The Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) is an international open data infrastructure, funded by governments. It allows anyone, anywhere to access data about all types of life on Earth, shared across national boundaries via the Internet. By encouraging and helping institutions to publish data according to common standards, GBIF enables research not possible before, and informs better decisions to conserve and sustainably use the biological resources of the planet. GBIF operates through a network of nodes, coordinating the biodiversity information facilities of Participant countries and organizations, collaborating with each other and the Secretariat to share skills, experiences and technical capacity.
The Global Invasive Species Information Network (GISIN) was formed to provide a platform for sharing invasive species information at a global level, via the Internet and other digital means. A group of collaborators lead by the United States Geological Survey, are developing the GISIN as a Web-based network of databases that are connected by a common set of data types. The resulting network, or GISIN, provides increased access to data and information that will in turn help detect, rapidly respond to, and control invasive species.
The Regional Euro-Asian Biological Invasions Centre (REABIC) is a largely virtual institute providing on-line information services in the area of biological invasions research and management. Facilitation of international cooperation on the invasive species related issues, linking international research community and general public, managers and decision-makers as well as other interested stakeholders are among the main REABIC objectives. The REABIC is started in 2001 as a web portal, providing access to the global, regional, sub-regional and national Internet resources on biological invasions (the Regional Biological Invasions Centre project, RBIC). At present REABIC is serving as an independent virtual data centre for applied research and management of invasive species focusing on the Euro-Asian region and providing online services for interested stakeholders around a World.
Recognizing the need for national and international cooperation in research, scientific information exchanges and management of alien species in Greece, a network of experts was established in 2007: ELNAIS (the Ellenic Network on Aquatic Invasive Species) based at the Hellenic Centre for Marine Research (HCMR). Fourteen Research Institutes/Universities and more than 77 scientists are currently carrying out research related to aquatic (marine and freshwater) alien species in Greece.
EASIN-Lit (abbreviation of EASIN-Literature), developed by JRC, is a constantly updated spatial database providing data on species distribution (geo-referenced records and distribution ranges) collected from scientific literature and technical reports.
The Commission, with headquarters in Monaco, has grown from the eight founding countries of its origin to 23 Member States today. These support a network of several thousand marine researchers, applying the latest scientific tools to better understand, monitor and protect a fast-changing, highly impacted Mediterranean Sea. Structured in six committees and various taskforces, CIESM runs expert workshops, collaborative programs and regular congresses, delivering authoritative, independent advice to national and international agencies. The Commission integrates a broad spectrum of marine disciplines, encompassing geo-physical, chemical and biological processes, along with high-resolution mapping of the sea-bottom. Today, changes are occuring at a fast, unprecedented pace in the Mediterranean Sea. CIESM tracks and analyses these changes at the scale of the whole Basin, from the impact of global warming on sea-level and water masses to changes in marine biodiversity; from morphological changes in coastlines to the accumulation of trace metals in marine food chains. CIESM involves researchers from all shores of the Basin in its activities. This is a proud, century-long legacy which not only fosters the exchange of scientific standards and ideas, but maintains a constructive, peaceful dialogue among populations divided for too long by historical conflicts.
The European Environment Agency (EEA) is an agency of the European Union. Its task is to provide sound, independent information on the environment. They are a major information source for those involved in developing, adopting, implementing and evaluating environmental policy, and also the general public. Currently, the EEA has 33 member countries. The regulation establishing the EEA was adopted by the European Union in 1990. It came into force in late 1993 immediately after the decision was taken to locate the EEA in Copenhagen. Work started in earnest in 1994. The regulation also established the European environment information and observation network (Eionet). The EEA's mandate is: To help the Community and member countries make informed decisions about improving the environment, integrating environmental considerations into economic policies and moving towards sustainability - To coordinate the European environment information and observation network (Eionet) Main clients are the European Union institutions — the European Commission, the European Parliament, the Council — and our member countries. In addition to this central group of European policy actors, they also serve other EU institutions such as the Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions.
