An amplifier for scattered ocean data

“Mozaiek” is the Dutch word for “mosaic”, an image formed by arranging many individual tiles. The name reflects the project’s driving principle: integrating fragmented marine biodiversity and environmental information into a single biodiversity data package, a tile, that can be used on its own, chained, combined, or integrated as a component into larger systems. “MOZAIEK is an amplifier,” explains Silas Principe, OBIS Data Researcher, who led the development of the project’s core concept and was one of the main contributors to its proposal. “It mobilizes existing but scattered marine observations to transform them into unified biodiversity data packages containing multiple levels of information.”

At a strategic level, MOZAIEK reinforces two crucial needs: maximizing the mobilization and use of existing ocean observations and revealing gaps in areas where data is most required. Designed as the foundation for a long-term architecture, the project acts as a reusable processing layer between individual datasets and downstream applications. MOZAIEK can reduce the need for data users to repeat finding, curating, cleaning, aligning, and documenting data aggregations. It shortens the data-to-decision chain and makes it more coherent, efficient, and responsive to user needs.

Designed as the foundation for a long-term architecture, the project acts as a reusable processing layer between individual datasets and downstream applications

“MOZAIEK provides the needed connection between ocean observations and action,” says Joanna Post, Head of the Ocean Observations and Services Section at IOC and Director of the Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS). “It brings the OBIS and GOOS communities together in a joint effort to assemble fragmented data into a connected whole. This integration is vital to provide science and policy with the information needed to understand our fast-changing ocean in all its scale and complexity.”

What does a MOZAIEK biodiversity data package contain?

Each MOZAIEK biodiversity package is a specialized, reusable, and interoperable integration product. The packages are developed and optimized for actionability. They are fit-for-purpose by design: each package is co-designed in consultation with its future users, driving data curation so it can optimally answer multiple end-user needs. Depending on its purpose, a package can integrate biodiversity observations from multiple datasets and monitoring methods, quantitative measurements, environmental information, metadata on how the data were collected, a record of the original datasets and providers, and quality-control and uncertainty information. The content is curated to maximize the package’s relevance to its intended use.

MOZAIEK brings the OBIS and GOOS communities together in a joint effort to assemble fragmented data into a connected whole.

That content is produced through a transparent, documented data chain. “Biodiversity data packages are built through open and modular pipelines,” explains Silas Principe. “The pipelines apply quality control and taxonomic validation to the aggregated data, apply spatial and temporal alignment, and verify the methodological harmonisation. Each step is documented. The end result is an analysis-ready data product holding a higher societal value than the sum of its parts.” Integrated data are harmonized using the Darwin Core standard, while each package is assigned an EMODnet processing level that indicates how extensively the source observations have been transformed. This gives users the ability to select the degree of integration their work requires and to have better control of the ingested data. In addition, each data package receives a Digital Object Identifier (DOI) with a documented provenance chain, allowing source data to be tracked and ensuring recognition for the original contributors. The DOI will also, when applicable, recognize the OBIS Node that published each dataset. To ensure high uptake, the MOZAIEK data packages will be deployed on the European Digital Twin of the Ocean (EDITO). They are made available through open pathways, including APIs, and are supported by a set of training and documentation resources.

A distinctive feature of MOZAIEK is that each package comes with a corresponding gap product. Once observations from many sources have been harmonized and analysed together, the project can show where evidence remains limited across four dimensions: spatial, taxonomic, temporal, and methodological. This information flows back to the ocean observing community through a feedback loop, helping to guide future monitoring and data-mobilization efforts to where they are most needed.

To further increase actionability, the packages are aligned with the Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS) Essential Ocean Variables (EOVs). The project plans to develop a minimum of 10 biodiversity data packages, aligned with 5 Biology and Ecosystems Essential Ocean Variables (BioEco EOVs). This alignment helps strengthen the data structure of the packages while increasing comparability and integration into applications and reporting. It also anchors the project across two major ocean communities: OBIS and GOOS.

Real-world applications

The project will showcase its actionability through a real-life use case: marine heatwaves in the Caribbean. As our climate changes, marine heatwaves are becoming more frequent, intense, and persistent, with far-reaching consequences for marine ecosystems and the communities that depend on them. Through the Marine Heatwaves Exemplar of the GOOS Ocean Observing Co-Design Programme, MOZAIEK will identify the biological information needed to assess heatwave impacts on ecosystems, define priority uses with stakeholders, and test whether its packages are up to the task. The Caribbean Sea was chosen as the pilot region for its combination of exceptional biodiversity and high climate vulnerability, where local livelihoods depend closely on healthy marine ecosystems.

Through the Marine Heatwaves Exemplar of the GOOS Ocean Observing Co-Design Programme, MOZAIEK will identify the biological information needed to assess heatwave impacts on ecosystems, define priority uses with stakeholders, and test whether its packages are up to the task.

In addition, to demonstrate that the MOZAIEK biodiversity data packages can work across fields, systems and regions, researchers from Flemish research institutions and academia will be involved to test them in complementary applications, spanning e.g., phytoplankton dynamics, environmental DNA, fisheries, and macroalgae distribution.

Beyond the project scope, the MOZAIEK infrastructure can support indicators, decision-support tools, and early-warning services around the world, removing the need for data preparation and increasing the responsiveness of the data-derived products it contributes to. The MOZAIEK biodiversity data packages can also serve as shared baseline information for global assessment and reporting processes, where data supports evidence-based decision-making, such as those under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), and the BBNJ Agreement.

Built with communities

MOZAIEK relies on a collaborative and inclusive approach to deliver its content. The OBIS and GOOS communities, and the OBIS Nodes in particular, can contribute to building and adapting the open modular pipelines supporting the project and help accelerate the uptake of its outcomes. Both communities are also involved in the gap product feedback loop, helping move information on data needs upstream and contributing to establishing priority lists taking into account feasibility and available resources, as well as local, regional, and thematic contexts to drive data mobilization efforts where the coverage is the thinnest.

Crucially, MOZAIEK is being developed as an integrated extension of existing infrastructures, rather than as a stand-alone project platform. The data packages are intended to remain available through OBIS and to be refreshed as new observations enter OBIS, while the open modular pipelines can continue to be maintained and improved through OBIS, EDITO, and additional contributions, turning the project into a longer-term, community-anchored initiative.

Finally, beyond their initial OBIS and GOOS core, the MOZAIEK packages have the potential to serve much broader user communities, ranging from marine scientists to marine spatial planners and managers, national and regional oceanographic initiatives, as well as the wider ocean economy. If scaled up, MOZAIEK holds the potential to become a powerful, efficient, and accessible interface that helps turn marine observation data into action. ◼️

The project at a glance

• Lead: IOC/OBIS
• Partners: GOOS (co-lead, co-design and demonstrator), IOCARIBE
• Funder: Flanders UNESCO Science Trust Fund (FUST)
• Budget: US$1.59 million
• Duration: 36 months (2027–2029)
• Geographic scope: Global output with a focus on the Caribbean Sea
• Planned outputs: ≥10 biodiversity data packages across 5 BioEco EOVs; >10 processing pipelines; >20 training and documentation resources
• Demonstrator: marine heatwaves in the Caribbean, via the GOOS Marine Heatwaves Exemplar

Operating from the Repository and Reference Centre of Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT), the OBIS Malaysia Node works as a national marine biodiversity data hub that centralizes information and channels it to MyBIS, the Malaysia Biodiversity Information System, and to OBIS. We spoke with Muhammad Hafiz bin Borkhanuddin, OBIS Malaysia Node Manager, about the Node’s structure, its role in unifying the national marine data landscape, its engagement with researchers, and the opportunities that the eDNA Expeditions 2026-2028 project brings to Malaysia.


OBIS: Dear Hafiz, thank you for being here! Could you introduce OBIS Malaysia and tell us how the Node is structured, hosted, and funded?

Muhammad Hafiz bin Borkhanuddin: Thank you very much for having me. We were appointed as the OBIS Malaysia Node in 2017, under the Repository and Reference Centre of Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (RRC-UMT), formerly known as the South China Sea Repository and Reference Centre (RRC). OBIS Malaysia works closely with the National Oceanography Directorate (NOD) under the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, which serves as Malaysia’s National Oceanographic Data Centre (MyNODC) within the IODE network. While OBIS Malaysia does not always collect data directly, this connection links it to marine researchers across the country. The node itself is based at Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, within the Repository and Reference Centre, functioning much like a small registry museum for the university, from which data is supplied to the global OBIS database. Much of this work is sustained through the university’s grants and operational funding.

A specimen from the RRC-UMT marine benthos collection, featuring a common starfish sourced from a nearby island. Photo: OBIS Malaysia

Could you tell us who the team members behind the Node are, and what their roles are?

Muhammad Hafiz bin Borkhanuddin: I serve as the Node Manager. We also have a science officer, Mr. Ahmad Fakhrurrazi Mokhtar, acting as data manager, who handles the technical side of data ingestion and standardization before it is supplied to OBIS. We work in batches: each quarter, we identify and upload several hundred records supplied to us by various researchers and curators. Timely, we are also supported by other staff and advisors from Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, who help ensure that our operations remain aligned and at pace with the Malaysian marine science objectives.


OBIS Malaysia is very much embedded in your country’s national strategy. Is there a nationally coordinated data flow in Malaysia for marine biodiversity data?

Muhammad Hafiz bin Borkhanuddin: There is, and OBIS Malaysia, through RRC-UMT, is at the heart of it. When we publish data, we make it available at the same time in OBIS and in our national database, like MyBIS. In a way, we act as a data hub, serving both the global perspective and the national interests of Malaysia. For OBIS, of course, we focus on ocean and marine data, but on the national side, we can also cover freshwater biotopes.

In a way, we act as a data hub, serving both the global perspective and the national interests of Malaysia.

What motivated the creation of OBIS Malaysia?

