IndOBIS: Counting Life in the Indian Ocean

Workshop on Biogeographic Information System for Indian OceanSeptember 25-26, 2006NIO, Cochin, INDIA

IndOBIS: Why?• Indian Ocean is the third largest ocean

• tropical region and developing countries

• significant contributor to the production of marine living resources

• 10% of world population lives within 100 km of Indian ocean shores

• less known or least studied biodiversity

Collation of data on Indian Ocean biodiversity can help in addressingquestions that can not be answered today……….

• Both biodiversity and biodiversity data are unevenly distributed around the world:

Developing WorldDeveloping World

BiodiversityBiodiversity

Biodiversity Biodiversity DataData

Developed WorldDeveloped World

Digital Divide Content Divide Lingual Divide

Knowledge Divide

Society calls for Open, Public AccessOpen, Public Access to scientific data and in informationOpen, Public Access to scientific data and in information• World Summit on the Information Society

• Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)

• US, European, Australian Funding agencies

• Creative Commons, Science Commons

• GBIF and other science organizations

• Civil Societies in Developing and under-developed world

What is needed for biodiversity conservationand Environmental Protection?

Content

Content

Content

Content

ContentContent

ContentContentContent

Content

Content

Content

Computational capabilities

Connectivity“prori model” ----------------------- posteriori model

• How many species occur in the Indian Ocean? • What species occur in the Indian Ocean? • Where do species occur (patterns) within Indian Ocean?• Is a species common or rare?

• Predicting spread of invasive species into and due to Indian Ocean?• Effects of climate change on Indian Ocean Biota?

• Interconnected-ness of ocean regions (seascape ecology) of IO?• Phylo- and macro- geography – evolution of fauna and flora at

population and species levels within Indian Ocean?

• Biodiversity hotspots at species and phylum levels• What species ranges do and do not overlap MPA

• Mairne Bio-Terrorism Informatics……

Dream list of IndOBIS Data Use

These questions would be best answeredonly if there is sufficient, authentic data

available to anyone, anytime, anyplace

This to happen IndOBIS needs to play a role ofcatalyst in developing infrastructure /

mechanism of heterogenous, yet federated databases related to Indian Ocean from custodians within and outside IO region

Collectiondatabases

Observationaldatabases Ecological and

environmental dataConservation

databases

Literaturereferences and articles

GIS and remote sensing

data

?

Peoples BiodiversityAnd TKDL

Experts and Institutions

Current ScenarioWealth of distributed data, heterogeneous, and isolated DBs !

ObservationData

Peoples Biodiversity &

TKDL

Literatures,References &

Articles

Ecosystem & Data Ecological

GeospatialData

Molecular & Sequence

Data

SpecimenData

ECAT’s

SpeciesFactsheets Experts &

Institutions

Registry ofshared

Biodiversitydata

User Community(multiple access levels)

Open v/s. RestrictedOBIS & other International

initiatives(Compatibility and Interoperability)

IndOBIS must mentor and lead such a mission?

IndOBIS is a marathon to berun at a lightening speed

together with multi-culturalcustodians holding data about

Indian Ocean Biodiversity

IndOBIS: MissionIndOBIS will contribute to the understanding of the past and the present,in order to learn about the future of life in the Indian Ocean.

IndOBIS will become a prime provider of biodiversity information on the Indian Ocean,and make this available in a multi-dimensional geographic context; promote communication and awareness to user groups at all levels,using appropriate information tools; and enable informed decision-making process leading to sustainable use of natural resources

IndOBISDiGIR

IndOBIS Information Architecture

Multi-lingualserver

Fauna

Flora

Fungi

Virus

Mirco-organisms

ABCDIO

Specimens

Experts

Institutions

Administrative Modules

(for online contributions)

Data Integration Tools

(for offline contributions)

Quality Control, Authentication, Validation

IndOBISWeb Search

Modules

IndOBISData UseApplications

IndOBISWeb Portal

Upward feed to http://www.iobis.org/

Data Contributors

User(s)

IndOBISDatabase(s)

OBIS GLOBAL PORTAL

IndOBISWeb Portal

DatabaseServer(primary)

IndOBISDiGIR

Schematics of IndOBIS Informatics Infrastructure

Multi-lingualserver

ApplicationsServer

HarvesterOnline Contributor(s) Offline

Contributor(s)

QC

WWW

DatabaseServer(fall-back)

IndOBIS CoL: Features and Status• Web based data management, data QA/QC modules

• Based on Cavilier Smith’s 8 kingdom classification system

• Current Status –– 35667 Species records with

• names (valid names and synonyms)• common and local names• locality records• Mostly faunal species• QA/QC exercise is in progress• Network of distributed taxon editors

– Data served through DiGIR provider to OBIS.

Data in IndOBIS kitty…as on September 21, 2006

Species Records 35667

• Scientific names – 35667• Synonyms - 22482• Common Names - 09751• Localities records - 63849• Unique localities - 27316• Localities / species - 1.79 (too inadequate a data?)

Hence, partnerships with other potential data custodians is the key….

IndOBIS: How shall we shape our future?• Multi-nation project on SpeciesBank of Indian Ocean needs

to be mooted – we must explore GEF funding for this.– Electronic catalogue (IndOBIS CoL) to form basis– Digitization of specimens, and repatriation of specimens– Generation of new data through survey / observation network– Build lifescape of each species (taxonomy to economy)– Integrate species, ecosystem, genetic, environmental data sets

together from distributed sources– Ecological forecasting should be the end outcome of the activity –

this would be sellable to funding agencies– We need to hold concept formalization and proposal development

meeting– We need to involve more partners and players and stakeholders– However, we need to develop proof of concept with partners within

India– IndOBIS is a “Marathon with lightening speed”

What you can do!

• Comment on IndOBIS website and portal – it is as good as you help make it!

• Assist IndOBIS networking to scientists

• Promote need for IndOBIS to governments and funding agencies

• Encourage data publication through IndOBIS– new datasets, newly digitised data, – compliment those who have published online

Together we can achieve what looks impossible today!!!

http://www.indobis.orgE-mail: vs.chavan@ncl.res.in

http://www.indobis.org/