1. “OBIS is world's largest online system
for absorbing, integrating, and
accessing data about life in the
ocean”
The
Ocean
Biogeographic
Information System
Ward Appeltans
IOC-UNESCO/IODE
IODE-XXII Pre-conference Workshop, 8-9 March 2013, Ensenada, Mexico

2. Census of Marine Life (2000-2010)

3. Census of Marine Life (2000-2010)
• 2,700 scientists
• 80+ nations
• 540 expeditions
• US$ 650 million
• 2,600+ scientific publications
• 6,000+ potential new species
• 30 million distribution records and counting

4. Ocean Biogeographic
Information System
OBIS is the world’s largest open access, online
repository of spatially referenced marine life data that:
– Nations can use to develop national and regional
assessments, to discover trends, gaps and biodiversity
hotspots and to meet their obligations to the Convention on
Biological Diversity and other international commitments.
– Stimulates research about our oceans to generate new
hypotheses concerning evolutionary processes, species
distributions, and roles of organisms in marine systems on a
global scale.
– Forms a baseline of marine life’s diversity, distribution, and
abundance against which future change can be measured.

5. OBIS at IOC-UNESCO
In June 2009, the 25th Session of the IOC Assembly decided through
Resolution XXV-4 to adopt OBIS as part of IODE, because:
1. Knowledge of the oceans biodiversity is of such importance to
national and global environmental issues that the responsibility for its
continuing success should be assumed by governments.
2. IOC Member States have repeatedly identified the need to acquire
ocean biogeographic data for national ocean and coastal resource
management.
3. Without accurate, repeatable and timely biological data it is
impossible to address adequately the global ocean environmental
issues of pollution, climate impact and mitigation, ocean acidification,
ecosystem management, biodiversity loss, and habitat destruction
(Resolution of the UN General Assembly A/RES/63/111)
4. OBIS provided the opportunity to adopt an existing global network for
biogeographic data and to attract the associated research community
that can and should be a continuous part of the Commission’s ocean
mandate.

6. 10th Conference of the Parties to the
Convention on Biological Diversity
In Nagoya October 2010, the 10th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on
Biological Diversity (Decision COP10/29 para 10 and 35;) requested Member States
to further enhance globally networked scientific efforts, such as the Ocean
Biogeographic Information System (OBIS), to continue to update a comprehensive
and accessible global database of all forms of life in the sea, and further assess and
map the distribution and abundance of species in the sea, and;
Called upon IOC to facilitate availability and inter-operability of the best
available marine and coastal biodiversity data sets and information across global,
regional and national scales.
As a result OBIS is playing a crucial role in providing scientific guidance, data and
information for the identification of Ecologically or Biologically Significant marine
Areas, through a series of regional workshops in 2011, 2012 and 2013 convened by
the CBD, as part of the UN Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020, and in
particular to contribute to Aichi Biodiversity Target 11 to conserve and sustainably
manage at least 10 per cent of coastal and marine areas by 2020.

7. CBD-COP10 listed OBIS as a key source of
information for the identification of Ecologically or
Biologically Significant Areas (EBSAs) part of CBD"
Areas of high biodiversity
Areas of special importance
for the life history of a
species
Areas of significant naturalness
Areas of
uniqueness or rarity

8. OBIS contributions to the CBD process:"
(1) national reporting and (2) open oceans & deep seas
"
National EEZ data queries Open-ocean ABNJ data queries
Open-access data made International collaborative
available to all countries data and research in areas
and communities beyond national jurisdiction

9. OBIS contributions to the CBD EBSA process
"
North Pacific regional EBSA workshop, Moscow,
25 Feb – 1 March 2013

10. OBIS contributions to the CBD EBSA process
"
OBIS data are being used to
support the identification of
sites meeting the EBSA
criteria at each regional
workshop.
OBIS data layers include:
• Species observations
• Biological Diversity indices
• IUCN Red List species Eastern Tropical & Temperate
Pacific EBSA workshop, Galapagos
Ecuador, August 2012

11. OBIS contributions to the CBD EBSA process
"
examples
Marine Mammal Observations IUCN Red-List Species
Eastern Tropical & Temperate Pacific Wider Caribbean and Western
EBSA workshop, Galapagos Mid-Atlantic workshop, Recife,
Ecuador, August 2012 Brazil, February 2012

12. OBIS contributions to the CBD EBSA process
"
Biological Diversity all taxa
Wider Caribbean and Western
Mid-Atlantic workshop, Recife,
Brazil, February 2012
Proposed site meeting EBSA criteria:
Abrolhos Bank & Vitoria-Trindade Chain
Described in-part due to high regional biodiversity
as depicted using OBIS data.