Muhammad Hafiz bin Borkhanuddin: Malaysia’s marine biodiversity data landscape was, for years, extremely fragmented: institutions held onto their own data, building silos that locked crucial biodiversity information away from one another. This was an urgent problem to solve for Malaysia’s identity as a maritime nation, whose marine area exceeds its landmass and stretches across 4,675 km of coastline along the Strait of Malacca, the South China Sea, and the Sulu-Celebes Sea. It was this urgency that had already driven Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, back in 2004, to establish the South China Sea Repository and Reference Centre (RRC) as a dedicated home for the country’s marine specimens, filling a gap left by the absence of any centralised institution. But it was a stronger, national-level political impetus that eventually changed the trajectory: Malaysia built MyBIS to centralise its biodiversity data flows before global publication, and OBIS Malaysia was born directly out of that ambition. The Node was designed to serve as the mechanism to accelerate marine data centralisation through MyBIS, while positioning Malaysia as a global contributor to marine biodiversity science. RRC, having already earned recognition as a Higher Institution Centre of Excellence, an IODE Associate Data Unit, and the host of a Regional Training Centre under the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO’s OceanTeacher Global Academy, was the natural candidate to carry that ambition forward. It became the OBIS Malaysia Node in 2017, and became Malaysia’s global gateway for nearly two decades of Malaysian institutional groundwork.

Citizen scientists visiting the RRC-UMT laboratory and gallery to learn essential techniques in specimen preservation and data recording. Photo: OBIS Malaysia

Now that you hold this central position as an OBIS Node Manager, where are the strongest data flows in Malaysia, and where are the biggest gaps?

Muhammad Hafiz bin Borkhanuddin: Before answering your question, allow me to thank my predecessor as Node Manager of OBIS Malaysia, Assoc. Prof Dr. Izwandy Idris, who laid out the solid foundations on which I’m now developing the Node. Back to the question: our main issue is the speed of biodiversity data entry into our national platform. This is where the main bottleneck and, of course, our main backlog are. Part of the solution would be to improve the platform itself: we would greatly benefit from a more advanced, integrated data management system than the one we have now. We have a very large amount of data, hundreds of thousands of records, and all of it needs to be integrated, keyed in, and then transferred to the platform. The other part of the solution to tackle that bottleneck is to increase our publishing capacity and human resources.


Does this backlog data sit in paper logs, or is it digital data that is still awaiting processing?

Muhammad Hafiz bin Borkhanuddin: It is a bit of both. We have institutional data in paper catalogues and historical data that still needs to be digitized. We also have data that is already digitized, but that still needs to be verified and curated before it goes to the next level. Before we pass anything to OBIS or to MyBIS, all that data has to be thoroughly checked. And that is one of the reasons for the current bottleneck: We need to treat a very large number of records with very limited resources… And new data is continuously coming in!

A stained seahorse preserved at the RRC-UMT. These specialized specimens are utilized for teaching, learning, and various zoological studies. Photo: OBIS Malaysia

What are the main obstacles that Malaysian marine researchers face when they want to publish their data, and how does OBIS Malaysia support them?

Muhammad Hafiz bin Borkhanuddin: I think OBIS is not known enough among marine researchers in Malaysia yet, and I want to change that. We need to raise awareness among Malaysian data providers to make them understand that they, too, would benefit from unlocking the marine biodiversity datasets they hold and sharing that data while contributing to a national scientific effort. On that front, I think a consortium-based approach would work: a roadmap, something cohesively agreed upon between universities and institutions in Malaysia involved in marine research, so that they would naturally turn their data to OBIS Malaysia. But again, it’s a bit of a balancing act here: if we are too efficient in our awareness, and if too many people from these institutions contribute, we come back to the challenge of human resources for data curation, verification, and even, in some cases, digitization!


How do you engage with these different national communities, universities, and institutions?

Muhammad Hafiz bin Borkhanuddin: We have not yet held formal meetings or even a congress with Malaysian marine researchers. We have engaged with some of them, more on a personal basis, or because the opportunity arose. Usually, I introduce OBIS when opportunities arise, explain how they can contribute, speak to them about OBIS, explain why they should contribute, and how they can contribute. But it would be much more effective if I could invite all the marine researchers in Malaysia to a meeting and explain why it is our national interest to contribute to OBIS. The OBIS Malaysia Node could be better integrated and more synergized with our marine researchers, so that eventually more data can be channelled to MyBIS and OBIS. But again, organizing such a congress requires human resources and, of course, funding.


Are newer data types, such as environmental DNA (eDNA), acoustic monitoring, or imagery, starting to come into OBIS Malaysia?

Muhammad Hafiz bin Borkhanuddin: eDNA is not entirely new to Malaysia; the method has been used both for marine and freshwater environments for a while now. But it is becoming more popular and generating more interest. Researchers now want to integrate eDNA with physical data and with other biological research. We are also seeing work on AI for marine benthic monitoring and environmental profiling. Researchers are using photogrammetry and training AI to classify the benthic environments or organisms they observe. It is still a rough start, but a promising one that progresses fast. Another important development for us is data sharing on the cloud, with platforms such as Coral Reef Cloud engaging people around the world. These are all very positive developments, but they are also moving quickly, so we have to keep up with the technologies to stay on the same path as research happening elsewhere in the world.

Preparation and transport of marine specimens from the RRC-UMT collection before their loan to a local museum for display in their public gallery.

OBIS Malaysia is closely involved in one of the sites selected for the eDNA Expeditions project. What does this participation in the project bring to the Node?

Muhammad Hafiz bin Borkhanuddin: For OBIS Malaysia, it is a fantastic opportunity to gather more and different kinds of data and information from the Terengganu marine ecosystems that will enhance the physical observations we have collected previously. Being part of eDNA Expeditions will also serve as a strong promotional use case that other researchers in Malaysia could replicate. And that’s a huge added value for us at a national level. Through the project, we co-created a very structured science plan, and we have access to an easy-to-follow sampling protocol that can be implemented anywhere in Malaysia. We really appreciate that the approach in eDNA Expeditions 2026-2028 is so hands-on: At Terrenganu, during the project, we plan to involve research institutes, governmental institutions such as the Department of Fisheries and Marine Park officers, and local communities and stakeholders, including dive and boat operators. Through OBIS Malaysia, we will also connect our site to regional initiatives, such as the Coral Triangle Initiative and the working group on the coastal and marine environment, and promote the eDNA Expeditions concept and framework to our regional counterparts.

Being part of eDNA Expeditions will also serve as a strong promotional use case that other researchers in Malaysia could replicate.

Do you have examples of data from OBIS Malaysia that were used to support national or regional marine policy or reporting?

Muhammad Hafiz bin Borkhanuddin: For us, this is really about closing the gap between data and decision-making. Marine biodiversity datasets only become valuable once they’re translated into something governments and ministries can actually act on, whether that’s a conservation action plan, a coral reef management policy, or a longer-term marine resource strategy. Our team has been directly involved in this kind of work at both state and national levels, contributing data toward conservation planning and coral reef policy development. But the specifics matter less than the underlying principle: as scientists, our responsibility is to make sure the data is ready and accessible before it’s needed, not after. In Malaysia, that means fundamental biodiversity datasets have to be published and maintained in a form that can be mobilized by decision-makers without friction. I’d say this science-policy interface is really one of the core reasons OBIS and its nodes exist: ensuring that decision-makers are aware that the data exists, and that they can make use of it.

Is there a dataset or a project within OBIS Malaysia that you are particularly proud of?

Muhammad Hafiz bin Borkhanuddin: Without question, the Repository and Reference Centre, where my team and I are based. We hold the largest collection of marine specimens in Malaysia, containing more than 100,000 registered specimens, with another substantial batch still in our backlog awaiting verification and curation. This collection is a living resource: Through these specimens, we support marine researchers across Malaysia in running their projects and publishing their findings, and we open our doors to international partners and collaborators who come to work with our collection. Building something researchers actually rely on, year after year, is what I’m most proud of, and I hope we can keep growing it. The other achievement I would highlight is that Terengganu State Park has been selected to take part in the eDNA Expeditions project. It brings cutting-edge environmental DNA technology into our local waters, and suddenly a very localised stretch of Malaysian coastline is placed on a global scientific map, connected directly to a worldwide platform for ocean knowledge.

International guests touring the extensive collection room. The facility houses approximately 300,000 natural history specimens, ranging from wet and dry biological samples to geological and paleontological materials.

What does being part of the OBIS community mean to you?

Muhammad Hafiz bin Borkhanuddin: Being part of the OBIS community is very informative and beneficial. Through meetings, I’m aware of what other OBIS members are doing in their regions, and I know that I have a community that can back me up if I have a question or an issue. That is the beauty of the OBIS community: we run different activities, but we share the same aim of promoting marine research and data sharing to the global arena. At OBIS Malaysia, we are happy to help and assist other Nodes wherever we can.


What is on the horizon for OBIS Malaysia in the coming years? Are there big changes or investments you are looking forward to?

Muhammad Hafiz bin Borkhanuddin: As I mentioned, reaching out to more marine researchers in Malaysia is one of the things we want to focus on, so that data sharing becomes more cohesive and better integrated through MyBIS and OBIS. At a very personal level, I am really looking forward to effectively starting to carry out the sampling work under eDNA Expeditions. I know that this project will open a lot of opportunities for OBIS Malaysia and for the country: we do need to build up capacity in the whole DNA-derived data chain, from setting up bioinformatics pipelines to learning how to process the data and make full use of it, so that eDNA observations become more sustained in Malaysia. That’s a long-term vision! ◼️


→ Explore the OBIS Malaysia Node page.
→ Discover MyBIS, the Malaysia Biodiversity Information System

A hands-on workshop for OBIS Nodes

To help meet this growing need, the OBIS team at the IOC Secretariat organized a hands-on online training workshop dedicated to the publication of DNA-derived biodiversity datasets. Held on 2 July, the workshop welcomed 18 participants representing 12 OBIS Nodes and was primarily designed for Node managers with little or no prior experience working with eDNA data.

These workshops are a two-way learning experience: We gain insight into the needs of the OBIS Community, and concretely learn how DNA data standards might interact, or interfere, with other data types.

