Presentation given during the 8th Symposium on Polar Studies 7 - 9 September 2011, Palma de Mallorca, Spain.

1. SCAR-MarBIN and ANTABIF
Free and Open Access to Antarctic Biodiversity data
www.scarmarbin.be
www.biodiversity.aq
Thursday 8 September 2011

2. Antarctic Treaty
(our inspiration)
« In order to promote international cooperation in
scientific investigation in Antarctica, as provided for in
Article III (1c) of the Treaty, the Contracting Parties agree
that, to the greatest extent feasible and practicable: […]
Scientific observations and results from Antarctica shall be
exchanged and made freely available. »
Thursday 8 September 2011

3. “Exchanging” biodiversity
data
• science-based, adaptative conservation and
management
• testing fundamental theories
• consolidation of the community
• establish a benchmark for undisputed evidence of
change/shifts
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4. Information Networks
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5. SCAR-MarBIN & ANTABIF
• www.scarmarbin.be: marine biodiversity information
network
• www.biodiversity.aq: biodiversity information facility
• Main funding: Belgian science Policy office (BELSPO)
• International Polar Year (IPY) 2007/08
• Census of Antarctic Marine Life (CAML)
• Ocean Biogeographic Information System (OBIS)
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)
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6. General philosophy
• Build an electronic ecosystem
• Offer free and open access to data and technology
• Expose all the (biodiversity) data and metadata, in
multiple contexts
• Remain community-driven, and collaborative
• Adopt strong standardization
• Work for science, conservation, management
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7. Tangible results
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8. [results]: webportal (s)
taxonomy, biogeography
vizualisation
open access
900,188 visitors
8,011,935 hits
>50,000,000 dld records
ANTABIF coming up
Thursday 8 September 2011

9. [results]: taxonomic data
• The first RAMS
all taxa
• Board of 60+ editors
all species • Feeds WoRMS, CoL and EoL
valid species
• 17,098 taxa (RAMS)
• Building a dynamic RAS
• 24,248 taxa (RAS)
0 3.750 7.500 11.250 15.000
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10. [results]: geospatial data
1,288,441 records
198 datasets
119 geodatasets
5,235 taxa
Feeds OBIS, GBIF
Downloadable
WebGIS
Webservices
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11. Products
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12. Antarctic Field Guides
afg.biodiversity.aq
afg.scarmarbin.be
• Community platform to build customized field
guides
• Identification aid
• Best available pictures
• Descriptions
• Dynamically built from various sources
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13. Antarctic Field Guides
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19. Products... coming up
Georeferenced genetic data: CAML barcoding
Polar Macroscope working group: BiPolar analyses
Princess Elisabeth Station Data Management
Microbes...
Biogeography Atlas: interactive Atlas
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20. Hedgpeth
1969’s
Folio
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21. Gaps in our knowledge
BENTHOS
PLANKTON
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23. is this Science?
see the literature... 124 scientific papers
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33. Applications
• Challenging [biogeographic] theories
• Conservation
• Modeling
• Predicting change
• Expedition design
• Data exploration
• Gap analysis
• Observing systems
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Jan Strugnell [THANKS]

34. JUMP IN!!
Everyone can join
www.scarmarbin.be
www.biodiversity.aq
bruno.danis@scarmarbin.be
www.slideshare.net/scarmarbin
Thursday 8 September 2011