13. Species distribution modeling (aquamaps)
Flathead mullet (point data)

14. Species distribution modeling (aquamaps)
Flathead mullet (native range)

15. Species distribution modeling (aquamaps)
Flathead mullet (Year 2050 range)

16. Summary Stats

17. Summary Stats

18. Summary Stats

19. Summary stats (1950-2004)
# records increases steadily,
until it begins to level off records
around 1990
species
Decline # species through
the 1980s, but then an
increase subsequently

20. # new species recorded in OBIS
2200
2000
1800
# New Species
1600
1400
1200
1000
1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000
year

21. Data e-infrastructure Initiative for Fisheries Management
and Conservation of Marine Living Resources (i-Marine)
• Research Infrastructures CP & CSA funded by the European
Commission under the FP7 Capacities Programme - eInfrastructure
Unit DG CONNECT (1 Nov 2011 - 30 April 2014)
• Launch an initiative aimed at establishing and
operating an e-infrastructure supporting the principles
of the Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries Management
and Conservation of Marine Living Resources.

22. Trend Analysis and biodiversity
assessments
• What are the most common species (10 - 25 or n)
reported in OBIS (per taxon, region, period) and is
this changing over time?
• Are we observing more or fewer species?
• Species Status:
– Species with IUCN status per MPA
– Endemic species per MPA (Nr and occurrences)
– Species with IUCN status in < n MPA
– Edge effect; MPA near species distribution extension

23. The Unknown Ocean: A slice
Red = many records, dark blue none
Coastal areas > open waters;
Surface areas > the deep sea;
Vertebrates and other large animals > smaller invertebrates;
Northern hemisphere > southern.
The vast midwaters,
Earth s largest
habitat by volume,
mostly unexplored
(~95%)
Source: CoML OBIS
Webb, O Dor, Vanden Berghe

24. World Ocean Assessment: First Global Integrated Marine
Assessment of the Regular Process for Global Reporting and Assessment
of the State of the Marine Environment, including Socioeconomic Aspects
Part VI Assessment of marine biological diversity and habitats
• Section A — Overview of marine biological diversity
– Chapter 34 Scale of marine biological diversity
– Chapter 35 Extent of assessment of marine biological diversity
– Chapter 36 Overall status of major groups of species and habitats
• Section B — Marine ecosystems, species and habitats scientifically
identified as threatened, declining or otherwise in need of special attention
or protection
– Chapter 37 Coastal rock and biogenic habitats and related species
– Chapter 38 Coastal sediment habitats and related species
– Chapter 39 Shelf rock and biogenic reef habitats and related species
– Chapter 40 Shelf sediment habitats and related species
– Chapter 41 Deep sea habitats and related species
– Chapter 42 Water column habitats and related species
• Section C — Environmental, economic and/or social aspects of the
conservation of marine species and habitats and capacity-building needs
– Chapter 43 Significant environmental, economic and/or social aspects in
relation to the conservation of marine species and habitats
– Chapter 44 Capacity-building needs
• Section D — Summary on marine biological diversity
– Chapter 45 Summary on marine biological diversity

25. Ocean Biogeographic Information System
http://www.iobis.org/
Search data based on
Taxonomy
Datasets
Geographical boundaries
Time, season, depth
Oceanographic variables

26. Association of observation points
with oceanography
Observation data associated with
Environmental attributes from World Ocean Atlas ! Bottom depth
! Temperature
! Salinity
! Nitrogen / Oxygen
! Phosphate / Silicate
Visualized through interactive graphs
! Time-series graphs
! Histograms
WOA09, http://www.nodc.noaa.gov/OC5/WOA09/pr_woa09.html

27. OBIS allows extraction of observations
based on environmental conditions
Example map #1
Cetacean species observations in LME region
Celtic-Biscay Shelf
(no environmental conditions set)
Example map #2
Cetacean species observations in LME region
Celtic-Biscay Shelf filtered by a temperature
range of 13 to 15 degrees

