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In his role as PO for ECAT, Mr. Remsen will address the need to rapidly compile a complete listing of all the scientific names ever published. He will at the same time promote and incorporate the work of taxonomic experts to refine that listing into one that reflects not just names but also taxonomic concepts.
Mr. Remsen is highly qualified for his new duties. For several years, he has worked within the library of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, developing the capabilities of uBio, with which the GBIF Secretariat has signed a Memorandum of Cooperation (see http://www.gbif.org/News/NEWS1075208368)
Pleased by the new GBIF appointment, Chris Lyal, Chair of the ECAT Science Subcommittee, said "David Remsen is a highly qualified person for this post. His energy and impact in developing the content and the software capabilities of uBio have been outstanding, and we look forward to that same enthusiasm as he begins his time at GBIF."
The ECAT Programme Officer will work closely with the Science Subcommittee for ECAT to develop and carry out the work programme in this area, including: developing content infrastructure to enable linkages among biodiversity databases, molecular databases, and non-biological databases; coordinating various taxonomic reference files (e.g., Catalogue of Life, uBio, IPNI, et al.) and promoting the development of those that are at present unavailable, incomplete or not digitized; and identifing other relevant organizations devoted to completing the catalogue and working with them to ensure compatibility and smooth relations.
Speaking of his new post, Mr. Remsen said "I really look forward to working for GBIF. I hope to foster communication and cooperation among the nomenclators, regional and thematic list projects, the global species databases and the Secretariat. I feel that I can contribute to the development and success of GBIF through working to rapidly complete the Electronic Catalogue."
Mr. Remsen will be joined in Denmark by his wife Dana and son Lucas (age 3). His personal interests include photography and bee keeping.
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