Summary Report on the Experts
Meeting on
Implementation of a
Global Invasive Species Information Network (GISIN)
6-8 April, 2004,
Introduction
The experts
meeting on implementation of a Global Invasive Species Information Network
(GISIN) was held 6-8 April 2004 in
Participants
in the meeting represented a truly global community, representing numerous
governmental, non-governmental, private, academic, and non-profit
organizations. The participants consisted of experts in various biological
disciplines associated with invasive species as well as experts in information
management, Internet, and database technology. The goal of the meeting was to
discuss and facilitate the creation of common gateways to search and compare
invasive species information from around the globe, and to create an
organization to further this goal.
Meeting Process and Products
In the
months leading up to the meeting, pre-meeting discussion and resource sharing
among participants was facilitated by the creation of an online community – the
GISIN Community, hosted by the National Biological Information Infrastructure
(NBII) at <http://my.nbii.gov/>. It allowed members to initiate
discussion, share documents and other resources, and generally collaborate on
issues related to IAS information management and implementation of a GISIN.
A review of
online IAS databases and information systems was conducted prior to the
meeting, and resulted in the identification of approximately 150 online
resources representing potential collaborators and information sources on which
a GISIN might be built (Sellers, 2004). Over 80 general biodiversity databases,
or information systems lacking either a specific IAS focus, or lacking
information on / indication of IAS records were also identified during the
research for this review, as being information sources of equal importance in
the future implementation of a GISIN. These lists of online information
resources will continue to be maintained by the NBII with the future aim of
cataloging the information more fully.
The results
of the online IAS databases and information systems review were used to design
four surveys for assessing the IAS information needs and priorities of the GISIN
members. Issues raised by GISIN members in online discussion forums were also
considered in the design and focus of the survey questions. The surveys
analyzed the content and development of online and offline electronic invasive
species databases, data sets, or distributed database systems (DDS). A fourth
survey allowed respondents to evaluate the three other surveys. The results of
these surveys were presented to the GISIN participants during the meeting, and
will be reported in the proceedings of the meeting (Curd-Hetrick, 2004).
The agenda
for the GISIN meeting included presentations from representatives of 11
databases or information systems covering theoretical, centralized and
distributed approaches to serving IAS information online. Each day, participants
divided into four formal breakout groups to discuss theoretical, practical,
organizational, and capacity-building issues relating to the implementation of
a GISIN. A draft GISIN Organizational Framework document (Simpson, 2004) was
developed prior to the meeting and reviewed by the Financial and Organizational
Framework breakout group during their discussions. A fifth group of
participants, mainly representing organizations and information systems within
the realm of aquatic IAS gathered on the second day of the meeting to discuss
collaboration and information sharing with NISbase, an international nonindigenous
species database network developed by the Smithsonian Environmental Research
Center (SERC) and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Florida Integrated Science
Center. There were numerous breakout group discussions and many, many
individual discussions that occurred over the course of the three-day
symposium. Many GISIN participants reported the initiation of promising
partnerships and agreements with other organizations and information systems
that had resulted from their participation in the meeting.
Proceedings
from the meeting are currently in production with release of the final version
scheduled for late June, 2004. The list of IAS databases, edited semi-verbatim
transcripts and accompanying presentation materials, breakout group reports and
transcripts, photographs taken at the meeting, and other resources are
currently available for participants to access through the GISIN online
Community. Several documents related to the meeting are also available for general
access on a temporary Web page at <http://invasivespecies.nbii.gov/as/gisin.htm>.
With a view
to securing the future development of a GISIN, a six member interim Steering
Committee (iSC) was selected during the meeting. The GISIN iSC is currently
preparing the Baltimore Declaration,
which represents the general understanding, goals, and agreements of the GISIN
participants. This declaration is scheduled for release in late May 2004.
Key Points and Highlights
• A review of online IAS database and
information systems was conducted prior to the meeting, and resulted in the
identification of over 150 online resources representing potential
collaborators and information sources on which a GISIN might be built (Sellers,
2004). The National Biological Information Infrastructure has continued to
develop this list, which now includes a total of 202 online information
sources.
• Various technologies described,
demonstrated, and discussed by participants at the meeting presented the very
real possibility for implementation of a GISIN within the immediate future,
with the acknowledgement of existing information systems as the initial
building blocks. These technologies included Web Services, XML and HTML for
translation and presentation of data on the Internet, transport protocols such
as DiGIR, registries and gazetteers, language translation tools, and database
structures.
• Members of the Inter-American
Biodiversity Information Network (IABIN) Invasives Information Network (I3N)
project presented their experiences in implementing catalogs of IAS, experts,
and research projects in
• A relatively simple distributed approach
has been undertaken by SERC and USGS in their design of the NISbase
(Non-Indigenous Species Database Portal) system for fisheries data. With
collaborator contacts made at the GISIN meeting, NISbase intends to expand its
scope beyond its initial focus of marine and aquatic non-indigenous species. This
effort holds promise as a simple approach to allowing searches of multiple
databases through a single database Internet portal.
