Interoperability of Biodiversity Databases: Biodiversity Information on Every Desktop
James L. Edwards,1*
Meredith A. Lane,2
Ebbe S. Nielsen3
Data about biodiversity are either scattered in many
databases or reside on paper or other media not amenable to interactive searching. The Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) is a
framework for facilitating the digitization of biodiversity data and
for making interoperable an as-yet-unknown number of biodiversity
databases that are distributed around the globe. In concert with other
existing efforts, GBIF will catalyze the completion of a Catalog
of the Names of Known Organisms and will develop search engines to mine
the vast quantities of biodiversity data. It will be an outstanding
tool for scientists, natural resource managers, and policy-makers.
1 Directorate for Biological Sciences, National
Science Foundation, Arlington, VA 22230, USA.
2 Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, PA
19103, USA.
3 Australian National Insect Collection,
CSIRO Entomology, Canberra ACT 2601, Australia.
*
To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail:
jledward{at}nsf.gov