The Hellenic Centre for Marine Research is the national laboratory of Greece on oceanography and marine research. Their work covers the entire spectrum from basicscience to technological research. They do large scale experiments in the ocean, measure environmental parameters, explore the seafloor, find ancient wrecks and submerged cities, help the State with tsunami hazard mitigation, protect our beaches, study the evolution of fish populations, develop feed for fish, train graduate students and disseminate information to the public.
IUCN, International Union for Conservation of Nature, helps the world find pragmatic solutions to our most pressing environment and development challenges. Their work focuses on valuing and conserving nature, ensuring effective and equitable governance of its use, and deploying nature-based solutions to global challenges in climate, food and development. IUCN supports scientific research, manages field projects all over the world, and brings governments, NGOs, the UN and companies together to develop policy, laws and best practice. IUCN is the world’s oldest and largest global environmental organisation, with almost 1,300 government and NGO Members and more than 15,000 volunteer experts in 185 countries. Their work is supported by almost 1,000 staff in 45 offices and hundreds of partners in public, NGO and private sectors around the world. MedMIS is a IUCN online information system for monitoring invasive non-native species in MPAs.
EPPO is an intergovernmental organization responsible for cooperation and harmonization in plant protection within the European and Mediterranean region. Under the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC), EPPO is the regional plant protection organization (RPPO) for Europe. Founded in 1951, EPPO has grown from 15 original members to today's 50 member countries, including nearly every country in the European and Mediterranean region. In the Euro-Mediterranean region, EPPO has also established many contacts with the European Union Commission, European Food Safety Authority, Eurasian Economic Commissionl and potential EPPO member countries.
MAMIAS is a system developed by RAC/SPA in collaboration of the Hellenic Centre for Marine Research (HCMR). It is a regional system collecting, analysing and disseminating information on alien and invasive species in the Mediterranean region.
The Norwegian Biodiversity Information Centre (NBIC) was established by a parliamentary resolution and became operational in 2005.
The goal of NBIC is to serve as a national source of information on species and ecosystems in Norway, and to make up-to-date information on biodiversity widely available and easily accessible to the society.
CABI is an international not-for-profit organization that improves people’s lives worldwide by providing information and applying scientific expertise to solve problems in agriculture and the environment. The Invasive Species Compendium (ISC), managed by CABI on behalf of an International Development Consortium, is a scientific knowledge base containing over 2000 original detailed datasheets on invasive species around the world (of all taxa) and further basic datasheets on additional species, pathways, habitats and countries. Datasheets are designed to provide information for the purposes of risk assessment, management of pathways, public awareness, policy development, identification and control that are essential for protecting both environmental and economic interests. CABI is working with EASIN and other partners to define what key pieces of information we have in common and those that can be readily shared to make ISC data freely available in machine-readable formats, and help establish ways for key data suppliers to share data more effectively.
The STOPVESPA project is a European project financed by the LIFE programme of the European Commission with the aim to contain the spread of Vespa velutina in Italy, an invasive hornet that causes serious damage to beekeeping and biodiversity as well as problems to the general public. Partners of STOPVESPA are the University of Turin (DISAFA), the Polytechnic University of Turin (DET), the beekeeper association ‘Aspromiele Piemonte’ and the apiary of the ‘Abbazia dei Padri Benedettini Santa Maria di Finalpia’. The main objectives of the project are to collect and process information on presence and impacts of Vespa velutina, as well as define guidelines for the management of the species and develop new monitoring techniques, such as a harmonic radar able to track the hornets flying back to their nests.
EEIKO is a multiplatform application that enables a global vision of the spatial distribution of invasive alien flora species. This application also provides management tools to invasive alien species managers from the environmental authorities, to tackle and monitor invasive species, available in the “Management Area” of the application. EEIKO records are based on citizen participation.