• Representatives from
• National database systems from
• A key finding of the symposium is
that invasive species databases are in fact datasets about native species as
well – every alien or non-native organism is native somewhere. Coordination is
not just needed among IAS databases, but among native biodiversity datasets,
too. The information contained in numerous global and nationally-focused
biodiversity databases constitute resources equal in value to those containing
IAS information, with respect to IAS risk assessment, identification,
management, control, and the implementation of a GISIN. This suggests that both
the format and, in many cases, the information, already exists to assist other
nations in anticipating and managing potentially invasive species.
• The greatest communication barrier
among this international group was not language per se, but vocabulary. The
importance of the use of multiple languages in IAS databases should not be
minimized. European and Asian projects appear to have addressed this better
than North American datasets. However, it was clear from presentations and
discussion sessions that biologists and data experts generally have different
approaches and have distinctly different lexicons for
addressing invasive species issues.
• Invasive species database efforts are
almost universally and chronically underfinanced. The resources available for
addressing invasive species are always small relative to the impacts of
invasive species on ecosystems and economies, and are a fraction of what is
needed. This is most apparent in monitoring and research, and less so in
management.
• Insufficient taxonomic expertise was
a limiting factor in the development of all of these systems. This was of
greatest impact on terrestrial systems, although marine invertebrates are also
poorly known.
• A uniform approach to taxonomy is a
necessity. It appears that the Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS)
is the standard of choice among the participants and is viewed as a system that
is structured to have general application to nomenclature. It is not the only
standard, however.
• Linking species information to
on-line taxonomic keys may be a very effective starting point for addressing
the dearth of taxonomic expertise. The DiscoverLife identification system and
related reporting and mapping tools were demonstrated as a possible component
of the GISIN.
• An “expert database” is simply a list
of contact information for individuals with expertise on invasive species for
specific geographic regions or taxa. Such a database has been in place for the
Baltic Region for over ten years. The largest cost related to an expert
database is its maintenance.
• The organizational structure and
possible affiliation(s) of the GISIN was a main point for discussion in one of
the four breakout groups. The group analyzed and suggested modifications for a
draft GISIN Organizational Framework document (Simpson, 2004). Several
organizations were proposed as potential affiliates and will be considered by
the GISIN iSC during their development of a work plan, including the IUCN
Invasive Species Specialist Group, the Global Invasive Species Programme, the
Global Biodiversity Information Facility, GloBallast, and others.
• International treaty organizations,
particularly the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the International
Plant Protection Convention (IPPC), are likely to be key players in the
implementation of a genuinely global invasive species information network.
Conclusion
Participants
completed a survey at the close of the meeting to evaluate their experiences.
Thirty-eight completed surveys submitted by the participants indicated an
overall successful meeting with the vast majority reporting that they had
gained valuable knowledge and that their time at the meeting was well spent.
Most participants indicated that they would attend any future gatherings
related to the implementation of a GISIN, and several inquired as to the date
and plans for the next meeting.
Many GISIN
participants reported the initiation of promising partnerships and agreements
with other organizations and information systems that had resulted from their
participation in the meeting. Some indicated that they had come to the meeting
with no plans or ideas for how to initiate the creation of a database for their
nation or region, but that as a result of the meeting they now had many ideas
to take home with them, an increased awareness of other activities occurring
around the globe, and an appreciation for the presence of a network of
professionals willing to support each in their efforts to combat IAS through
information management. Those attending the meeting that represented systems in
advanced stages of development also reported gaining new perspectives and ideas
for the continued development of their systems, and an increased awareness of
the valuable resources they may be able to offer to others in the form of
expertise, data and technology.
The GISIN iSC
is continuing the work towards the future development of a GISIN, and meeting
participants are encouraged to pursue their discussions and collaborations at
national and regional levels, and to report milestones and products resulting
from them back to the larger GISIN community. The GISIN online Community
continues to provide access to resources and a forum for online discussion in
support of international collaborative efforts among GISIN members. The very
nature of the threat posed by IAS has already highlighted a need for global
information sharing among both affected and as yet unaffected nations. The
GISIN will fulfill this need.
References
Curd-Hetrick, Shelaine. 2004. – DRAFT – GISIN Survey Results – Participants’ Information
Needs. Prepared for the Experts Meeting on Implementation of
a Global Invasive Species Information Network,
Sellers, Elizabeth. 2004. Databasing Invasions: A Review in the Context of the Global
Invasive Species Information Network (GISIN). Prepared for
the Experts Meeting on Implementation of a Global Invasive Species Information
Network,
Sellers, Elizabeth. 2004. - DRAFT - List of Invasive Alien Species (IAS) Online
Databases and Databases Containing IAS Information: A preliminary draft
document, prepared for the Experts Meeting Towards the
Implementation of a Global Invasive Species Information Network (GISIN),
Simpson, Annie. 2004. GISIN draft
Framework Document for the Experts Meeting on Implementation of a Global
Invasive Species Information Network (GISIN): prepared by Annie Simpson for
discussion during the Financial and Organizational Framework Breakout Group at
the Experts Meeting on Implementation of a Global Invasive Species Information
Network,