Survey seeks input on crosslinking species occurrences and molecular biodiversity evidence

The Global Genome Biodiversity Network (GGBN) and GBIF are seeking opinions from experts who have hands-on experience combining morphological and molecular biodiversity data in research. These areas of study might make mix physical specimens, derived DNA, sequences, and observations as well as other evidence of species' presence and abundance in space and time.

GBIF provides a single access point to the largest number of records on species occurrences, mostly comprised of specimen data from natural history collections and observational data from inventory, monitoring and citizen science efforts. GGBN brings together the world’s biodiversity biobanks, improving discovery and access of high-quality well-documented and vouchered collections that store biodiversity-related DNA and/or tissue samples.

Many institutions are currently developing and implementing various digitization projects, and better linkages between collections and genomic analyses could make workflows—and research, more generally—more efficient.

This survey is particularly interested in:

1. Gaining a better understanding of the needs of molecular biodiversity researchers who use or publish data

2. Getting an overview of molecular collection holdings

3. Documenting existing data management solutions for environmental samples

Click here to take this survey, which should take about 25 minutes.

GBIF and GGBN have already received more than 150 early responses and will report on preliminary results during workshop 9 of the SPNHC/GGBN conference, Documentation of environmental samples and eDNA on 20 June 2016.

Those with practical, hands-on experience with molecular biodiversity data, whether as a data holder or user, are encouraged to share the survey with relevant contacts and networks. The survey will run until 15 September 2016, with the final results reported at TDWG 2016 Conference in Costa Rica.

Questions or comments about the survey? Please contact Dmitry Schigel, GBIF Programme Officer for Content Analysis and Use.