: P rovide comprehensive information to R espond to environmental questions; A void duplication of effort; C ost-efficiently leverage funds; T rack data, software and human resources; and I nform internationally in support of C oordination of informatics efforts in order to A chieve sustainability goals and L earn about biodiversity. GBIF

41. MOLECULARAND GENETIC DATA BIODIVERSITYAND ECOSYSTEMS DATA E NTERTAIN MENT E DUCATION I NFORMATION policy public management informal formal industry NEUROSCIENCE DATA HEALTH SCIENCES DATA TOXICOLOGY DATA PHYSIOLOGY DATA CHEMICAL DATA PHYLOGENETIC DATA