The Ocean Biogeographic Information System (OBIS) is a global open-access data portal containing information on the distribution and abundance of marine species collected by a network of regional nodes. OBIS works with various other initiatives to build synergies and fill gaps in knowledge about marine organisms and ecosystems. It provides data and tools to help identify ecologically important areas and understand how climate change may impact species distributions and behaviors. OBIS aims to integrate all available biogeographic data from around the world and make it freely accessible online.

1. Ocean Biogeographic
Information System (OBIS)
Robert Branton
Director of Data Management,
Ocean Tracking Network
Dalhousie University, Halifax Canada
Building Synergies with IOC projects & related InitiativesBuilding Synergies with IOC projects & related Initiatives
Bob.Branton@dal.ca

2. http://www.iobis.org/

3. Typical Use Scenarios
What organisms have been
found or observed here?
Where has this organism been
found or observed?
Oncorhynchus nerka / sockeye salmon
http://iobis.org/mapper/

4. http://iobis.org/obis/regional-nodes
OBIS nodes (data assembly centres) are engaged in a wide
spectrum of activities, which demonstrates that the role of
OBIS is not limited to raw data encoding but also to develop
tools and products and offering services (including capacity
building) for data-science and science-policy activities on a
local, regional to global scale.

5. OBIS Statisitics
Number of datasets: 1,130
Number of valid species with data: 146,496
http://iobis.org/about/statistics

6. Discovery Metadata
• Collaboration between
OBIS and the US National
Aeronautics and Space
Administration (NASA)
Global Change Master
Directory (GCMD) has
resulted the OBIS Master
Directory at
GCMDhttp://gcmd.gsfc.nasa.go
v/KeywordSearch/Home.do?
Portal=OBIS&MetadataType=0
413 records

7. News Highlights
• May 2013 - Mike Flavell joined IOC Project Office
for IODE, in Oostende Belgium to provide
technical support to OBIS and marine biodiversity
related activities at IODE.
• Nov 2012 - Second IODE Steering Group for OBIS
meeting was held at IOC Project Office for IODE
in Oostende, Belgium.
• 2012 - All OBIS activities previously at Rutgers
University, USA were transferred to IODE in
Oostende.
http://iobis.org/news

8. Relevance
• OBIS is an evolving strategic alliance of people
and organizations sharing a vision to make
marine biogeographic data, from all over the
world, freely available over the World Wide
Web.
• OBIS is increasingly picked-up by the scientific
community; scientific papers using OBIS data
appear on a weekly basis (80 publications in
2012) and 50,000 people visited the data portal
in 2012 (35% are returning visitors).

9. Crossover
ICAN …
• Internet-accessible collections
of digital maps and datasets
with supplementary tables,
illustrations and information.
• Systematically illustrate
coastal areas for the purposes
of coastal zone management
and planning, including marine
spatial planning.
OBIS …
• Portal to many datasets
containing information on
where and when marine
species have been recorded.
• Provide guidance and
information for the
identification of Ecologically or
Biologically Significant marine
Areas.

10. Collaboration Opportunities
ICAN …
• A range of communications
tools will be developed and
utilised to ensure information
sharing within the ICAN
community itself and to reach
out, attract new members and
inform potential users of the
benefits of CWAs. These tools
will include a dedicated set of
web pages …
OBIS …
• Will produce an IOC Manual
and Guides for OBIS nodes
that will include the
definition of OBIS nodes,
the terms of reference and
procedure to establish OBIS
nodes, standards and best
practices (OBIS handbook)
and a section on quality
assurance, criteria and
evaluation of OBIS nodes.

11. Filling Gaps In Ocean Knowledge
• From broad maps, one
sees that although
more data is available
from coastal areas than
from open waters, less
is known about smaller
animals than larger
ones and on the
southern hemisphere
than on the northern.
• OBIS is an open-access
database with data
from every corner of
the world, whereby any
provider (individual,
institution, or
otherwise) who cares to
upload to the server
and contribute to the
global maps OBIS seeks
to fill out.
http://iobis.org/about/vision http://iobis.org/maps/distribution
For example: invasive species like tunicates.
Didemnum vexillumDidemnum vexillum
marine vomitmarine vomit

12. Ocean Tracking Network
And questions like:
How might ocean
warming affect
animal behaviour?
Will some species
flourish while others
die? Might some
migrate to where the
ocean is cooler?
What is impact on
fishery management
plans.
http://global.oceantrack.org
Knowledge on where animals go and what they do.

13. Ocean Tracking NetworkOcean Tracking Network
Global Data WarehouseGlobal Data Warehouse
53.0 million records
• 32,082,397 detections
• 31,178 known animals
• 52 species
• 15 ocean regions
• 164 projects
• 73 institutions
• 14 countries
http://members.oceantrack.org
OTN data managers at Dalhousie University and around the world are working to
make the world's ocean tracking data and related information freely accessible
without charge by the broader scientific community as well as respecting the
intellectual property rights of its providers. 90% of these data are from unfunded
contributors.

14. Thank You
Bob.Branton@dal.ca