To face the ever-evolving mounting pressures threatening our Ocean, the OBIS community continually expands its capacity to meet the growing demands for biodiversity information and match the needs of its users. We have identified five development areas to improve our impact.
The OBIS aims to establish operational near-real-time marine biodiversity data flows and shorten the distance between raw observations or samples and actionable insights. OBIS also aspires to enrich marine biodiversity datasets by integrating multidimensional information from emerging and cutting-edge observation technologies, such as molecular data, imagery, acoustics and remote sensing.
Beyond actionable data, ready-available data-derived insights are crucial to sustain science-based decision-making and informed policymaking. The OBIS Community is developing advanced analytical pipelines and data-derived products capable of delivering highly visual, user-friendly, and accessible to all insights such as vizualisation tools, indicators and interactive maps.
Greater marine biodiversity coverage is an essential driver for improving Ocean knowledge. OBIS is committed to expanding the scope of marine biodiversity data to provide better, more detailed geographic and taxonomic coverage and serve as the reliable basis for Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs), natural capital accounting, efficient conservation action, and the transition towards marine sustainable practices.
The OBIS Community will accelerate supporting capacity-building activities to boost marine biodiversity data contributions and uptake all around the world, focusing on empowering the next generation of biodiversity data stewards, especially in underrepresented regions.
The OBIS Community promotes the development of low-cost, scalable biodiversity monitoring tools and protocols matching locally available resources to enable the collection of high-quality marine biodiversity observation by the largest number of actors, including non-specialists.
More accessible marine biodiversity observing technology means more records from more places by more people.