Across two interactive sessions, participants were introduced to the fundamentals of DNA-derived biodiversity observations, the format of the DNA Darwin Core extension, and best practices for publishing them through OBIS. Using a real metabarcoding dataset, participants worked through the publication workflow step by step, transforming raw outputs into a FAIR, standardized dataset while discussing common challenges encountered during the process. “These workshops with our Nodes are a two-way learning experience,” explained Saara Suominen, OBIS Senior Scientific Officer and one of the instructors at the workshop. “We gain insight into the needs of the OBIS Community, and concretely learn how DNA data standards might interact, or interfere, with other data types.”

The workshop slides can be accessed here: https://iobis.github.io/obis_edna_slides_node_training/#/title-slide

Understanding how DNA-derived observations fit within Darwin Core

Participants learned how information is distributed across the Event, Occurrence, and DNA extension tables, and why assigning information to the correct fields is essential to maintain interoperability. Through practical exercises, they clarified common points of confusion, such as distinguishing field sampling information from DNA sequencing results. They learned how measurements such as sampled water volume, sequence read counts, and taxon-specific abundances should be represented within the Darwin Core framework.

Capturing complete methodological information

The workshop also highlighted the importance of documenting the full workflow behind DNA-derived observations. Participants learned how to capture and link protocols describing field sampling, laboratory procedures, DNA extraction, sequencing and bioinformatics analyses, ensuring that datasets remain transparent, reproducible and reusable long after publication.

Building confidence among OBIS Nodes

Working through a complete dataset, field by field, gave participants a much clearer understanding of how DNA-derived datasets are structured and strengthened their ability to support local researchers and data providers in preparing datasets for publication. This hands-on approach proved particularly valuable for Node managers without a background in molecular ecology. “Deploying a hands-on approach that actually walks participants through the process of identifying, discussing, and formatting the components of DNA data makes the learning experience more tangible, memorable, and engaging,” said Elizabeth Lawrence, OBIS Training Officer and one of the instructors.

Gaining practical skills that can be applied immediately

The practical focus of the workshop was highlighted in participant feedback. “We had received eDNA datasets before, but always relied on the data providers to format them”, explained Maria Cornthwaite, OBIS Canada Node Manager and Co-Chair of the OBIS Nodes Coordination Group, and one of the participants. “After this workshop, I have a much better understanding of what should be in such a dataset.” The hands-on approach and the practical topics covered kick-started the participants in publishing eDNA datasets: for Takashi Hosono, OBIS Japan Node Manager, who participated in the workshop, it “was an excellent course that addressed exactly the questions we needed answered and provided valuable, actionable insights.”

As production and demand for DNA-derived information grow globally, it becomes crucial to accelerate the OBIS Community’s ability to format, integrate, and publish this type of data. OBIS-led capacity development initiatives, such as this workshop, contribute to rapidly filling existing gaps, providing participants with the practical skills to ensure that DNA-derived observations can be mobilized in a FAIR, interoperable format and made readily available to support research, conservation and evidence-based decision-making. ◼️


→ The workshop slides can be accessed here
→ Explore the DNA-related pages in the OBIS Manual

This workshop is part of the OBIS workplan under Outcome 5 “Review and support the alignment and adoption of data standards, specifications, and publication mechanisms”, Deliverable 5.1 “Deliver two workshops to advance adoption of data standards within OBIS”. The workshop took place as part of the activities of the OBIS Data Coordination Group, co-chaired by Ruben Pérez Pérez and Victor Chocho. The workshop content was delivered by the OBIS Secretariat.

DNA-derived marine biodiversity datasets can contain a huge amount of information that can become hard to access if not properly structured. OBIS reached an important technical milestone by publishing its very first environmental DNA (eDNA)-based dataset using the Event Core structure, paving the way for how complex biodiversity observations can be integrated into global platforms operating under the Darwin Core format.

A small dataset built to test a new structure

Collected during a biodiversity survey around the Swedish island of Gotland, the dataset “Invertebrate eDNA Gotland Summer 2021” (Nordlund L M, Lüskow F, Lawrence E (2026). Invertebrate eDNA Gotland Summer 2021. Version 2.1. OBIS Secretariat. Samplingevent dataset. https://doi.org/10.25607/bgjoog) demonstrates how eDNA, occurrence records, sampling events, and environmental measurements can all be neatly integrated using Event core in Darwin Core format, without causing information inflation. “The dataset is modest in size, containing 116 occurrence records,” explains Florian Lüskow, postdoctoral research fellow at Uppsala University, one of the authors, who was conducting this work within the EU-funded project BioEcoOcean. “That relatively small size for a DNA-derived occurrence dataset made it an ideal candidate to experiment with the Event core structure. The dataset was originally collected as part of a researcher-led biodiversity survey, showcasing that advanced biodiversity data standards are becoming accessible to individual researchers and smaller monitoring initiatives.”

In addition to linking environmental measurements to Event Core, the dataset has also been aligned with Essential Ocean Variables (EOVs) through its metadata.

From Occurrence core to Event core

Traditionally, biodiversity datasets published through OBIS have been structured around species occurrences, using the Occurrence core approach. In these datasets, environmental measurements, such as temperature or salinity, need to be duplicated for every occurrence record, potentially leading to data inflation if the dataset contains a large number of species occurrences. Shifting from Occurrence core to Event core allows for environmental measurements to be linked directly to the sampling event itself, removing duplication and making datasets easier to manage and interpret. “If we really want to make environmental monitoring data Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable,” says Florian Lüskow, “we need to have data publication pipelines that work for large, national programmes and smaller, project-based initiatives.”

Comparison between the Occurrence core and the Event core approach to managing extendedMeasurementOrFact data.

A reusable pipeline for eDNA data

The publication of the “Invertebrate eDNA Gotland Summer 2021” dataset also reflects ongoing work across the biodiversity informatics community to innovate data management approaches through more flexible structures within, for example, Darwin Core Data Packages. Recent developments in the OBIS data pipeline now allow complex relationships between sampling events, DNA observations, occurrences, and measurement data to be processed and integrated more efficiently. “In addition to linking environmental measurements to Event Core, the dataset has also been aligned with Essential Ocean Variables (EOVs) through its metadata,” explains Elizabeth Lawrence, OBIS Training Officer, who provided technical support in the integration of the dataset into OBIS. “This helps improve discoverability and interoperability with broader ocean observing efforts. This EOV alignment was done retroactively: EOV specification sheets were still being updated at the time the sampling was done. We demonstrated that datasets originally not collected specifically to match EOVs requirements could still be retrofitted and contribute to the framework.”

Sample-to-screen flowchart showing the entire data integration process of the "Invertebrate eDNA Gotland Summer 2021" dataset into OBIS, including EOV alignment

Local survey, global standard

“It is exciting to see a dataset collected around Gotland, Sweden, contribute to advances in global biodiversity data standards,” says Lina Mtwana Nordlund, Uppsala University & GOOS Biology and Ecosystem EOV panel member and project coordinator of BioEcoOcean. “For me, this publication illustrates an important principle: local observations can have global value when they are shared in interoperable formats. If we want marine biodiversity to be visible in global assessments, Essential Ocean Variables, global ocean indicators, and Digital Twins of the Ocean, we need to invest in collecting data, but also in publishing and connecting that data to the wider digital ocean ecosystem.”

Environmental DNA-derived data, like other innovative formats, capture incredibly complex information that requires creative standardization and formatting approaches to prevent data inflation while preserving FAIRness and actionability. ◼️

Tshikana Rasehlomi: Thank you, it’s a pleasure to be here. AfrOBIS is the sub-Saharan African Node of the Ocean Biodiversity Information System (OBIS), and it acts as an open-access repository for marine biodiversity data in the entire region. It was officially launched on 1 July 2005, originally under the custodianship of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research in South Africa, before moving to the South African Department of Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment. It is now hosted under the Marine Information Management System (MIMS), an accredited Associated Data Unit under the International Oceanographic Data and Information Exchange (IODE) of IOC. We are based in Cape Town, South Africa. Our funding and mode of operation are tied to MIMS’ mandate for the long-term preservation of national marine and coastal data.


Could you tell us how many people are working at the Node?

Tshikana Rasehlomi: AfrOBIS operates through three specialized teams. The data curation team manages data mobilization, standardization to Darwin Core and Ecological Metadata Language, taxonomic validation, and the dissemination of digital objects. The system development team is in charge of all the archival management systems, software tools, data workflows, and, crucially, the integration of new data types. The IT infrastructure administration team handles the back-end systems and server management, ensuring smooth operations. In total, we are ten people: two biological and biodiversity data curators, two curators handling geographic and physical oceanographic datasets, two system developers, two IT infrastructure staff, and the two of us in coordination roles: myself as Node Manager and Ms Ayanda Mahanjana as my support.


That is a substantial force! Could you clarify how AfrOBIS sits within South Africa’s broader marine data infrastructure?

Tshikana Rasehlomi: South Africa used to have a National Oceanographic Data Centre called the Southern African Data Centre for Oceanography, or SADCO. Due to funding constraints and a lack of personnel, it eventually lost its NODC status. No data was lost, though: we currently manage the entire SADCO database under the MIMS system, and we are now backed by steady governmental funds, ensuring long-term financial stability. The SADCO archive is huge, with crucial historical records as far as 1911.

A benthic ecologist coring the intertidal sand within a quadrat to sample crucial benthic organisms. Photo: AfrOBIS

What drove the creation of AfrOBIS in 2005?

Tshikana Rasehlomi: Two forces drove the creation of AfroOBIS: making African data accessible durably and stably, and supporting evidence-based decision-making in South Africa and on the continent. South Africa always had a dual approach to marine biodiversity data, with a focus on both continental and national levels. At the end of the 90s, when marine information was extremely fragmented across the continent, South Africa decided to be the driving force that would provide an authoritative regional source for all African marine biodiversity data. The objective was to digitize, collect, and centralize existing and upcoming data to integrate it into OBIS as part of the Census of Marine Life programme, the global Sloan Foundation-funded initiative that created OBIS before it moved under the IOC of UNESCO. This pipeline was originally established through SADCO and then moved to the Department of Forestry, Fisheries, which led to the creation of AfrOBIS in 2005.

Two forces drove the creation of AfroOBIS: making African data accessible durably and stably, and supporting evidence-based decision-making in South Africa and on the continent.

