Global Open Biodiversity Data: Future Vision of FAIR Biodiversity Data Access, Management, Use and Stewardship

Abstract

Major environmental–biodiversity changes and new developments in technology have changed the way we live, work and how we create our future. The main attention of biodiversity researchers nowadays is focused on the application of the developments of digital technology for fast, efficient and ethical solutions related to biodiversity data management and stewardship, so that everyone can benefit from better data, better science and better policies. Here the originally developed five point biodiversity data research and management programme is presented for your kind attention. Open Biodiversity Data (OBD) which are usable, useful and used to promote the knowledge and the preservation of biodiversity. Linking Open Biodiversity Data and making it useful for everybody. Knowledge of biodiversity for many and not for few. The global web is our work platform. OBD creates an open community of contributors and users. Open is FAIR. FAIR Guiding Principles for biodiversity data management and stewardship (EU Commission 2018) Circular Open Biodiversity Data a high-value foundation for artificial intelligence. Open Biodiversity Data (OBD) which are usable, useful and used to promote the knowledge and the preservation of biodiversity. Linking Open Biodiversity Data and making it useful for everybody. Knowledge of biodiversity for many and not for few. The global web is our work platform. OBD creates an open community of contributors and users. Open is FAIR. FAIR Guiding Principles for biodiversity data management and stewardship (EU Commission 2018) Circular Open Biodiversity Data a high-value foundation for artificial intelligence. It is of great importance for society, communities and on a global scale to have unbiased and direct access to Open Biodiversity Data, as this maximises the impact on decision making and development of efficient solutions to tackle environmental problems (De Prins 2016, De Prins 2017, De Prins and De Prins 2019a, De Prins and De Prins 2019b, De Prins and Serna 2018, European Commission 2018). While embracing the latest developments of technology, in particular high resolution visual recognition tools, computer vision technologies to work with huge image galleries and link with other fields of biodiversity data (genetic sequences, distribution data) we are going to create an open international community of knowledgeable users, responsible for OBD. I suggest implementing FAIR guiding principles: Findability, Accessibility, Interoperability and Reusability. Following FAIR principles OBD become accessible to everybody, they are findable, visual, flexible, interchangeable in different formats, updated and reused for all biodiversity related questions. This kind of approach will ensure the use, and reuse of data in the most efficient way, so biodiversity knowledge and information are based on verified and clean data.