[Taxacom] Fwd: What can Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) do for you?

[Chuck Miller]

Tony,
I agree.  Another way to phrase the answer to Rod's question is that "GBIF can be more proactive about expanding data to fill the gaps needed for analysis."

Chuck

-----Original Message-----
From: Tony.Rees at csiro.au [mailto:Tony.Rees at csiro.au] 
Sent: Thursday, October 17, 2013 6:04 PM
To: dyanega at ucr.edu; taxacom at mailman.nhm.ku.edu
Subject: Re: [Taxacom] Fwd: What can Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) do for you?

Doug writes:

> Even if there was a miscommunication here, it does highlight another 
> side of preceding issue: namely, GBIF cannot make data available that 
> no one has gathered and passed along. Unless GBIF is willing to fund 
> data gathering efforts (and target those efforts so as to "fill 
> gaps"), then the role of clearing house means they take what they are 
> given and display it, which are (mostly) the results of people's 
> externally- funded research grants. If the data points in GBIF show a 
> strong bias taxonomically or geographically, I don't think you could 
> claim that's GBIF's fault.

Well, yes and no... speaking for OBIS (which is analogous to a marine-only GBIF in many respects), OBIS has facilitated the development of affiliated nodes (OBIS regional nodes) whose responsibility is to promote and assist the flow of (in this case marine) georeferenced species data into OBIS from their region. GBIF has a similar network of nodes but in this case they are partners and country based. So partly the issue is delegated from (in this case) GBIF to the GBIF national nodes, where the immediate responsibility lies; the residual issue is then to find ways to locate and mobilise data in countries not currently affiliated with GBIF (presumably meaning, do not wish to pay the relevant subscription fees). So at least part of the solution comes down to being a proactive rather than a passive aggregator as well as seeking viable existing and new outreach strategies (I am sure there is a component of GBIF central doing exactly this).

Regards - Tony

Dr Tony Rees
Manager | Divisional Data Centre
Marine and Atmospheric Research
CSIRO
E Tony Rees at csiro.au T +61 3 6232 5318
CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research, GPO Box 1538, Hobart, TAS 7001, Australia www.cmar.csiro.au/datacentre Manager, OBIS Australia regional Node, http://www.obis.au LinkedIn profile: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/tony-rees/18/770/36
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