Report prepared for the Experts Meeting Towards the Implementation of a Global Invasive Species
Information Network (GISIN), 6-8 April, 2004. Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
Page 46
8/30/2004
Lessons Learned
During the ten years of database
development, the team learned that it is
very important to establish a research and
administrative network that allows
researchers around a particular area to get
to know each other and communicate
regularly. Researchers should meet
periodically like the members of the Baltic
Sea Working Group, which is convened
every 3 to 5 months.
[Database] maintenance requires
committed personnel and resources
for the long term.
It is also very important to maintain a
reliable flow of information and a level of
quality control. The Baltic Sea Alien Species
Database developers give preference to
peer-reviewed papers because they
represent relatively reliable information. But
they are often also obliged to use data from
environmental reports and other sources
that may not be as reliable, so there must
be a filter in place. The retention of qualified
staff to develop and maintain the system
should also be a priority.
The Baltic Sea system was developed as a
project product, but there must be someone
tasked with maintaining the database on a
daily basis because there is a lot of new
information being gathered that must be
quickly processed and incorporated into the
database. This lesson, that maintenance
requires committed personnel and
resources for the long term, is applicable to
all regions developing databases on
invasive species.
1.
Established research & administrative
network
2.
Reliable flow of information and its
quality control
3.
Qualified staff to develop and maintain
the system
4.
Funds available
Lessons learned:
Lessons learned:
What is needed to create a
What is needed to create a
network of regional databases?
network of regional databases?
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