The motivation for the country was to integrate African marine datasets into a global data ecosystem and to make sure that this data would remain visible and accessible. That was crucial for South African national policy, but also for bilateral and regional cooperation, as well as for international contributions. At a national level, South Africa needed to make this data accessible to support evidence-based decisions, such as the creation of marine protected areas and fisheries management. AfrOBIS continues to play the same role today: a lot of the data from AfrOBIS and the SADCO database is used for marine spatial planning across the region.


AfrOBIS occupies a unique position in the OBIS network as a regional leader. Could you tell us more about how far that reach extends, and how you balance national and regional responsibilities?

Tshikana Rasehlomi: The name of our Node says it all: we are AfrOBIS, not South AfrOBIS! From the very inception, the ambition was to cover a much wider area than South Africa alone. Today, AfrOBIS has working ties as far as Cameroon, Nigeria, and Gabon for West Africa, and as far as Tanzania for the East side, with whom, through several efforts coordinated by the IOC Sub Commission for Africa and the Adjacent Island States (IOCAfrica) and the Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association (WIOMSA), we continue to receive data. We collaborated actively with Kenya, and we continue to cooperate now that the country has established its own Node. In the south-west, we collaborate with Namibia and Angola through the Benguela Current Convention, and we have a growing relationship with Benin, which sends us data and regularly requests training for research students in marine data management.

Going back to your question, balancing national hosting obligations with regional leadership is indeed genuinely demanding. But we now have accumulated a lot of experience and do not rely on a single institution to move things forward. We have developed an interdepartmental collaboration approach gathering institutions, state entities, and academia. A lot of the template work we now rely on was developed by a cross-disciplinary community of academic, government, non-governmental, and industry researchers. And this collaborative work has given us a strong foundation. We also have a close working relationship with the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI), which hosts the country’s GBIF Node: rather than competing for datasets, we coordinate, and the GBIF Node helps researchers get their data into the right format to be published through AfrOBIS, with the metadata then harvested for GBIF.

Due to large discrepancies in structures and resources across the region, we have to overcome hurdles, of course. Some of the data we receive needs significant cleaning before it can be published, often because of infrastructure constraints in the country of origin. In the past, data sometimes arrived without sufficient clearance from its country of origin, but the IOC national focal points have been very helpful in resolving those situations. We are immensely grateful to the National Department of Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment (DFFE), Oceans & Coasts branch, whose sole funding has enabled us to secure a dedicated team that can attend to these requests on a continuous basis, looking after MIMS, SADCO, and AfrOBIS together.

Biodiversity trackers dropping quadrats on intertidal reefs to monitor long-term abundance shifts. Photo: AfrOBIS

What are the biggest challenges you see for the marine biodiversity data landscape in your region?

Tshikana Rasehlomi: A first major challenge is funding, and specifically the funding needed to digitize historical data. A lot of African marine data still sits in hard-copy records. We have been actively supporting national partners to access GBIF funding programmes for digitization, and managed to achieve significant results: We worked with partners in Cameroon and with the University of Lagos in Nigeria, for example, both of whom later contributed datasets that flowed into AfrOBIS and into OBIS. Africa is not alone when it comes to digitizing existing data. The same issue applies far beyond our continent: many countries in the global South have data that exists and could be shared, but a lack of resources keeps it on the shelf. This is an overlooked, almost endemic challenge, and one that deserves much more attention and funding. It is not only about biological data, either. Pre-industrial oceanographic and climate datasets dating back to the 1950s exist across the Indian Ocean Rim countries, for example. Initiatives like the Indian Ocean Data Rescue Initiative (INDARE), run by the World Meteorological Organization, did help some island states, including Madagascar and Mauritius, until funding fell away around 2015. Reviving that kind of structured, well-funded data rescue would unlock substantial volumes of marine biodiversity data.

A second major challenge is institutional. In some countries that used to provide data to AfrOBIS, changes in leadership and the absence of clear data-sharing policies have made contributions far less predictable. The key issue is to move from a culture of data ownership to one of data stewardship, where the value of data sharing is recognized by governments and institutions. We start seeing a real shift among individual scientists, who now understand the value of data citation, recognition, and visibility across borders. The remaining difficulty is convincing the leadership of their institutions to formalize that openness in policy.

We invest heavily in capacity building. Over the years, we have run data management workshops and training sessions across the region

How do you incentivize data holders, whether researchers or institutions, to share their data through AfrOBIS?

Tshikana Rasehlomi: We invest heavily in capacity building. Over the years, we have run data management workshops and training sessions across the region, focused on the FAIR, CARE, and TRUST principles, and on the long-term value of making datasets visible and findable. When researchers understand that their datasets will receive persistent identifiers (DOIs) and proper citations for their datasets, the conversation shifts very quickly.

A good example is a workshop hosted by the University of Lagos in Nigeria and regional partners a year and a half ago, which we contributed to. We wanted to introduce AfrOBIS as a Node of choice to researchers and students who were already using OBIS data, often without even realizing that there was an existing African Node feeding into the platform. We covered the OBIS tools, and we ran practical sessions on tidying up data and moving it from Excel or CSV into Darwin Core, so it would be publication-ready. We had GBIF colleagues join us to explain the complementarity between OBIS and GBIF: once data is in Darwin Core, it can flow to both. The two global systems now harvest the data and metadata from AfrOBIS following the principle “publish once - harvest many times”. A big part of our role in those workshops is also helping partners to recover the descriptive metadata that very old datasets often lack, since metadata is what makes data reproducible and reusable.


How is AfrOBIS adapting to new data types such as eDNA, acoustic monitoring, and imagery?

Tshikana Rasehlomi: We have just finalized a Darwin Core-compliant biological schema that allows us to ingest a much wider range of data than before. It was a response to the growing volume of data sitting in MIMS that had not been properly archived, and to the rise of new data types: underwater imagery with automated species annotation, acoustic monitoring, and environmental DNA. South Africa is a natural gateway for Antarctic whales moving towards Europe, with most of them passing through the Benguela Current Large Marine Ecosystem on the west coast, so we have built up significant acoustic datasets on whales and other marine mammals.

eDNA is the newest frontier. It started for us as a smaller project looking at the Cape Canyons off the west coast, and grew into a study of the genetic connectivity of the network of marine protected areas along that coast. When the data came in, I was struck by how complex it was. Fortunately, our biological data curators came from the South African National Biodiversity Institute, where many of them had been part of the GBIF technical group, and that experience fed directly into the development of the biological schema. They are now applying it to data from both internal and regional scientists, especially in support of marine spatial planning. eDNA formed a key part of recent ministerial discussions on the Blue Ocean economy, paving the way for dedicated infrastructure investment in this sector. We also look forward to collaborating with the eDNA Expeditions 2026-2028 project!

FRS Algoa setting sail for deep-sea biodiversity and oceanographic mapping. Photo: AfrOBIS

How has AfrOBIS data been used to support marine policy and reporting?

Tshikana Rasehlomi: AfrOBIS has played a direct role in the design of marine protected areas in South Africa. In the framework of the 30 per cent target by 2030, AfrOBIS and SADCO have been at the forefront of providing the baseline data needed to establish new MPAs based on evidence rather than expediency. These MPAs extend into Namibian waters as well, because we share migratory species — sardine, anchovy, tuna, and some hake stocks reach as far as Namibia. The Benguela Current Convention, which brings together South Africa, Namibia, and Angola, allows us to use historical data to support that joint planning.

Beyond MPAs, AfrOBIS data have supported the protection of marine top predators, including the endangered African penguin and the Cape gannet colonies along the west and south coasts. Some of these colonies have been designated as protected areas precisely because AfrOBIS data shows long-term declines linked to climate change and to the overfishing of sardine and anchovy. Policymakers have directly come back to AfrOBIS to look at the data we hold, and that has provided the baselines for the designations.

We are also regularly asked to provide input into reporting under the Convention on Biological Diversity, and the BBNJ Agreement is increasingly part of the conversation as well. A national focal point connected to WIOMSA, covering Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Mozambique, and South Africa, represents the region in BBNJ negotiations. The direct contribution from AfrOBIS as a data manager to those discussions is still in the making. The expectation across departments is that standardized data flowing through us will increasingly support reporting against the BBNJ Agreement, the African Union Blue Economy Strategy, and other global frameworks.

A marine explorer catching and cataloging intertidal macrofauna along Africa's dynamic coastlines. Photo: AfrOBIS

Is there a dataset or project within AfrOBIS that you are particularly proud of?

Tshikana Rasehlomi: It would be very difficult for me to single out one dataset! But I am particularly happy with the linefish fisheries surveys, because we are now using them as a technology demonstrator. We have built dashboards showing how the species have been performing in terms of catch per unit effort, and that work is feeding into legislation on total allowable catch in South Africa. To see data move from collection to archive to legislation is genuinely rewarding. Policymakers do not always see the work involved in standardizing data to that level, but when you can show them the outcome through a dashboard, the appreciation is immediate.

Being part of the OBIS community means we can contribute to a truly global ocean data ecosystem while representing the interests of the sub-Saharan African region

Are there ongoing partnerships or collaborations you would like to highlight?

Tshikana Rasehlomi: Our partnership with the Benguela Current Convention stands out: they are currently part of the Technical Advisory Group that guides both AfrOBIS and MIMS. Through our interactions with Norwegian biologists and with the Nansen research vessel programme, we share data standards, methodologies, and approaches to managing marine biodiversity data. That is a long-term collaboration I am very proud of.

A more recent development is a partnership with the agency representing our national Navy. Naval ships reach places that research vessels typically do not access, and they have collected acoustic data while studying the impact of naval operations on whales, dolphins, and other species. In the past, this kind of data would have stayed strictly within defence. In the interest of openness and transparency, the relevant agency representing the Navy is now willing to share these acoustic datasets and other operational oceanography data through AfrOBIS and MIMS. It is a real breakthrough, and I am very curious to see how the partnership between government scientists and the naval service will evolve.

Eco-detectives coring and profiling sandy shores to map vulnerable baseline ecosystems. Photo: AfrOBIS

Do you collaborate with other OBIS Nodes, and what does being part of the OBIS community mean to you?

Tshikana Rasehlomi: We do collaborate with other Nodes, most recently with OBIS Kenya, and with OBIS Norway through the South African GBIF Node. In 2024, while I was in Norway, we developed a funding application together with OBIS Norway and the Institute of Marine Research (IMR) in Bergen. The relationship continues, and we are working on joint data management activities for the data collected between our two countries.

Being part of the OBIS community means we can contribute to a truly global ocean data ecosystem while representing the interests of the sub-Saharan African region, as well as the Global South perspective that was missing for a long time. Beyond representing my own Node, I am representing the aspirations and the work of many scientists across Africa whom I may never meet, but whose data carries the weight of their commitment to marine and biodiversity conservation.


What is on AfrOBIS’s horizon for the coming years?

Tshikana Rasehlomi: Several priorities. We will integrate the new fisheries and naval acoustic and other operational oceanography datasets, adopt JupyterHub in line with what OBIS is doing to support reproducible data work, and roll out map-based spatial discovery tools and dashboards for decision-makers and policymakers across the region. And, very importantly, we will continue to support more African nations in managing their own data, so that more of it flows through AfrOBIS and into OBIS.


Last question: if you had a magic wand and could change one thing about marine biodiversity data in Africa, what would it be?

Tshikana Rasehlomi: A cultural mindset shift: from data ownership to data stewardship. Breaking down data silos, improving institutional willingness to share, and securing the funding needed to digitize historical records, so we can finally unlock the continent’s ocean economic potential. ◼️


→ Explore all AfrOBIS’s data here.
→ Find more info about what an OBIS Node is and how to become an OBIS Node, see https://manual.obis.org/nodes.html#obis-nodes

Chloe Figueroa: OBIS UK is based at the Marine Biological Association (MBA) in Plymouth, located next to the Plymouth Sound National Marine Park. The MBA itself was founded in 1884, and the OBIS UK Node has been based there since its inception in 2018. The Node has not been hosted by another organization. More precisely, the OBIS UK Node is part of the MBA Data Team, which also runs DASSH, the UK Archive for Marine Species and Habitats Data. Together, these infrastructures support the management and sharing of UK marine biodiversity data nationally and globally. The OBIS UK team is constituted of Dan Lear (Node manager and one of the Co-Chairs of the IODE Steering Group for OBIS), Ellen Jones (OBIS UK Data Officer), Kevin Paxman (OBIS UK Data Engineer), Jan Lietava (OBIS UK Junior Data Engineer), Emma Seal and myself.


How is the Node structured and funded?

Chloe Figueroa: There are eight people in the team, but not all posts are full-time. We have two Data Officers, one Senior Data Officer, a Data Manager, a Data Engineer, a Junior Data Engineer, a Strategic Project Manager, and the Head of Data and Information Technology. The team is co-funded by the UK’s Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA), the Scottish Government, and the UK Marine Environmental Data and Information Network (MEDIN). In addition, we also receive funding through projects and short-term contracts. At the moment, we are involved in two Horizon Europe projects, “Biodiversity Data for Digital Twins of the Ocean”(DTO-BioFlow) and “MARine COastal BiOdiversity Long-term Observations” (MARCO-BOLO). We also take part in shorter-term projects that come in on a more ad hoc basis, such as offshore wind data architecture mapping, facilitating the archival and publication of statutory monitoring data, supporting assessments and evaluations of marine enhancement mechanisms, and developing and delivering data management training. This support has enabled OBIS UK to develop its presence within the broader UK marine data landscape.


What motivated the creation of the OBIS UK Node?

Chloe Figueroa: OBIS UK has evolved from existing national infrastructures, particularly DASSH, which itself developed from the Marine Life Information Network, MarLIN. Before the creation of the Node, data from the United Kingdom would often remain within national systems, such as MarLIN. One of the main motivations behind the creation of OBIS UK was to ensure that data collected and managed at the national level could be shared on global platforms, such as OBIS and GBIF.

Emma Seal: There was also a broader desire within the UK marine data community to have a formal OBIS Node. Before OBIS UK existed, organizations such as the National Biodiversity Network (NBN) were already publishing marine biodiversity data to EurOBIS and GBIF, but this initiative was not coordinated through a dedicated national Node. We realized that we needed a more coherent and structured approach, where national marine biodiversity data contributions would be better integrated into the UK’s marine research ecosystem. The Marine Biological Association was encouraged to take on this coordination role, as it already had the mandate and infrastructure needed to operate at the national scale and a long-term commitment to sharing marine biodiversity knowledge.

Chloe Figueroa and Dan Lear at the OBIS booth during Living Data 2025 in Bogotá, Colombia. Photo: Marine Biological Association

How does OBIS UK sit within the UK marine research ecosystem today?

Chloe Figueroa: OBIS UK directly builds on the experience, connections, and visibility of the UK Archive for Marine Species and Habitats Data. Our existing involvement in different marine communities and groups, as well as word of mouth, helped the Node to become very well-connected. The Node is recognized by institutions and communities nationally for its capacity to bring national data to the global stage and push the publication of datasets to be shared, rather than simply leaving them archived and left unused.

Emma Seal: Many of our partners already understand the value of OBIS UK, as relationships have been built over time. Discussions are often more focused on resources and efficiency, for example, how accessing standardized data through OBIS can save time and costs.


Are there still marine biodiversity communities or troves of datasets in the UK that are not yet connected to OBIS UK?

Chloe Figueroa: Yes, definitely, there are still gaps. Our recent exercises to map national marine biodiversity data flows have highlighted instances where metadata is available, but the underlying datasets themselves are not yet accessible through OBIS UK. This indicates areas where data does not complete the full journey into our node. We are currently working on facilitating these final steps. Through our work with Defra and the Scottish Government, we have targets to engage with data providers in the industry and academic sectors, as historically these data have been less accessible.

Emma Seal: This is particularly true for citizen science, the importance of which is increasingly recognized in the UK. There are many smaller projects that are not yet connected to larger systems, and sometimes very few people know about them. But overall, connections to our Node are improving. More researchers and project leaders are becoming aware of where their data should go, and they are reaching out to us. The challenge is that these projects often do not have the funding to support the full data publication process.


How do you engage with the different national communities to bring their data into OBIS UK?

Chloe Figueroa: For citizen science, we have focused on outreach by developing a best practice guidance tool for data management, published in 2024, followed by a series of workshops to increase engagement. We also directly reach out to marine citizen science projects across the UK, asking what support they need to submit their data and helping them understand where their data should go. There is one citizen science initiative where we are more closely involved: The Rock Pool Project. We have recently been working with The Rock Pool Project and a wide range of stakeholders in the UK marine citizen science space on a project funded by Natural England, which involves building out resources and platforms for the whole marine citizen science community. This work has included updates to the best practice guidance, a specific training portal with courses and resources, and a community space for exchange. As part of this, we are also involved in the development of the emerging UK marine citizen science network.

When it comes to data mobilization, whatever the community we are addressing, our approach is very straightforward: We want to reduce fragmentation and improve connections. Our engagement efforts with industry and academic groups follow that pattern of targeted support, guidance, and the establishment of clear, multi-step pathways for data integration.

Chloe Figueroa during her presentation "From Shore to Server: Connecting Marine Civic Science to Global Biodiversity Data through DASSH and OBIS UK" at Living Data 2025 in Bogotá, Colombia.

What motivates researchers to go through the standardization effort and the global publication process?

Chloe Figueroa: Data standardization and submission to global platforms are often not planned or funded within projects. In some cases, requirements are embedded into the project’s plan. For example, the Fisheries Industry Science Partnership—a scheme which supports data collection and research for sustainable fisheries management in the UK—as well as commercial wind farm development licensed through The Crown Estate, both require the creation of metadata records as part of their funding agreements.

So we had to develop a specific strategy to boost that motivation. We noticed that explaining to data holders the benefits of publishing to global platforms worked quite well! When they understand that standardization allows their data to be reused and visible, and that their work will be acknowledged, data holders are more prone to make the effort and go through the process of publishing through us. Impact is a strong motivation! This awareness is also a focus in our work with citizen science projects.


For OBIS UK, dealing with multiple data types from so many various sources must be a huge challenge. What strategies has the Node deployed to address that issue, especially when it comes to standardization?

Chloe Figueroa: It is a collaborative process. In most cases, data providers are expected to supply their data in a standardized format, either Darwin Core or the MEDIN format. If it is submitted in MEDIN format, we convert it into Darwin Core during ingestion. The actual challenge resides in getting the submitted data in a standardized format. We provide support through workshops and one-to-one guidance to help people prepare and format their data. Where capacity allows, we also offer data standardization services for a fee. Once we get the data standardized, we can carry out quality assurance, mint a DOI, and create metadata records, all free of charge. All these services we provide accelerate the transition from local data collection to global sharing.


Has OBIS data been used to support UK marine policy or reporting?

Emma Seal: OBIS UK is regularly used as a data source to support the UK Marine Strategy. Because we operate under Open Science principles, usage tracking can be challenging. Asking users how they use data can create barriers. But at the same time, improving our understanding of data use is essential, and it influences how we share the data.

OBIS UK staff serve on several UK panels and expert groups directly linked to the statutory monitoring of the UK marine environment. Our role is to provide guidance and training in data management and ensure the data collected through monitoring activities is archived and published to support effective governance and reporting under UK, European, and international obligations.


Is there a dataset or project within OBIS UK you are particularly proud of?

Chloe Figueroa: Our first eDNA dataset, which we ingested about two years ago. It included around 600,000 occurrences and significantly increased our total number of records. That dataset presented numerous technical challenges, particularly in formatting the data into Darwin Core. To me, this project perfectly illustrates OBIS UK’s involvement in contributing to advancing marine biodiversity data standards and technologies.

Emma Seal: From a project perspective, MARCO-BOLO stands out. It is a collaborative effort focused on improving data flow and integration across organizations. It reflects the broader work OBIS UK does across projects, strengthening systems and improving the quality and accessibility of data.


Do you collaborate with other OBIS Nodes, and what does being part of the OBIS community mean to you?

Chloe Figueroa: Historically, we worked closely with EurOBIS, as UK national data flowed through it before the creation of the OBIS UK Node. Now that our national data goes directly from OBIS UK to OBIS, we mostly work together with EurOBIS on solving legacy issues. We now collaborate with other OBIS Nodes through projects, like the MARCO-BOLO project that Emma cited. Beyond these collaborations, the links with the OBIS Community are crucial. Being part of the OBIS Coordination Groups, interacting with other Nodes on technical and governance issues, shows that many of the challenges we face are shared. That is reassuring and allows us to learn from each other. It also reinforces the feeling that our work is indeed part of a greater global effort, rather than something isolated to the UK.

The OBIS UK team doing a rock pool survey. Photo: Marine Biological Association

OBIS: What is on OBIS UK’s horizon?

Emma Seal: We have recently renewed our core funding with Defra and the Scottish Government for the next three years, alongside continued support from MEDIN. Our focus is now on continuing to strengthen collaborations, improving data flow and quality, and supporting the UK marine data community, including with citizen science. We are also extending our expertise to new sectors in the marine environment, such as offshore wind, for example.


If you could change one thing about marine biodiversity data in the UK, what would it be?

Chloe Figueroa: I would want everyone to know where data should go. The system is complex, with many organizations and pathways. If people understood that landscape better from the start, it would improve data flow significantly.

Emma Seal: I would like a better understanding of how data is used once they are shared. This would help improve tools and processes, and help us demonstrate the real impact of the data that we share.


→ Explore all OBIS UK’s data here.
→ Find more info about what an OBIS Node is and how to become an OBIS Node, see https://manual.obis.org/nodes.html#obis-nodes

The first Biodiversity Monitoring Week (BioMonWeek 2026), taking place in Montpellier, France, from 4 to 8 May, is a milestone for biodiversity monitoring in Europe. Co-organized by Biodiversa+, GBIF, MARCO-BOLO, BioAgora, and the Alliance for Nature, the event brings together over 400 participants across disciplines and realms. It’s designed as a recurring biennial conference with a specific focus on European monitoring needs and priorities, as well as a platform to promote collaboration, share best practices, and celebrate achievements.

OBIS is contributing to BioMonWeek through Horizon Europe’s MARCO-BOLO project, where the infrastructure is involved in Work Package 1 (Data and metadata standards for EOV data streams), Work Package 2 (Monitoring through eDNA), and co-leads Work Package 6 on stakeholder engagement. Supported by Lisa Benedetti (OBIS Stakeholder Engagement Officer), WP6 has contributed to shaping the marine biodiversity component of BioMonWeek, involving several members of the OBIS Community: Emilie Boulanger (OBIS eDNA Science Officer), Steve Formel (OBIS Data Officer), Dan Lear (OBIS Node Manager and OBIS SG Co-Chair), Pieter Provoost (OBIS Data Manager), and Elizabeth Lawrence (OBIS Training Officer, not present in person).

The OBIS contributions to BioMonWeek will focus on three main themes spread across workshops, sessions, presentations, and discussions:

- publishing marine data across networks;
- environmental DNA, from method to monitoring;
- building the marine biodiversity data infrastructure: tools, metadata, and derived products.

You will find below the MARCO BOLO / OBIS-contributed sessions at BioMonWeek, first organized thematically, then, at the end of the article, chronologically. You can follow the hashtag #BioMonWeek2026 on your favorite social media channels for live updates.

1- Publishing marine data across networks

DT08: Parallel Publishing to GBIF and OBIS: Streamlining Marine Biodiversity Data Sharing
A talk by Steve Formel, contributed by Elizabeth Lawrence.
Tuesday 5 May, 11:30-12:30
This talk features the best practices for publishing marine datasets simultaneously to OBIS and GBIF, with practical guidance on the IPT, WoRMS alignment, and harmonizing workflows across networks.

DT07: Standardizing and sharing survey and monitoring data through GBIF and OBIS
A session co-convened by Kate Ingenloff and Dan Lear.
Tuesday 5 May, 16:30-17:30, Room Joffre G.

MR12: Mobilizing marine biodiversity monitoring data
A session convened by Dan Lear.
Thursday 7 May, 11:30-12:30, Room Barthez.

2- Environmental DNA, from method to monitoring

MM01: Getting kick-started with eDNA-based methods
A workshop featuring Émilie Boulanger as the co-leader of a discussion table.
Tuesday 5 May, 16:30-18:00.

eDNAqua-Plan recommendations towards a future of federated, curated reference libraries and aligned eDNA (meta)data publishing infrastructure and practices
A poster by Émilie Boulanger, contributed by Katrina Exter, Joana Pauperio, Saara Suominen, Pieter Provoost, Frédéric Rimet, Antonio Picazo, Antonio Camacho, Camila Babo, Joana Verissimo, Veera Norros, Pascal Hablützel, Christina Pavloudi, Kristian Meissner, and Peter Woollard.
Tuesday 5 May, 15:30-16:30, poster session.
This poster presents the eDNAqua-Plan project’s recommendations and emerging blueprint for the curated reference systems and interoperable infrastructure needed to integrate eDNA into routine aquatic monitoring.

eDNA05: Conservation-related eDNA applications
A session convened by Émilie Boulanger.
Thursday 7 May, 09:00-10:00.

DT03: Environmental DNA survey data publication, management, and interoperability
A session co-convened by Birgit Gemeinholzer, Steve Formel, Pieter Provoost, and Rasa Bukontaite.
Thursday 7 May, 11:30-12:30, Room Sully 1.

3- Building the infrastructure: tools, metadata, and derived products

Understanding EBVs and EOVs
An interactive session co-convened by Lina Mtwana Nordlund, Guillaume Body, and Lisa Benedetti.
Tuesday 5 May, 16:30-18:00
This interactive session introduces Essential Ocean Variables (EOVs) and Essential Biodiversity Variables (EBVs) as key frameworks for monitoring ocean and biodiversity change. We will briefly present what EOVs and EBVs are, how they are used, and why they matter for observation, assessment, and decision-making. The session will then explore where these frameworks potentially overlap, how they complement and reinforce each other, and how closer alignment can strengthen biodiversity monitoring across marine systems. The session concludes with facilitated discussions to exchange perspectives, experiences, and ideas for improved integration.

DT05: Tools for data use, curation, and management

A session co-convened by Andrew Rodrigues, Dan Lear, and Wouter Addink
This session includes a presentation by Dan Lear on Tools and resources for the marine biodiversity community, powered by EMODnet Biology, contributed by Joana Beja, Leen Vandepitte, Tobias Büring, Benjamin Weigel, Marina Lipizer, Bart Vanhoorne, and the EMODnet Biology consortium, showcasing fifteen years of EMODnet Biology services, including the BioCheck quality control tool, two R packages for data access, and freely available training materials. Wednesday 6 May, 09:00-11:00, Room Sully 2.

DT02: Data Workflows and Pipelines for WorkFlowHub
A session co-convened by Sandra MacFadyen and Steve Formel, including the presentation A Dream of a Lean Marine Metadata Machine by Steve Formel, contributed by Dan Lear, Pier Luigi Buttigieg, Katrina Exter, Chloe Figueroa, Paolo Tagliolato, and Pieter Provoost.
Wednesday 6 May, 11:30-12:30, Room Sully 2.
This talk presents MARCO-BOLO WP 1’s experimental metadata catalogue, built on LinkML and free infrastructure, exploring how rich and reusable biodiversity metadata can become.

PP05: The landscape of EU monitoring projects
A cluster event including the flash talk Barriers to FAIR and the MARCO-BOLO Approach by Dan Lear.
Wednesday 6 May, 11:30-12:30, Room Sully 2.

DT11: How to handle derived data products and outputs for EBVs and EOVs
A session co-convened by Wiebke Pressé, Dan Lear, Guillaume Body, and Steve Formel. Wednesday 6 May, 16:30-17:30, Room Sully 2.

The OBIS contributions at BioMOnWeek at a glance

Tuesday 5 May
11:30-12:30 | DT08 | Parallel Publishing to GBIF and OBIS: Streamlining Marine Biodiversity Data Sharing
15:30-16:30 | Poster session | eDNAqua-Plan recommendations towards a future of federated, curated reference libraries and aligned eDNA (meta)data publishing infrastructure and practices
16:30-17:30 | DT07, Room Joffre G | Standardizing and sharing survey and monitoring data through GBIF and OBIS
16:30-18:00 | MM01 Workshop | Getting kick-started with eDNA-based methods
16:30-18:00 | MM02 Workshop | Understanding EBVs and EOVs

Wednesday 6 May
09:00-11:00 | DT05, Room Sully 2 | Tools for data use, curation, and management
11:30-12:30 | DT02, Room Sully 2 | Data Workflows and Pipelines for WorkFlowHub
11:30-12:30 | PP05 Cluster Event, Room Sully 2 | The landscape of EU monitoring projects
16:30-17:30 | DT11, Room Sully 2 | How to handle derived data products and outputs for EBVs and EOVs

Thursday 7 May
09:00-10:00 | eDNA05 | Conservation-related eDNA applications
11:30-12:30 | DT03, Room Sully 1 | Environmental DNA survey data publication, management and interoperability
11:30-12:30 | MR12, Room Barthez | Mobilizing marine biodiversity monitoring data

Dr Hashim Manjebrayakath: We are delighted to be here! IndOBIS is the OBIS Node for the Indian Ocean, hosted at the Center for Marine Living Resources and Ecology (CMLRE) under the Ministry of Earth Sciences, which is our funder. The Node office and our data infrastructure are located in Kochi, Kerala, on the southwestern coast of India. We are currently two staff members: Johnny, who is the IndOBIS data manager and has been at that post since 2017, and I, the Node manager, directly attached to the Ministry of Earth Sciences. IndOBIS’s role is mainly to aggregate data from a wide range of providers, with a strong focus on ministry-funded projects. We standardize these datasets and publish them into OBIS, to make that data globally accessible.

Johnny Konjarla: Maybe I can add a bit of historical context to complete that picture! Back in the early 2000’s, IndOBIS started as part of the Census of Marine Life. After the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO integrated OBIS, our Node moved to CMLRE, directly translating a shift in India’s strategic priorities in marine management and conservation. Then, in 2022, building on this foundation, IndOBIS, like most OBIS nodes, officially became an Associate Data Unit (ADU) under the International Oceanographic Data and Information Exchange (IODE) program of IOC. We collaborate closely with India’s IODE National Oceanographic Data Center (NODC), hosted at the Indian National Center for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS), which serves as India’s official repository for national oceanographic data. Both CMLRE and INCOIS operate under the Ministry of Earth Sciences.

Aerial view of the Centre for Marine Living Resources and Ecology (CMLRE), Kochi, India, host institution of IndOBIS and a national centre for marine biodiversity research.
Photo: CMLRE

What drove the creation of IndOBIS?

Dr Hashim Manjebrayakath: India is a very large ocean-facing country, with a coastline of over 11,000 km and a 2.3 million square kilometers of Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). Each year, India runs hundreds of marine-related scientific projects across different ministries. Before the creation of IndOBIS, and especially in the pre-digital era, this resulted in major data silos, with marine information being scattered across many institutions and locked there. One major driver to create IndOBIS was to completely reorganize the national marine data landscape and streamline the many data flows into a clear pathway, under the common objective to make that data accessible to all.

Johnny Konjarla: A coordinated and well-structured marine biodiversity data landscape is fundamental for India. It reinforces our country’s capacity to contribute and play a significant role in global frameworks like the Convention on Biological Diversity and the BBNJ Agreement. It supports national data needs for ocean conservation and management, as well as the sustainable use of marine resources to sustain the development of our blue economy.


How does IndOBIS sit within the Indian marine research ecosystem today?

Dr Hashim Manjebrayakath: IndOBIS operates in a complex ecosystem, with numerous and very diverse sources producing data on marine life. Beyond the state-funded projects we already talked about, universities and research institutions also produce marine biodiversity data. We also try to aggregate local and traditional knowledge about marine species occurrences. Our efforts focus on getting all that data published globally into OBIS.


What are the biggest challenges regarding the marine biodiversity data landscape in India today?

Dr Hashim Manjebrayakath: There are many ongoing challenges. The country’s size, its long coastline, and the huge number of institutions involved in collecting marine biodiversity data make coordination a perpetual challenge. India aims to become a regional driver for marine biodiversity issues. To take up this role, we need to maintain our position at the forefront of marine data-related issues, from integrating emerging data types and including local and traditional knowledge into global data platforms to promoting the ownership of data providers, especially in the case of local and traditional knowledge. We are deploying efforts to aggregate this crucial source of biodiversity information that enriches scientific observations. A good example is the mudbank phenomenon that can be observed in Kerala, where specific coastal areas attract large fish aggregations at very particular times of year. This is localized ecological knowledge with a clear scientific basis, but it currently sits outside data collection pipelines. Capturing this kind of knowledge, in all its diversity, and making it interoperable with global standards, is one of our key challenges.

Johnny Konjarla: We need both technical solutions and a cultural shift towards open and standardized data practices. We need to strengthen our efforts in reducing data fragmentation at local and national levels, and increasing the adoption of recognized data standards by data providers. Additionally, some providers still show reluctance to share their data, and, in some cases, will only do so based on personal relationships rather than national efforts. We need to maintain our efforts in explaining the benefits of data sharing, especially addressing the specific ownership and recognition issues.

FORV Sagar Sampada, a multidisciplinary fisheries and oceanographic research vessel managed by CMLRE, supports marine biodiversity surveys and oceanographic research across the Indian Ocean.
Photo: CMLRE

How do you incentivize local data holders, whether they are researchers or communities, to publish their data through IndOBIS?

Dr Hashim Manjebrayakath: Initially, we worked primarily with projects that were funded by the Ministry of Earth Science. We required systematic data sharing and publication to OBIS through IndOBIS. That initial engagement served as our starting point for broader collaboration with the research community. We used it as a positive example to get more contributors on board. We organized dozens of workshops across India focusing on the benefits of data sharing. One of the key points was to explain that publishing to OBIS maintains data ownership while increasing recognition for data providers and their hosting institutions.

There is also a more formal channel that brings data to IndOBIS. When researchers publish a new species or a new record, they are required to deposit a type specimen, such as a paratype or a holotype, at a nationally or internationally recognized referral center, like CMLRE. Many researchers now voluntarily deposit their physical samples at our referral center and share their associated data through IndOBIS. It is almost a natural pairing: the specimens stay with us, and the associated data becomes globally accessible through OBIS.

Johnny Konjarla: Because of the size of our country and the diversity of the potential data providers, we had to deploy several approaches. We organized capacity-building workshops online and in person, but we also participated in conferences and outreach events across the country. These efforts were crucial to create trust bonds with entire communities and increase the visibility of IndOBIS. All of that engagement increased contributions: IndOBIS published 1,14,000 records, with 10,000 added in the last three years.

We mainly position ourselves as facilitators, supporting researchers to mobilize and publish their data on OBIS. We have developed dedicated, streamlined technical processes to help them format and curate their data to make it fit for publication. We also realized that rather than imposing strict requirements, focusing on showing the value of data sharing yielded better results: We encourage researchers to publish their scientific results first and then share their datasets with us afterward. And we are now concentrating our efforts on data from emerging observation techniques, such as environmental DNA, which brings its own challenges.

The snowflake moray eel, Echidna nebulosa, documented during underwater biodiversity surveys in Lakshadweep Islands during 2018.
Photo: CMLRE

Do you still have local communities in India you have not yet connected with?

Dr Hashim Manjebrayakath: Thanks to our efforts, we covered a lot of the public scientific communities. We are now focusing on Non-Governmental Organizations working in the marine field in India, and on data generated through citizen science initiatives. This is part of our Node’s priorities. We recently organized a student workshop with theoretical sessions and field work focusing on OceanEyes, an Indian app gathering marine life observations from citizens.


Could you tell us more about Ocean Eyes and how IndOBIS is involved?

Johnny Konjarla: Absolutely! Ocean Eyes is a citizen science mobile application we developed to document marine biodiversity across India. The idea originated with our former node manager, Saravanane Narayanane. Our team was closely involved in conceptualizing and designing the application. The principle is very straightforward: Users record observations through photos or videos, and add metadata such as location or habitat. A team of taxonomic experts curates all the collected data before publishing it to OBIS.

We just published a paper about the app and what it means for marine life observations in India. Our idea is to enable anyone in India to contribute marine life observations through a simple and accessible platform. Given the scale and diversity of the country, we aim to make the application more inclusive and user-friendly. This includes plans to integrate AI-assisted species identification and support for additional languages to broaden participation. Citizen science is extremely important for the vast country that is India. Traditional marine surveys alone cannot cover all our scientific needs. Educating and engaging citizens about the need for ocean biodiversity observations will eventually enable more data publication. These efforts also give people a sense of ownership and involvement, while raising awareness about marine conservation.

Screenshots of the landing page and home page of the OceanEyes app.
Image: OceanEyes

Let’s shift away from the citizens’ perspective to focus on authorities and decision-makers: how was IndOBIS data used to support Indian marine policy or reporting?

Dr Hashim Manjebrayakath: IndOBIS data is directly used to answer parliamentary questions. Members of the Parliament send us explicit questions related to marine life, conservation, or management, and IndOBIS is bound to respond. This places our Node firmly within India’s policy-making process, as a direct source of national decisions.

IndOBIS data also feeds into the Indian Deep Ocean Mission, a major national program with a total value of over US$450 million. One of its core sections is dedicated specifically to marine biodiversity data generation, and IndOBIS contributes directly to it. And of course, we are also actively involved in processes related to the BBNJ.


Is there a dataset or project within IndOBIS that you are particularly proud of?

Dr Hashim Manjebrayakath: I’m proud of a collective effort: the data mobilization that we achieved, with contributions from many different sources across India. It is not only the work of the IndOBIS Node Manager or Data Manager. It’s a national effort, uniting communities, institutions, and regions.

Johnny Konjarla: From my perspective as Data Manager, there are a few datasets standing out. My first dataset, which I standardized from our in-house program, the Resource Exploration and Inventorisation System, and published into OBIS, was an important milestone for me. Then, a DNA-derived dataset of Kogia breviceps. It consists of only a single record, but it has significant value because I felt I could handle diverse and emerging data types, such as molecular and eDNA data, within the IndOBIS framework. Again, a huge milestone. Finally, I would like to highlight the Ocean Eyes project as something I am very proud of.


Do you collaborate with other OBIS nodes, and what does being part of the OBIS community mean to you?

Johnny Konjarla: Through the different OBIS coordination groups, we have had the opportunity to interact with many nodes. We have discussed common challenges and shared best practices. Being part of the OBIS community is invaluable: it allows for this exchange and helps us improve our work.

Dr Hashim Manjebrayakath: We would very much like to strengthen collaboration, especially within the Indian Ocean region. We are ready to support other Nodes, whether technically or to help address training needs. We are keen to develop more direct, Node-to-Node collaborations. We also consider how IndOBIS could act as a Node for countries of the Indian Ocean Rim Association, drastically increasing local data contributions from the region to the world.


What other plans are on IndOBIS’s horizon?

Dr Hashim Manjebrayakath: We are preparing our next development stage. In India, ministry-led initiatives such as IndOBIS undergo funding and planning cycles that are five years long. For the next cycle, which starts in September 2026, we have set new ambitions for IndOBIS. We aim to better align with national marine priorities by expanding our activities and strengthening data mobilization across the country. To achieve that, we will increase our task force and capacity. Expanding the team is a priority!


Last question: If you had a magic wand and could change one thing about marine biodiversity data in India, what would it be?

Dr Hashim Manjebrayakath: I would make it so that every single piece of biodiversity data generated in India would be known to IndOBIS. That would be fantastic!

Johnny Konjarla: I would systematically include data sharing as part of the requirement for research funding. Every project would include a clear data management plan from the proposal stage, specifying how and when data will be shared. I would also make sure that funding agencies ensure accountability by linking data submission to project outcomes. All of this for the common good, to significantly improve data accessibility, reuse, and overall impact. ◼️

The challenge of making long-term marine biodiversity data accessible

Long-term ecological datasets on the scale of the CalCOFI Fish Larvae & Egg Tows are scientifically invaluable because they provide the historical baselines needed to understand how marine ecosystems respond to environmental change. But such datasets remain rare. Although fisheries institutions worldwide hold some of the richest long-term marine life data ever collected, much of this information can be difficult to discover and access due to limited publishing capacity, lack of standardization, institutional dependence, or reluctance to share material that could be commercially sensitive. Before its integration into OBIS, the CalCOFI fish larvae and egg data was openly accessible, but needed to be further standardized to be findable, interoperable, and reusable by all.

“We discussed with the GOOS team on using CalCOFI’s marine biodiversity datasets as a blueprint for integrating long-term observing data within the Essential Ocean Variables framework,” explains Erin Satterthwaite, CalCOFI Coordinator, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego. “We chose that specific larval fish dataset because it is one of the longest-running in the program.” With its decades of richly detailed records, the CalCOFI Fish Larvae & Egg Tows dataset was a natural fit for supporting the Fish Abundance and Distribution of the BioEco Essential Ocean Variables (BioEco EOVs).

A researcher sorting a sample collected from the Continuous Underway Fish Egg Sampler (CUFES). CUFES samples are collected during transits between CalCOFI stations to see which fish species are spawning throughout the CalCOFI survey pattern.
Photo: NOAA Fisheries / Angela Klemmedson

The first phase involved a collaboration with the Ocean Data and Information System (ODIS) to make the CalCOFI datasets findable online. “After that, we wanted to step up and have our data directly integrated into OBIS, to make it fully and globally FAIR,” says Erin Satterthwaite. Standardising, quality-checking, and transforming a long-term historical dataset containing more than 400,000 occurrences into FAIR and trusted data is not a small task, especially when the goal is to create a reproducible publication workflow. “One of the huge challenges to solve remains to standardize formats, naming conventions, and structure across data spanning from the pre-digital to digital era, explains Erin Satterthwaite.

“That standardization process began with sorting the data and organizing it, with much of this groundwork done by Ed Weber, data manager at NOAA,” explains Ben Best, marine data scientist at Ocean Metrics LLC (formerly EcoQuants LLC). “From that point on, we could focus on restructuring the data to streamline the standardization process.” Originally, the dataset had a hierarchical sampling structure nested across several levels: cruise, site (spatial coordinates), tow (time), net, and, finally, individual species observations. To make the data more usable, the team restructured it into two main event levels in Darwin Core: Cruise-level Events, to capture the overall sampling context; and Net Sample Events, representing the individual sampling actions at specific locations and times. The team then used the ExtendedMeasurementOrFact (eMoF) extension of Darwin Core to attach additional measurements and contextual information, and built a standardized vocabulary to describe the observed fish egg and larva stages. At that stage, the dataset was ready to be published into OBIS.

Overview of the data structure reorganization.

Beyond the dataset itself, the publication process of CalCOFI Fish Larvae & Egg Tows offers a reproducible path for turning biodiversity data held institutionally into globally accessible information. “From the start, we wanted this publication process to OBIS to be a template that could be applied to other use cases,” says Erin Satterthwaite. “We wanted to provide a clear pathway for how long-term datasets can contribute to EOVs and the Global Ocean Observing System. It was amazing to see what can happen when you get the right people working together: I am really grateful for the GOOS, OBIS, ODIS teams, and all the ones who helped us navigate that process.” The teams involved were tightly focused on a common objective: ensuring that these long-term observations could eventually be published for global use. “We really wanted to support the CalCOFI team to unleash the full potential of their data,” says Elizabeth Lawrence, OBIS Training Officer. “We brought into this project our know-how and experience in structuring Core tables and organizing nested Events.” The workflow, fully available through CalCOFI.io, is designed to be transparent, transposable, and reproducible, offering a ready-to-use path for other institutions looking to publish long-term biodiversity observations through OBIS.

More data to come

CalCOFI holds numerous long-term datasets on marine life from microbes to megafauna, such as seabirds, marine mammals, plankton, and eDNA data, which document biodiversity patterns and change in the California Current marine ecosystem. Many of these datasets could progressively be integrated into OBIS through a similar pipeline. There is also potential to link CalCOFI’s physical and biogeochemical data streams with its biological observations, creating an integrated long-term dataset that connects multiple components of the California Current ecosystem. “Getting CalCOFI datasets standardized and more broadly shared is a bellwether for how science is changing, explains Steve Formel, OBIS Data Officer. “AI tools and global models are only as good as the data they rely on. This is exactly what platforms like OBIS and standards like Darwin Core were built for.”

“No single institution can build the integrated global picture we need,” explains Ana Lara-Lopez, Lead Science Officer for the GOOS Biology and Ecosystems Expert Panel. “But combining observations, long-term records, and a shared commitment to open, standardized FAIR data allows us to move closer to a system that is greater than the sum of its parts. This is exactly the vision the EOV framework was built for.” The successful integration of the CalCOFI Fish Larvae & Egg Tows dataset into OBIS illustrates the value of the global marine biodiversity data chain in two important ways. First, it highlights the role of global data platforms in integrating and making large local datasets accessible to all. Second, it shows how sustained collaboration can transform locally-stored observations into standardized global information that supports research, modeling, global biodiversity frameworks, national assessment and reports, marine management, and ocean conservation. This achievement by CalCOFI, GOOS, and OBIS demonstrates how collaboration enables complex, but essential, marine life data to become available to all. ◼️

The MACCIMO project—Multi-level Approaches to Assess Climate Change Impact on Marine Organisms—investigates how climate change affects sessile marine invertebrates through a multipronged strategy that integrates multiple scientific approaches. This project was funded by the Hellenic Foundation for Research and Innovation (HFRI) under the “2nd Call for HFRI Research Projects to support Faculty Members & Researchers” (Project Number: 3280). Sessile marine invertebrates are particularly sensitive to climate-related stressors due to their limited mobility and their inability to escape adverse environmental conditions. As part of experimentally simulated climate change scenarios, one of the project’s aims was to investigate potential morphological changes in two species: the chicken-liver sponge (Chondrilla nucula, a sessile sponge permanently attached to the substrate) and the banded dye-murex (Hexaplex trunculus, a medium-sized, low mobility sea snail historically famous for its use in creating purple and blue dyes). By examining how the morphology of these species responds to simulated climate stressors, the project aims to identify traits that can serve as indicators of environmental change.

To conduct these investigations, the project’s team performed three-dimensional analyses using micro-Computed Tomographic (micro-CT) scans. Microtomography is a non-destructive imaging technique based on X-Rays, allowing the creation of high-resolution three-dimensional data. Once generated, these 3D datasets had to be prepared and organised for publication. Making such observations available as open, interoperable data upgrades their actionability: standardised 3D morphological records can be compared, combined with data from other institutions, and reused globally. “From the start, we aimed to make the image data of the project available and accessible to all,” says Dimitra Mavraki, MedOBIS Node Manager. The process was a first for the team and required creative thinking.

The MedOBIS team first focused on understanding micro-computed tomography and the data associated with that imaging technology. The team approached Darwin Core compliance using a hierarchical schema, starting with the sampling data and curation process data. “We used an Event core, where the parent event represents the sampling event, and a child event represents the documentation of specimens in the internal micro-CT library. Each specimen was then represented through an Occurrence extension linked to these events,” says Dimitra Mavraki. She goes on to explain that the team’s goal was to publish the quantitative outputs derived from micro-CT analyses alongside the biological occurrences, so they had to capture the micro-CT–derived parameters using the extended MeasurementOrFact (eMoF) extension. Using the eMoF extension allowed them to express each derived measurement in a standard, machine-readable manner while remaining within Darwin Core standards.

Additionally, the team mobilized persistent internal micro-CT library identifiers to maintain traceability and consistency across systems, where the parentEventID reflects the event type “Sample Documentation”, while the eventID reflects the scan event type “MicroCT_Scan.” Each ID is included in both the eventID and occurrenceID names. Finally, the MedOBIS team applied the OBIS Quality Assessment and Quality Control steps before publishing.

Overview of the event hierarchy through the publishing process.

Working hands-on with micro-CT data helped MedOBIS to highlight several challenges in data curation and management. Unlike with biodiversity data, micro-CT datasets still lack widely adopted metadata standards. In addition, their large file sizes make data organization and long-term storage more demanding. For this reason, the actual micro-CT image files are not uploaded directly to OBIS. Instead, within the OBIS dataset, these 3D resources are referenced by maintaining the relevant micro-CT identifiers (SampleID/ScanID) in the eventID field to ensure consistency at this stage. The long-term objective of MedOBIS is to link these 3D resources directly through their URLs.

3D volume rendering of Marphysa victori

Yet, this milestone felt like a natural step forward. “Micro-CT technology has been used at the Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, the Institution hosting MedOBIS, for many years,” says Dimitra Mavraki. “We knew that the technology had the potential to enrich the datasets we publish, and create new opportunities for research, comparison, education, and future technological applications”. She explains that until now, such scans were hosted in a dedicated online platform featuring a collection of annotated 3D specimens that users can explore interactively. Bringing these resources to MedOBIS opens new possibilities for connecting morphological research with global biodiversity data networks and sharing it with the world.

The team sees this first publication as a proof-of-concept for micro-CT specimen imaging within OBIS, successfully demonstrating that imaging-derived outputs can be standardized and made FAIR. Their new objective? Automate and scale the process to publish into OBIS all the specimens entering the micro-CT library of the Hellenic Centre for Marine Research. When asked if she has advice for OBIS Nodes who want to explore new data formats, Dimitra has no hesitation: “Explore new data types, even if stepping into unfamiliar territory can be challenging. It is incredibly rewarding. Working with new kinds of data pushes us to think differently, collaborate more closely, and develop solutions that benefit the wider scientific community. In the end, these efforts not only advance our infrastructures but also make our work more meaningful and impactful,” she concludes. ◼️