1. Consortium for the Barcode of Life
Promoting a standardized global system for identifying species
170+ Member organizations, 50+ countries
35+ Member organizations from 25+ developing countries
Characterized 500,000 specimens from 50,000 species

2. Species Identification Matters
Basic research on evolution, ecology
Endangered/protected species
Agricultural pests/beneficial species
Disease vectors/pathogens
Invasive species (e.g.,in ballast water)
Environmental quality indicators
Managing for sustainable harvesting
Consumer protection, ensuring food quality
Fidelity of seedbanks, culture collections

3. From specimen to sequence to species Database of Standardized Records
How Barcoding is Done
From specimen to sequence to species
ND3
COIII
ND2
ND1
Tissue Sampling
DNA extraction
Copy CO1 gene
DNA sequencing
Original DNA Data file
Database of Standardized Records
Voucher Specimen
Museum and Herbarium Collections
Frozen Tissue Collections
DNA Biobanks
Public BARCODE data
Links to voucher specimens
Links to scientific publications

4. Outreach Activities CBOL’s regional barcode meetings in:
Cape Town, South Africa, April 2006, SANBI
Scale insects in African agriculture
Nairobi, Kenya, October 2006
Commercial fisheries in Rift Valley lakes
Brazil, March 2007
Hardwood tree species
Commercial fish
Endangered mammals, reptiles, amphibians
Taiwan, September 2007
Nigeria, October 2008
CBOL efforts to increase global participation in BOLI

5. Adoption by Regulators
Food and Drug Administration
Reference barcodes for commercial fish
NOAA/NMFS
$100K for Gulf of Maine pilot project
FISH-BOL workshop with agencies, Taipei, Sept 2007
Federal Aviation Administration – $500K for birds
Environmental Protection Agency
$250K pilot test, water quality bioassessment
FAO International Plant Protection Commission
Proposal for Diagnostic Protocols for fruit flies
CITES, National Agencies, Conservation NGOs
International Steering Committee, identifying pilot projects
US government agencies are now testing barcoding and considering its adoption for regulatory and enforcement purposes.