Report praises Global species database initiative as essential research tool

An independent review has praised the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) as an essential mine of dynamic information about the species of life on earth, with the potential to return even greater value in the future.

The report says that GBIF is a worldwide project that has made important progress in promoting public access to biodiversity data. It is an essential step forward in global biodiversity and ecological research and applications, said Dr. Marvalee Wake of the University of California, Berkeley, who chaired the review.

GBIF is a network of partners that works to make biodiversity data available on the Internet freely and openly. These data come from sources such as specimen records in natural history museums and culture collections, and observations of plants and animals made by citizen groups.

Currently, almost 50 million data records from 101 information sources can be queried by a single search using the GBIF internet data portal (www.gbif.net).

Researchers around the world can use these data to help predict the spread of diseases and invasive species, to measure the effects of climate change on living creatures, and to help policymakers make effective decisions about conservation and the sustainable use of resources.

The year-long external review was prepared at the request of the GBIF Governing Board, in order to see if GBIF is making good progress toward its initial goals and to help choose future objectives.

The review was conducted by a committee of renowned scientists from six countries working with representatives of the advisory firm KPMG.

Dr. Wake noted that the report calls GBIF the right initiative at the right time with the right goals. She also said the report emphasises that environmental and science policy makers need to understand that GBIF can return enormous value to them.

The report is also clear that GBIF should definitely be continued beyond its current mandate, which expires at the end of 2006.

The GBIF Governing Board and its advisory committees will meet in Brussels, 18 - 23 April 2005, to consider how to implement the recommendations of the report.