After the successful decade-long Census of Marine Life project, for which OBIS was the data and information dissemination component, OBIS found a new home when in June 2009, the Member States of IOC-UNESCO adopted OBIS as part of its IODE programme. The IOC-UNESCO Member States had repeatedly identified the need to acquire biogeographic data for ocean and coastal resource management and agreed that knowledge of the ocean’s biodiversity is of such importance to national and global environmental issues that the responsibility for OBIS’ continuing success should be assumed by governments. The information below provides information on how OBIS fits into the mandates from the United Nations, UNESCO and IOC, and provide links to the decisions and recommendations and the workplan which are developed as part of the OBIS steering group and IODE.
The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) recognizes OBIS for its contribution to Marine Scientific Research:
OBIS is part of IOC’s Medium-Term Strategy 2014-2021 adopted by IOC Resolution XXVII-2 and UNESCO resolutions 37 C/5.21 and 38 C/5.17.
OBIS contributes to UNESCO’s 5th strategic objective and 3rd main line of action: Promoting international scientific cooperation on critical challenges to sustainable development, and specfically part (ii) promote the generation and sharing of knowledge in relation to natural resources, and capacity building through international scientific collaboration for the protection and sustainable management of the ocean and coasts, terrestrial ecosystems, biodiversity, freshwater security and the rational management of the Earth’s geological resources. Implementation will include, inter alia, the coordination of monitoring activities, the production of scientific assessments, catalyzing international collaborative projects, capacity-building, and the designation of site-specific examples of sustainable development. UNESCO’s Main line of action 3 is about Promoting knowledge and capacity for protecting and sustainably managing the ocean and coasts through:
The Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO was created in 1960 to promote international cooperation and to coordinate programmes in research, services and capacity building, in order to generate knowledge about the nature and resources of the ocean and coastal areas; and to apply that knowledge for the improvement of management, sustainable development, the protection of the marine environment, and the decision-making processes of its Member States. It is at the heart of IOC’s vision that scientific understanding and systematic observations of the ocean should underpin sustainable development and global governance for a healthy ocean.
IOC is a competent international organization under the UN Convention on the Law Of the Sea (UNCLOS) for Marine Scientific Research (MSR) under Part XIII (UNCLOS annex 8, article 2), Capacity Development (CD) and Transfer of Marine Technology (TMT) under Part XIV. This is also reflected in the functions of IOC, defined in the IOC Statutes adopted by IOC Resolution XX.1.
The recommendations from IODE are submitted to the IOC Assembly for adoption.
IOC Decisions related to OBIS:
OBIS is a project of the International Oceanographic Data and Information Exchange (IODE) programme. IODE, established in 1961, enhances marine research, exploitation and development by facilitating the exchange of oceanographic data and information between participating Member States and by meeting the needs of users for data and information products.
The objectives of IODE are:
IODE Recommendations related to OBIS:
The SG-OBIS has an advising role to the IODE Committee on OBIS’s vision and mission, and its strategy for sustainability and further development (including assisting with seeking funding). The SG-OBIS prepares, for submission to the IODE committee, OBIS’ workplan, reviews progress and guides and identifies any technical or scientific issues as relevant to the implementation of the work plan. The SG-OBIS has established several (long-term) Task Teams and (shorter-term ad-hoc) Project Teams to share responsibilities between members of the OBIS community. The SG-OBIS is composed of the managers of the OBIS Nodes and meets once per year.
SG-OBIS recommendations and decisions:
The OBIS Executive Committee (OBIS-EC) was established at the 1st OBIS Steering group meeting in 2011. At the 5th OBIS Steering Group meeting in 2016, the SG-OBIS decided that the chair of SG-OBIS is also the chair of the OBIS-EC and that the membership of the OBIS-EC is composed of the SG-OBIS chairs, the chairs of the OBIS Task Teams (and project teams), the OBIS project manager and the OBIS data manager. The OBIS-EC is mainly responsible for follow-up of the workplan, the preparation of strategic decisions, the agenda of the SG-OBIS meetings, partnerships with other organizations, the development of OBIS sustainability and business plans.
See OBIS-EC Terms of Reference and Membership.
The OBIS Data Coordination Group, Nodes Coordination Group and Product Coordination Group are a new structural element of the OBIS Community instated by the 6th Session of the OBIS Executive Committee that took place on 14-16 October 2024. The Coordination Groups enterinate the restructuration of OBIS to better support its next development phase. The Coordination Groups combine and replace the former Task Teams and Project Teams for a more agile, responsive, and inclusive approach to reflect OBIS’s evolution as a dynamic, global community of practice.
Consolidated around dedicated work plans, each Coordination Group addresses shared topical priorities and tackles common challenges. The Coordination Groups are collaboration platforms for the Nodes to develop OBIS as a community and a global marine data biodiversity initiative. The Coordination Groups also help identify emerging needs through low-threshold feedback loops and contribute to continuously improving OBIS services and tools. The Coordination Groups also encourage inclusivity and diversity by creating a space for regional voices, ensuring the representativity of all contexts, from local to global. They power inter-node collaborations through experience, resource-sharing and direct interactions.
The OBIS Coordination Groups reflect the collective engagement sustaining the OBIS Community to advance Ocean knowledge and support informed marine conservation decision-making.
OBIS Data Coordination Group (DCG) Co-chair: Ruber Perez Co-chairs ad interim: Dan Lear and Katherine Tattersall
The Data Coordination Group aims to ensure the quality, interoperability, and alignment of OBIS data with global biodiversity and ocean observing standards and support Nodes in publishing high-quality, standardized marine biodiversity data.
Its responsibilities include:
OBIS Nodes Coordination Group (NCG) Co-chairs: Maria Cornwaithe and John Nicholls
The Nodes Coordination Group aims to serve as the main platform for OBIS Node managers and their representatives to communicate, collaborate, and ensure consistency and inclusivity in data mobilization, training, and engagement across the global OBIS Community.
Its responsibilities include:
OBIS Product Coordination Group (PCG) Co-chairs: Stephen Formel and Jon Pye
The Product Coordination Group aims to coordinate developing and curating OBIS data and information products (e.g., maps, dashboards, indicators) that synthesize marine biodiversity data from OBIS and other sources and make them accessible and useful to stakeholders.
Its responsibilities include:
The OBIS secretariat, hosted at the UNESCO/IOC project office for IODE in Oostende (Belgium), provides training and technical assistance to its data providers, guides new data standards and technical developments, and encourages international cooperation to foster the group benefits of the network. The OBIS project manager monitors the implementation, reports on the progress with the work plan implementation, and organises and implements sessions of the IODE Steering group for OBIS and other relevant OBIS meetings. The project manager is also responsible for the smooth operation of the OBIS data portal, in close collaboration with the OBIS data manager.
The members of the OBIS secretariat are listed here.
The OBIS Coordination Groups are build on these retired Teams: