1. WWW.GBIF.ORG GLOBAL BIODIVERSITY INFORMATION FACILITY (GBIF)
Open Access to Scientific Information on Biological Diversity
Christoph L. Häuser
GBIF Governing Board, Chair IABIN Council meeting April 2005

2. What is GBIF ?
GBIF is an international network of participant data holders dedicated to:
Making the world’s biodiversity data freely and universally available via the Internet
Sharing primary scientific biodiversity data to benefit society, science and a sustainable future

3. What is GBIF ?
GBIF is an international scientific co-operative project based on a multilateral agreement (MoU) between countries, economies and international organisations, dedicated to:
establishing an interoperable, distributed network of databases containing scientific biodiversity information
with initial focus on species- and specimen-level data,
with links to molecular, genetic and ecosystems levels

4. GBIF status (1) Came into existence in March 2001
Currently has 74 members (46 countries, 28 international organisations)
26 countries support GBIF financially (Voting Participants)
20 countries and 28 organisations as Associate Participants (e.g., IABIN, BioNet, IUCN, UNEP)

5. GBIF status (2)
As of 15 March 2005, its data portal ( served >65 million specimen and observation records from >70 data providers
Hope to serve 100 million records by 12/05
Portal also has more than 600,000 species names provided by more than 25 names providers

10. Species: Lithocarpus celebica Rehder (Fagaceae)
(plus 21 other records)

11. How to join GBIF
Find Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the GBIF website:
Send letter of intent to Chair of the Governing Board
Sign and send MoU and establish GBIF node
Arrange payment of annual contribution (for Voting Participation)
If an individual or institution, participate in GBIF through your country’s node or a node of one of the Associate Participants

12. How to contact GBIF Web site: www.gbif.org GBIF Secretariat
Universitetsparken Copenhagen Denmark
Phone:
Fax:
New GBIF Secretariat headquarters, supported by grant from Aage V. Jensens Fonde