Global Information Networks
Biodiversity loss is recognized as one of the most critical and interdependent environmental challenges facing society. Requiring united global action, these challenges are at the centre of the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).
Global information networks have a key function to monitor biodiversity changes and to protect endangered species. While observation data provide information on existent species distribution, information on natural history collection specimens allow a reconstruction of species occurrences and distribution in the past. Furthermore, in natural history collections as well as in bio- and seedbanks, biodiversity is conserved in the form of biological material for science and society.
Biodiversity
The Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) is an international network and data infrastructure funded by the world's governments and aimed at providing anyone, anywhere, open access to data about all types of life on Earth.
The Integrated Digitized Biocollections (iDigBio), an initiative funded by the National Science Foundation of the United States is making data and images of millions of biological specimens available on the web
Natural history collections
The Distributed System of Scientific Collections (DiSSCo) is a new world-class Research Infrastructure (RI) for Natural Science Collections. The DiSSCo RI aims to create a new business model for one European collection that digitally unifies all European natural science assets, sharing common access, curation, policies and practices across countries while ensuring that all the data complies with the FAIR principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable data)
The Geoscience Collections Access Service (GeoCASe) is a data network and web portal designed to make collections of minerals, rocks, meteorites and fossils held in museums and research institutions universally available online, in order to foster scientific research and collaboration internationally
CETAF is the Consortium of European Taxonomic Facilities, a European network of Natural Science Museums, Natural History Museums, Botanical Gardens and Biodiversity Research Centers with their associated biological collections and research expertise. The 33 members that represent 59 institutions from 21 European countries and associates states are estimated to hold 68% of the worlds described biodiversity as specimens. The consortium contributes to Europe’s knowledge-base by enhancing the synergies of the members collections and their research capabilities. They explore and document the natural world focusing on studying the species and their evolutionary history, advancing research in a multitude of disciplines.
DNA, seed and tissue collections
The Global Genome Biodiversity Network provides its members with the primary benefit of making their DNA and tissue collections discoverable for research through a networked community of biodiversity biobanks. In doing so, GGBN provides trusted and transparent access to genomic samples for all, through an access and benefit sharing framework
Additional links to global data initiatives and infrastructures
Biodiversity
BOLD SYSTEMS is a cloud-based data storage and analysis platform developed at the Centre for Biodiversity Genomics in Canada. It consists of four main modules, a data portal, an educational portal, a registry of BINs (putative species), and a data collection and analysis workbench.
The most complete authoritative list of the world's species - maintained by hundreds of global taxonomists
LifeWatch-ERIC is the e-Science European Infrastructure for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, officially established as international organism by the European Commission in 2017. In general terms, LifeWatch aims to address new research fields, test innovative hypothesis, deepen scientific knowledge and above all, to provide solutions for environmental policy and management issues.
Natural history collections
BioCASe is the Biological Collection Access Service, a transnational network of primary biodiversity repositories. It links together specimen data from natural history collections, botanical/zoological gardens and research institutions worldwide with information from huge observation databases. The aim is to make the world's data on biodiversity data freely and universally accessible on the Internet through data portals and web services, a goal that BioCASe shares with related initiatives such as the GBIF and iDegBio. In the past years, BioCASe has developed into a widely accepted standard for data sharing and has laid the foundations for several thematically - both taxonomically and geographically - specialized networks. BioCASe is the CETAF node for GBIF (biocase.org).
French initiative that aims to be the tool that will virtually unite all the actors that, together, are capable of providing access to the information contained in their collections. This is achieved by the creation of an image bank and collaborative tools for its exploitation, which the entire community of systematicians, professionals and amateurs has access to.
SPNHC is The Society for the Preservation of Natural History Collections, an international society whose mission is to improve the preservation, conservation and management of natural history collections to ensure their continuing value to society.
Swiss associations and initiatives
Swiss Centre for Species Information. It comprises all the different national species-based databases (vascular plants, bryophytes, fungi, lichens and fauna) and aims to promote the collaboration between the different registration centres, the cantons, the confederation and third parties such as public or private persons or bodies that engage in species conservation.
Swiss association of Museums that represents museums within Switzerland and aims to increase the visibility of Museums as well as conveying the importance of natural science collections and natural history museums as part of our national and international heritage
Nationales Bodeninformationssystem (NABODAT), affiliated with the National Soil Monitoring Network NABO, is the National Soil Information System that is continuously updated with cantonal and national soil data. Access to this application is provided for the clients of the federal government and cantons included in the NABODAT network. As mandated by the Federal Office for the Environment FOEN, the service centre is responsible for the smooth operation of the soil information system and supports users in the processing, importing and management of data. Moreover, the service centre organises, specifies and tests the advancement of the application in collaboration with the NABODAT working group and the external IT developer.
Swiss Systematic Society (SSS), unites systematic biologists from different fields who are investing in promoting the interests of systematics and taxonomy. The SSS serves as a competent interlocutor for science and society, and maintains international exchanges.