Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)

The purpose of the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) is to make
the world's biodiversity data freely and universally available.

GBIF works cooperatively with and in support of several other international
organizations concerned with biodiversity. These include the Clearing House
Mechanism and the Global Taxonomic Initiative of the Convention on Biological
Diversity , and regional biodiversity information networks.

Functionally, GBIF encourages, coordinates and supports the development of
worldwide capacity to access the vast amount of biodiversity data held in
natural history museum collections, libraries and databanks. Near term GBIF
developments will focus on species and specimen-level data.

Technically, GBIF is evolving to be an interoperable network of biodiversity
databases and information technology tools using web services and Grid
technologies. In the near term, GBIF will provide a global metadata registry of
the available biodiversity data with open interfaces. Anyone can then use it to
construct their thematic portals and specialized search facilities. Building on
the contents of this registry, GBIF will provide its own central portal that
enables simultaneous queries against biodiversity databases worldwide. In the
long term, molecular, genetic, ecological and ecosystem level databases can be
linked to the system. These will facilitate and enable data mining of
unprecedented utility and scientific merit.

As its work programs progress, GBIF will enable users to navigate and put to
use the world's vast quantities of biodiversity information. This information
is vital to generating economic, environmental, social and scientific benefits
from the sustainable use, conservation and study of biodiversity resources.

Data URL: "http://www.gbif.org/"
Information taken from "http://www.gbif.org/"