Digital Data in Biodiversity Research Conference

Over the past decade, significant progress has been made in digitizing, databasing, and aggregating biodiversity occurrence data. Today, researchers, conservationists, and the public can access extensive information about the distribution and timing of various species across the globe. This achievement results from the dedicated efforts of researchers, volunteers, infrastructure developers, and the support of government agencies and philanthropic organizations.
However, the future accessibility of these invaluable data is at risk if sustainability concerns are not adequately addressed. This talk aims to illuminate some challenges that threaten the continued availability of biodiversity occurrence data. While it does not offer definitive solutions, it seeks to deepen our understanding of the issues at hand.
The presentation will explore the unique characteristics of biodiversity data, the cyberinfrastructure necessary to support it, and the contexts in which data access occurs. By examining these factors, we can identify requirements for sustainable data management solutions that ensure long-term access and utility of biodiversity occurrence data.
* To the speaker's chagrin, Chat GPT-4o improved the clarity and impact of the talk abstract so effectively that the speaker no longer had any reason to use his original version.