Meeting: Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) Node Manager Meeting, Helsinki Finland, September 23-24, 2017.

Florida State University, Tallahassee FL

Investigators

Abstract

Funding is provided to Florida State University to stage a workshop at the 2017 Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) annual meeting in Helsinki, Finland. GBIF is a repository for global biodiversity data of critical importance to the U.S. research community. GBIF's data include accessions from developing countries, some of the most biodiversity rich countries but whose data are usually inaccessible to U.S.-based researchers. The workshop will engage managers of biodiversity information (GBIF Node Managers) from several developing countries. This effort facilitates increased accessibility of biodiversity information and benefits U.S.-based researchers as they will be able to leverage these data for their scientific and other benefits. The meeting of the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) will be held on September 23-24, 2017 in Helsinki Finland. A goal of this meeting is to increase the ability of GBIF National Nodes to contribute to the biodiversity information that is available globally. Access to biodiversity data through the GBIF portal benefits the U.S. research community by making available crucial data from across the globe, including developing countries whose data is often difficult to obtain. The supported workshop facilitates the participation of Node Managers from some developing countries. These individuals are usually tasked with the responsibility, or involved in the decision-making process, that impacts the availability of, and access to biodiversity information from their countries. The workshop also facilitates the sharing of digitization expertise and associated technologies, potentially resulting in overall improved data quality. Additionally, collaborations developed as a result of this workshop will facilitate U.S. researchers' navigation of the requirements of the Nagoya Protocol in their pursuit of data from other countries. Citizen science initiatives, that have proven successful in the U.S. and other developed countries, will also be discussed. If these public engagement strategies are adopted by resource managers in developing countries, they have the potential for broad community engagement across national boundaries resulting in more data of higher quality.