28. User Statistics: 1 March 2011-2013
(Google Analytics)
• Visits: 187,906 (av. ± 400 on a regular working day)
• Unique visitors: 124,587
• Returning visitors: 35%
• Pages/visit: 2,34
• Mobile devices/ipad: 2%

29. User Statistics
Country(/(Territory( Visits( %(Visits( Country(/(Territory(%(New(Visits(
1" United"States" 47858" 25,5" 1" Hong"Kong" 95,31%"
2" Turkey" 12392" 6,6" 2" Turkey" 86,77%"
3" Canada" 10412" 5,5" 3" China" 76,04%"
4" Germany" 9948" 5,3" 4" Philippines" 74,27%"
5" United"Kingdom" 9301" 4,9" 5" (not"set)" 74,03%"
6" France" 7628" 4,1" 6" India" 73,24%"
7" Brazil" 7614" 4,1" 7" ArgenGna" 71,15%"
8" Spain" 6808" 3,6" 8" Italy" 70,52%"
9" Australia" 5556" 3,0" 9" United"States" 68,14%"
10" Mexico" 5269" 2,8" 10" Spain" 67,32%"
11" Japan" 5226" 2,8" 11" Australia" 64,69%"
12" Belgium" 3890" 2,1" 12" United"Kingdom" 61,28%"
13" Italy" 3731" 2,0" 13" Colombia" 61,00%"
14" India" 3330" 1,8" 14" Brazil" 60,84%"
15" Portugal" 3155" 1,7" 15" Netherlands" 60,70%"
16" Russia" 2637" 1,4" 16" Germany" 59,74%"
17" Chile" 2413" 1,3" 17" Japan" 56,58%"
18" (not"set)" 2118" 1,1" 18" Portugal" 54,96%"
19" Netherlands" 2005" 1,1" 19" Canada" 54,20%"
20" Colombia" 1659" 0,9" 20" France" 53,49%"
21" China" 1653" 0,9" 21" South"Korea" 53,16%"
22" Hong"Kong" 1622" 0,9" 22" Mexico" 51,47%"
23" South"Korea" 1597" 0,8" 23" Chile" 46,66%"
24" Philippines" 1364" 0,7" 24" Belgium" 45,73%"
25" ArgenGna" 1345" 0,7" 25" Russia" 44,22%"

30. User Statistics
City( Visits(
Aydin" 3854"
(not"set)" 3113"
Sao"Paulo" 2272"
Izmir" 2087"
Oberlin" 1695"
London" 1647"
Sydney" 1640"
Oostende" 1638"
Hong"Kong" 1622"
Dartmouth" 1605"
Paris" 1521"
Yokohama" 1484"
Istanbul" 1459"
Barcelona" 1458"
Mexico"City" 1334"
New"York" 1219"
Rio"de"Janeiro" 1163"
New"Brunswick" 1161"
San"Francisco" 1143"
Halifax" 1074"
Madrid" 1049"
Washington" 1026"
Singapore" 1014"
Lisbon" 1012"
Brisbane" 985"

31. Social Media
• 272 members
– 88% senior level, 36% research
function
• 148 followers
– 500–1,000 readers
• 74 followers

32. Outreach
• PPT presentations
– 100–200 views each
• OBIS Public Library
– OBIS papers classified per year, per
node
– 25 papers in 2012
• Tracks OBIS publications
– >800 publications

33. Papers citing OBIS (Google Scholar)
800 12
700
10
Cummulative # papers citing OBIS
# papers citing OBIS per month
600
08
500
400 06
300
04
200
02
100
0 00
1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014

34. OBIS data growth: # records
35 million geo-referenced species observations (+ 5 million since Jan 2011)
40
35
30
25
#rrecords in millions
20
15
10
5
0
Apr-01 Sep-02 Jan-04 May-05 Oct-06 Feb-08 Jul-09 Nov-10 Apr-12 Aug-13

35. OBIS data growth: # datasets
1,130 datasets (+ 219 since Jan 2011)
1200
1000
800
600
400
200
0
Apr]01" Sep]02" Jan]04" May]05" Oct]06" Feb]08" Jul]09" Nov]10" Apr]12" Aug]13"

36. OBIS data growth:# records.k/dataset
180
160
140
120
100
80
60
40
20
0
Apr-01 Sep-02 Jan-04 May-05 Oct-06 Feb-08 Jul-09 Nov-10 Apr-12 Aug-13

37. OBIS data growth: # marine species.k
120,000 marine species (+ 5,000 since Jan 2011)
140.00
120.00
100.00
80.00
60.00
40.00
20.00
0.00
Apr-01 Sep-02 Jan-04 May-05 Oct-06 Feb-08 Jul-09 Nov-10 Apr-12 Aug-13

38. Very little historical data
1400000
1200000
1000000
#records in OBIS
800000
600000
400000
200000
0
1900 1920 1940 1960 1980 2000 2020

39. OBIS Network
Stakeholders
OBIS is a Partnerships with CBD,
GBIF, EOL, GOBI, GOOS,
strategic FAO, UNEP-WCMC, ICES,
SMEBD/WoRMS,
Species2000, GCMD, SCOR,
alliance of Users CBOL, …
OBIS task
hundreds of policy makers, teams
scientists and managers,
OBIS
organisations researchers, OBIS
public PO Group of
who contribute Experts
data, OBIS
information Steering
Group
and expertise OBIS Nodes
to OBIS.
Data providers

40. Six (informal) task teams
1. Technical task team (data system architecture, and
data portal)
2. Documentation/Training task team (QC, data
validation, standards and best practices)
3. Data task team (data and metadata schemes)
4. Governance task team (sustainability plan,
governance model, vision, objectives, partnerships,
funding)
5. Taxonomy task team (name reconciliation)
6. Outreach task team (communication strategy)

41. OBIS Data System Architecture
portal Queries GBIF GEO
Mapping
production Extraction EOL iMarine
LifeWatch
GCMD staging
classificati
on
WoRMS
MarineRegions ITIS, CoL,
IRMNG
WOD/ODP assembly
indexin
g
GEBCO
QC
node node node
-Excel, DiGIR, IPT
-OBIS (extended DwC) schema

42. Data flows in OBIS
Current
Future

43. Draft ToR OBIS nodes
• Receiving or harvesting marine biodiversity data (and metadata) from
national, regional and international programs, and the scientific
community at large.
• Perform data validation (using standards, tools and best practices), as
described in the OBIS cookbook (OBIS tier II).
• Reporting the results of quality control directly to data collectors/
originator.
• Making data (and metadata) available to OBIS using agreed upon
standards and formats (OBIS cookbook).
• Control data access, terms of use and sharing policies.
• Provide customer support (data queries, analyses, feedback).
• Increase visibility and reach out (Communication and Outreach
Strategy).
• Build customized portals (e.g., multiple languages).
• Comply with the IOC data policy for using and sharing OBIS data.

44. OBIS nodes (bold = NODC status, green = Candidate node)
1. Antarctica/ AntOBIS 12. Mediterranean/ 18. Global/ MicrOBIS
2. Arctic/ ArcOD/AOOS MedOBIS 19. Global/ OBIS-
3. Argentina/ArOBIS 13. South-East Pacific/ SEAMAP
4. Australia/ OBIS- ESPOBIS 20. Global/ Hexacorals
Australia 14. South-West Atlantic/ 21. Global/ FishBase
5. Black Sea/ BlackSea- WSAOBIS 22. Global/ Seamounts
OBIS 15. South-West Pacific/ 23. Gulf of Aden
6. Canada/ OBIS- NZOBIS
24. South-East Asia
Canada 16. Sub-Saharan/
25. Caribbean
7. China/ OBIS-China AfrOBIS
8. Europe/ EurOBIS 17. USA/ OBIS-USA
9. India/ IndOBIS
10. Japan/ OBIS-Japan
11. Korea/ KOBIS

45. Establishment of new OBIS nodes
(for consideration at IODE-XXII)
• If the institute is an existing NODC:
– Send a letter of “expression of interest” to the OBIS project office, wishing to
join the OBIS network of nodes.
• If the institute is not an existing NODC, but wishes to apply for an NODC
status:
– Follow the procedure for NODCs and include your wish to join the OBIS
network of nodes.
• If the institute is an existing SODC (if the SODC entity type is adopted by
the 22nd session of the IODE Committee):
– Send a letter of “expression of interest” to the OBIS project office, wishing to
join the OBIS network.
• If the institute is not an existing SODC, but wishes to apply for an SODC
status:
– Follow the procedure for SODCs and include your wish to join the OBIS
network of nodes.

