Transcript GBIF_Sweden_Anders Telenius

GBIF-Sweden 2012-2016
”Seizing the future: GBIF-Sweden in
the third phase of the world´s largest
biodiversity informatics initiative”
BI-G, Swedish Museum of Natural History 2013
Biodiversity Informatics at SMNH:
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Biodiversity Informatics Unit (established 2011-01-01) merged with the
Laboratory for Molecular Systematics 2013-03-01 forming Biodiversity
Informatics and Genetics Unit.
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Staff at BI-G now altogether 24 (-32). Biodiversity Informatics now 16 (last
year 12); Molecular Systematics 8 (-16).
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Director: Prof. Fredrik Ronquist
BI-G, Swedish Museum of Natural History 2013
Project environment:
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GBIF.se. www.gbif.se
DINA – Digital Information system for Natural Science collections (Specify,
Morphbank – SE, DK, EE, NO?, DE?, FR?) www.dina-project.net
MorphBank http://morphbank.net
EU BON (Data integration and interoperability) www.eubon.eu
BALTIC DIVERSITY (Transboundary network of national data bases;
Interactive online species information service) www.balticdiversity.eu
SYNTHESYS (database support) www.synthesys.info
BILS (Bioinformatics Infrastructure for Life Sciences) www.bils.se
Barcode-portal
MrBayes (Bayesian Inference of Phylogeny) http://mrbayes.sourceforge.net
HymATol – Assembling the Hymenoptera Tree of Life www.hymatol.org
Additional projects at SMNH: FishBase, AquaMaps
GBIF-Sweden 2012-13
Status
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GBIF.se 2001-2005, 2005-2007, 2007-2011, 2012-2016.
13,5 MSEK/5 yrs (1,6 M EUR/5 yrs). Staff of 2-3 (Anders Telenius, Mickaël
Graf.
Presently ca 38 million records (collection data: ca 7 million records – ca.
50% georeferenced; observational data: ca. 31 million records – almost fully
georeferenced). All according to DwC/ENSE (adaptation of DwC to Swedish
conditions).
Data from ca. 60 providers; Swedish Species Gateway, Nat. Hist. museums
in Stockholm, Uppsala, Lund, Göteborg a.o.
Mostly occurrence data (few metadata/multimedia), but…
ecological and genetic data will be available.
GBIF-Sweden 2012-13
Activities 2012-2013
1. Data publication
 IPT at large providers.
 IT-support to database providers.
 Subsidies to add province flora project databases.
 Cooperation with DINA, EU BON, Baltic Diversity, FishBase, Lifewatch.
2. Digitalization
 Knowledge building (Paris, Berlin, Leiden, Joensuu, a.o.). Planned
application for large-scale digitalization project due March 2013.
3. Web Portal
 Modular software development; module for handling metadata available.
 Map functions together with Baltic Diversity and Swedish LifeWatch.
GBIF-Sweden 2012-13
Activities 2012-2013 cont´d
4. Education/Outreach
 Training programme contribution at Swedish Species Information Centre
 NABiS (Nordic Academy of Biodiversity and Systematics) master
programme: Course in Collection management and Biodiversity Informatics
 Conference presentations at Sw. Soc. Oikos conference, Polar week,
Ecomuseums conference, UNESCO Man and Biosphere Conference,
UNESCO and Sw. Research Council Conference, a.o.
 Popular presentations on several occasions.
 Nordic Oikos conference planned (February 2014) incl. Biodiversity
Informatics component.
 Focal Nodes Group contribution (European representative)
5. Support to developing countries
 Application to cooperate with InBIF declined. New collaboration with
Nicaragua suggested.
GBIF-Sweden 2012-13
Frustrating points to discuss:
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A national biodiversity informatics strategy in Sweden envisioned?. For
whom is it set up (government, researchers, management officials,
public/lay interests)? Who is to decide? Who pays? What about the global
perspective – facing an overriding local interest?
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How to manage requested merger (!) of boards of GBIF-Sweden and
Swedish LifeWatch called for by the Swedish Research Council
(negotiations are about to begin)? The SRC is the main source of funding
for both initiatives?:
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- GBIF-Sweden receives 0.32 MEUR/yr from SRC. Membership fee to be added.
- Swedish LifeWatch receives 1.4 MEUR/yr (80% from SRC; 17% from the Swedish University of
Agricultural Sciences; 3% from ”other sources”). An unknown sum in support of ”The Species
Gateway” from the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency.
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GBIF-Sweden 2012-13
Frustrating points to discuss:
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How to manage activities orchestrated by the Species Information Centre,
”The Species Gateway” and the Swedish Lifewatch initiative (whose prime
interest lies in creating and publishing methods to analyze recent
observational data)?
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Observation data providers tend to prefer to await the launch of ”The
Species Gateway 2” in front of letting GBIF apply IPT to existing databases.
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How to manage systems communication? ”The Species Gateway” boast
36,4 million observation records that (except hidden data on red-listed
species) should all reach GBIF-Sweden and eventually gbif.org. Which to
date it does not (31 million records delivered).
GBIF-Sweden 2012-13
Frustrating points to discuss:
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Will further collection data be left out from Sweden´s contribution to GBIF
due to resistance from collection managers to cooperate in proposed largescale imaging/digitalization project?