The EU and GBIF are launching a €3.9 million project to enhance capacity and mobilize data from Africa, the Caribbean, and the Pacific. The BID initiative aims to improve biodiversity management in these regions and support human well-being.
The Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) reported a 35% increase in the use of biodiversity data accessed via its open-access infrastructure. Meanwhile, web traffic saw significant annual gains, with over 1.13 million sessions logged by users from 236 countries and territories.
Research using GBIF data found nearly two-thirds of plants and half of animals could lose more than half their climate range by 2080. Swift action to limit emissions can reduce losses by 60% and buy additional time for species adaptation.
The Global Biodiversity Informatics Conference identified critical areas for greater investment and coordination in information technologies and social networks. The conference aimed to build global collaboration on biodiversity observation, uniting partners and initiatives to detect and respond to short-term changes and long-term trends.
A German-based project, reBiND, rescues and archives biodiversity data at risk of being lost due to lack of documentation or outdated digital storage systems. The project uses the Biological Collections Access Services (BioCASe) software package to transform data into XML files and make them accessible globally through the GBIF network.
A new biodiversity data publishing framework has been proposed by the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) to encourage and facilitate the sharing of biodiversity data. The framework aims to overcome barriers to access and publishing of data, making it the expected norm for biodiversity research.
A new 'Data Paper' workflow has been pioneered by GBIF and Pensoft publishers to provide incentives for data compilers. The first-ever peer-reviewed paper derived directly from a biodiversity metadata document is published in the ZooKeys journal.
A massive set of mammal data from GBIF helped quantify the influence of environmental factors on species presence. The study found that climate is the biggest factor influencing mammal species communities at larger scales, while land use and land cover become more important at smaller scales.
The GBIF seed money awards will provide information on over 75,000 species and 1.8 million records, as well as two software tools. The funded projects tackle major global issues such as climate change, invasive alien species, and conservation strategies.
The GBIF Data Portal offers instant mapping and plotting of biodiversity data on Google Earth, facilitating ecological studies and predicting species response to climate change. The portal is expected to significantly increase the number of participating institutions, making global biodiversity data freely available worldwide.
Paul Flemons, an Australian researcher, has won the prestigious Ebbe Nielsen Prize for his innovative work in combining biosystematics and biodiversity informatics. His research focuses on computer-based ecological modeling to identify areas with high species diversity, making it easier for scientists to discover and conserve species.
John Wieczorek receives Ebbe Nielsen Prize for his work on integrating biosystematics and biodiversity informatics research. He will use the prize to expand projects in North America and beyond.