We can foster collaboration and improve the results of Biodiversity Informatics

1. We can foster collaboration and improve the results of Biodiversity Informatics Antonio Mauro Saraiva Universidade de São Paulo Research Center on Biodiversity and Computing - BioComp Agricultural Automation Laboratory

2. It is not a question !It is an affirmation !

3. Biodiversity Informatics has clearly evolved • Standards development and adoption has increased • New national and global systems • Digitization and sharing has increased • GBIF data portal • 405.720.566 indexed registers • 10.139 datasets • 493 publishers Tim Hirsch, GBIF

4. But we are lagging behind the needs of Biodiversity • Biodiversity and ecosystem services are still under huge threat • Millennium ecosystem assessment • CBD 2010 report • IPCC 2013 report … • We have an important role to help change it • The increasing power of ICTs is in our hands

5. How close are our systems hitting their target?How fit for use are they? Are they effective ? in terms of biodiversity conservation & sustainable use?

6. We already know we need systems with • Richer data content • Better quality data • Wider coverage (geography and time) • Better (& ever changing...) user interfaces • Mobile portability • More robust modeling algorithms • Different contents for different audiences • . . . • (That) support decision & policy making more effectively

7. Huge task!Heavy load!

8. In order to achieve that, we need • To be more effective • Faster and better results • Get more with less money • Global engagement • Our systems to be sustainable in the long run • Keep alive / online • Keep getting new data • Keep evolving technologically

9. We need • Less repetition, less competition • More collaboration

10. New systems, old efforts • How much effort (& time & money) could be saved if we could develop new systems building on top of the best of previous systems? • Learning from previous experiences (good and bad) • Sharing code or services • Advancing technically mutually • Leveraging funding mutually • Speeding up biodiversity informatics worldwide • Heterosis or hybrid vigor: Hybrids are sometimes stronger than either parent variety That is where more collaboration can make a difference

11. Challenges & Opportunities () for collaboration • Willingness • Awareness • Organization • Funding

12. Willingness • Do we want to share what we have done? • To which extent? • Data must be shared! • What about software ????? • Open software is nice (if it is your software) • State funded software ~ state funded data ? 

13. Willingness (2) – Collab is a two way road • “Come be part of MY big project and share YOUR data” approach • Get some credit (well hidden in the metadata…) • Get feedback on yourdataproblems, etc • Reciprocity is welcome  • Provide services back: • ex. aggregated data from others • Share a tool to build a local node of the “big project” • Hierarchical structure Collaboration as a partnership, more symmetrical

14. Good examples  • GBIF • Receives data from all over • Global data portal • Provides tools: free software • Data portal tool, IPT, HIT • National /local level • Provides training • ALA – Atlas of Living Australia • Open software • Coaching groups in Brazil, Costa Rica and Spain Their funding (working capacity) is limited …

15. Awareness • What is out there ? • Where to look for existing projects, experiences, tools, software, methods? • TDWG can help  • An up-to-date project repository? • TDWG´s “Biodiversity Information Projects of the World” • TDWG Interest Groups & Task Groups • Focal points for specific topics • But they need to be active !!! • TDWG meetings role (one of)

16. Organization • Collaboration in software development is a challenge • Requires methods, tools, leadership: feasible • GBIF, TDWG and others might take the lead in proposing some structure to it  • Services that might be developed and provided • Training, guidelines (standards), etc. • Collaborate globally and act locally Some of it has been done? Let´s do it better!

17. Funding (& Sustainability ) • Funding agencies want brand new products • Innovation, visibility • Can be a problem • Opportunities  • International collaboration and visibility is welcome • Technical and budgetary arguments for software reuse • Collaborators can get funding for specific components • Why not have GBIF/ALA partners working on specific parts of their systems regularly? Co-funding, distributed funding

18. IABIN – PTN as an example • Pollinators Thematic Network (PTN) • InterAmerican Biodiversity Information Network (IABIN) • Tasks: • IT infrastructure: data portal, digitization tool, experts roster • Data Digitization: seed money • Training • Budget (~ US$180k) • Distributed team: Pollinator Partnership, USP, Smithsonian/ITIS, NBII/USGS • Distributed partners: LatAm countries institutions

19. IABIN-PTN: Collaboration was fundamental • GBIF - data portal • Code (under development at that time) • Support (add other data/schema: interaction) • NBII/USGS expert roster • USP – sw dev. and additional funding in Brazil • All team: commitment, enthusiasm, collaboration, despite the huge difficulties • Team building with the colleagues from other LatAm countries • Training and seed money for digitization

20. specimens interactions

21. Do you have a plan? • Data quality • Good example of expertise that can be shared also as code, services, training, etc • Symposium on Data Quality • Presentations on Monday and Tuesday • Proposal of an Interest Group (TDWG) • Place to organize, collaborate, share … • Will we collaborate ?

22. Not every area has such potential to collaborate as Biodiversity Informatics A strong group of volunteers and enthusiasts Two organizations such as TDWG and GBIF Leading role & Recognition

23. Of course there has been collaboration !But we need much more !!!

24. Is this an utopia?Most of what we do now would be considered an utopia 20 years ago…

25. Grazie ! Obrigado! Thank you ! • Antonio Mauro Saraiva • BioComp – Research Center on Biodiversity and Computing • Universidade de São Paulo - USP • saraiva@usp.br • www.biocomp.org.br