46. Establishment of new OBIS nodes
(for consideration at IODE-XXII)
The extra information required for OBIS to include in the application/
expression of interest is the following:
– Indicate the level of commitment to function as an OBIS tier II and/
or tier III node;
– Indicate the person who will act as the OBIS node manager (and
deputy).
Applications will be reviewed by the IODE Steering Group for OBIS and a
decision will be made within two weeks after confirmation of receipt. The
results of the decision from the 22nd session of the IODE Committee will
affect the final process developed by the SG-OBIS.

47. OBIS Standards and Best Practices
• Metadata, no single standard
– ISO19115 compliancy (GCMD, FGCD, IMIS, EML..)
• Data
– Geography: OBIS extension of Darwin Core
– Taxonomy: basis = World Register of Marine Species,
but also ITIS, CoL and IRMNG (when not in WoRMS).
• Data harvesting protocols
– GBIFs Integrated Publishing Toolkit (IPT) (txt file + EML)
– DiGIR (XML)
– CSV
• Data publishing services
– Maps using Open layers
– OGC/Open GIS web map/feature/coverage services
(OBIS GeoServer)

48. QC/data validation/quality flags
• Principle OBIS never change records
– data cleaning needs to be done at the expert/data providers
level.
• OBIS can perform data integrity checks (completeness,
correctness), add precision and accuracy information (quality
flags)

49. QC of metadata
• Metadata"should"contain:"
– Title"(dataset"name,"comprehensive,"not"just"an"acronym)"
– CitaGon"(journal"style,"include"Gtle"of"dataset)"
– General"descripGon"(abstract)"
– Contact"informaGon"(name"–"insGtute"–"email)"
– User"restricGons"(most%cases:% freely%available%if%cited )"
– Sampling"design"(collaborate"with"GE]BICH"and"ODSBP)"
• Metadata"can"also"contain:"
– Keywords,"habitat,"species"funcGonal"groups"
– Taxonomic"–"temporal"–"geographic"scope/boundaries"
– Links"(online%data,%metadata,%project%page,%DiGIR,%IPT%…)"
– Associated"documentaGon"(e.g.,%reports,%publica@ons%…)"

50. QC of data
• Required"(mandatory)"fields"
• Taxonomy"
• Life"stage"(need"for"vocab"]>"GE]BICH/ODSBP)"
• Gender"(need"for"vocab"]>"GE]BICH/ODSBP)"
• Geographic"locaGons"(link"to"gazeheer)"
• Depth"
• Date"–"Gme"
– Start"&"end"fields"
• Observed"individuals"
• Basis"of"record"(literature,"specimen,"observaGon)"

51. Taxonomic QC
• Taxon Match tool to check if name is available in WoRMS, ITIS, IRMNG, CoL (if
name not available in any of those -> more elaborate search in: PaleoDB, IPNI,
Euro+Med Plantbase, Index Fungorum, Fishbase, BOLD, Web of Science
• Avoid false matches (homonyms) by indicating higher taxonomic group
• Translate common names and cases of cf., sp., complexes etc to higher
taxonomic level:
Received taxon name Matching name
Mytiluus sp. Mytilus
Gadus cfr. morhua Gadus
Cladocera/Ostracoda Crustacea (= common subphylum)
Sponges Porifera
Bamboo sharks Galeomorphi (superorder)
• Add taxon LSID to record (e.g. TSN, AphiaID)

52. Name validation tool: Taxon Match
This(tool(uses(the(following(components:(
:TAXAMATCH(fuzzy(matching(algorithm(by(Tony(Rees(
:PHP/MySql(port(of(TAXAMATCH(by(Michael(Giddens(
:ScienHfic(Names(Parser(by(Dmitry(Mozzherin(

53. TAXON MATCH

54. TAXON MATCH

55. TAXON MATCH

56. SOAP/WSDL/REST web service
Examples

57. Web Services
System( Field( Key( Mechanism(
WoRMS" Taxon"name" AphiaID" webservice"
WoRMS" Parent"taxon" AphiaID" webservice"
WoRMS" Child"taxa" AphiaID" webservice"
WoRMS" Synonyms" AphiaID" webservice"
WoRMS" Common"name" AphiaID" webservice"
WoRMS" References" AphiaID" webservice"
WoRMS" Ahributes" AphiaID" Not"yet"

