Toward a new data standard for combined marine biological and environmental datasets - expanding OBIS beyond species occurrences

• DOI: 10.3897/bdj.5.e10989
• Publication Date: 2017-01-10T08:21:14Z
• Authors: Daphnis De Pooter; Ward Appeltans; Nicolas Bailly; Sky Bristol; Klaas Deneudt; Menashè Eliezer; Ei Fujioka; Alessandra Giorgetti; Philip Goldstein; Mirtha Lewis; Marina Lipizer; Kevin Mackay; Maria Marin; Gwenaëlle Moncoiffé; Stamatina Nikolop...; Pieter Provoost; Shannon Rauch; Andres Roubicek; Carlos Torres; Anton van de Putte; Leen Vandepitte; Bart Vanhoorne; Matteo Vinci; Nina Wambiji; David Watts; Eduardo Klein Salas; Francisco Hernandez
• Keywords: Geolocation; Environmental Monitoring; Biotelemetry

The Ocean Biogeographic Information System (OBIS) is the world's most comprehensive online, open-access database of marine species distributions. OBIS grows with millions new observations every year. Contributions come from a network hundreds institutions, projects and individuals common goals: to build scientific knowledge base that open public for discovery exploration detect trends changes inform society as essential elements in conservation management sustainable development. Until now, has focused solely on collection biogeographic data (the presence space time) operated optimized flows, quality control procedures standards specifically targeted these data. Based requirements growing community manage datasets combine biological, physical chemical measurements, OBIS-ENV-DATA pilot project was launched develop proposed standard guidelines make sure combined can stay together are not, often case, split sent different repositories. proposal this paper allows sampling methodology, animal tracking telemetry data, biological measurements (e.g., body length, percent live cover, ...) well environmental such nutrient concentrations, sediment characteristics or other abiotic parameters measured during characterize environment which collected. recommended practice builds Darwin Core Archive (DwC-A) practices adopted by Global Biodiversity Facility (GBIF). It consists DwC Event combination Occurrence Extension enhancement MeasurementOrFact Extension. This structure enables linkage facts - quantitative qualitative properties both events occurrences, includes additional fields property standardization. We also embrace use parentEventID term, creation event hierarchy. believe adoption managing sharing associated IODE wider international would be key improving effectiveness base, will enhance integration critical needed understand ecological processes ocean, land.