58. Taxonomic QC
• Current"situaGon"
""
"±"198,000"taxon"names"in"OBIS:"
– ±"153,500"matched"to"WoRMS"" Overlap"of"±"72"000"taxa"
– ±"80,000"matched"to"ITIS"
– ±"31,500"not"matched"to"any"standard"(WoRMS,"ITIS,"CoL,"IRMNG)"
• Plan OBIS Taxonomic Task Team
– April 2013: Status report on numbers of errors (per
taxonomic groups and time)
– June 2013: Preliminary Cleaning Assessment
– Cleaning up residual errors – Ongoing

59. Geographic QC
• Fields in OBIS
1. LaHtude(
2. Longitude(
3. Start"laGtude"
4. End"laGtude"
5. Start"longitude"
6. End"longitude"
7. Coordinate"precision"
8. Start/end"coordinate"precision"
9. Bounding"box"
10. ConGnent"ocean"
11. Country"
12. State"province"
13. County"
14. Locality"

60. Geographic QC
• Are"the""laGtude"and"the"longitude"completed"and"are"their"values"different"
from"0?"
• Are"the"laGtude"or"the"longitude"completed"and"are"their"decimal"values"
between"]90"and"+90"(laGtude)"and"between"]180"and"+180"(longitude)"
(WGS84)?"
• Decimal"check"(X,aabb":"if"aa"<59"and"bb"<59"it"may"mean"the"coordinates"are"
not"decimals,"but"degrees,"minutes"and"seconds)"""
• Are"the"coordinates"situated"in"sea"or"coast"(buffer"20km)?"
• Are"the"coordinates"situated"in"the"right"geographical"area"(fields"9]14,"or""
e.g."AtlanGc"spohed"dolphins"should"not"be"found"in"the"Pacific)?"
• Is"the"observaGon"point"not"an"outlier"in"the"dataset?""
– Is"the"observaGon"point"not"more"than"4"X"standard"deviaGon"from"the"centroid"of"the"
dataset?"
• Is"the"observaGon"point"not"an"outlier"in"the"observaGons"of"the"species?""
– Is"the"observaGon"point"not"more"than"4"X"standard"deviaGon"from"the"centroid"of"the"
observaGons"from"that"species?

61. Geographic QC
Example%dataset%“Marine%Turtles”:%
sigh@ngs%and%strandings%of%marine%turtles%around%the%coast%of%UK%and%Ireland”"
Outliers%due%to%missing%of%minus%sign.%Correc@ons%made%aKer%consulta@on%data%provider."

62. Geographic QC
• Related to depth:
– Is the minimum depth < maximum depth?
– Is the observation depth possible if compared with a depth
map (include margin)?
– Is the observation depth possible if compared with the given
depth range of the species
• Related to environmental parameters:
– Is the observation possible if compared with the given (min-
max) salinity, temperature, oxygen, nutrient range of the
species

63. QC Presence, abundance, biomass
• Is the field 'sample size' completed if the value of the
field 'Observed individual count’ or 'observed weight'
>0?

64. Date QC
• Fields in OBIS
1. YearCollected
2. MonthCollected
3. DayCollected
4. StartYearCollected
5. StartMonthCollected
6. StartDayCollected
7. EndYearCollected
8. EndMonthCollected
9. EndDayCollected
10. StartTimeOfDay
11. EndTimeOfDay
12. TimeOfDay
13. Timezone

65. Date QC
• Is the collection date (year, month, day, end-start)
completed and valid (i.e. between 1300 and now)?
• Is the ‘collection date’ <= the ‘date identified’ and <= the
‘last modified date’
• If the start date and the end date are completed, is the
start date < the end date (taking into consideration the
given time)?
• Is the time/starttime/endtime >= 0 and <24 and is the
timezone completed

66. Date QC
=>produce time graph for visual check.

67. Future plans
• Expand on data types (marine extension of Darwin
Core)
– Tracking data
– Acoustics
– Images (e.g. fin patterns)
• Expand geographical coverage
• Capacity building
– Biological data management
– Regional marine biological observatories
• Close collaboration with IODE projects and IOC and
UNESCO programmes