Download Proposal to Sloan Foundation

Proposal to Sloan Foundation
Development of a Formal Agreement of
collaboration between IOC and OBIS
Duration: 12 months
Start date: November 2008
Amount requested: US$ 45000
version 4.1
Peter Pissierssens & Edward Vanden Berghe, 7 October 2008
Development of a Formal Agreement of
collaboration between IOC and OBIS
Summary
The Ocean Biogeographic Information System (OBIS) is the data integration component
of the Census of Marine Life (CoML) and generally seen as one of the main legacies
from CoML. In 2010 the funding from the Sloan Foundation for the Census in general,
also for OBIS, will cease to exist. Sustainability of OBIS beyond 2010 has been
discussed during various meetings. One of the possible scenarios to make OBIS
sustainable is to transform it into a Programme of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic
Commission. The IOC Executive Secretary, at the first meeting of the OBIS Governing
Board (Rome, 28–29 April 2008), offered to provide an institutional framework for the
continuation of OBIS. The OBIS Governing Board welcomed the offer, but
recommended that this partnership should be further elaborated and a business model
be presented to the IOC Assembly for consideration at its 25th Session, in 2009. The
2008 IOC Executive Council (June/July 2008) recognized the importance and value of
CoML, the particular value of the OBIS component as a global repository for marine
biological data, and the potential of a second phase of OBIS to expand data in this vital
repository and to improve the interface for global access and exchange of marine
biological data. The Executive Council considered OBIS a highly attractive future
component or partner of IODE, and welcomed the wish of the OBIS Governing Board to
investigate different scenarios for a close affiliation between IOC and OBIS, or the
adoption of OBIS by the IOC. It requested the Executive Secretary and the IOC Data
and Information Management Advisory Group to work together with the OBIS Secretariat
to develop a document for submission to the 25th Session of the IOC Assembly in 2009.
The Executive Council considered that the document should describe possible scenarios
for collaboration between IOC and OBIS, concentrating on the possibility of the creation
of an IOC-OBIS Programme and an IOC–OBIS Programme Office. It should, for different
scenarios, investigate consequences for both IOC and OBIS, and should contain
estimates of budgetary implications, and involve consultations, as appropriate, with
potential donors and/or host organizations.
In order to investigate alternative scenarios, support is sought to facilitate the process
that will lead towards a Formal Agreement on collaboration between OBIS and IOC.
The support will be used to hire a consultant (including his travel and remuneration) and
to organize a meeting (including travel and per diem of participants). It is expected that
the Formal Agreement will be signed by OBIS and IOC by December 2009.
1. Background
1.1. The Ocean Biogeographic Information System (OBIS)
Often marine biological data are the result of projects with a limited temporal and spatial
cover. Taken in isolation, datasets resulting from these projects are only of limited use in
the interpretation of large scale phenomena. More specifically, they fail to inform on a
scale commensurate with the problems humankind is confronted with: global change,
invasive species, harmful algal blooms and the loss of biodiversity to name but a few.
Individual studies are restricted in the amount of data they can generate but, by
combining the results from many studies, massive databases can be created, making
possible analyses on a different scale. The Ocean Biogeographic Information System
(OBIS, http://www.iobis.org), the data integration component of the Census of Marine
Life (CoML, http://www.coml.org), is making large-scale marine biogeographical data
available to be used in unprecedented ways. It documents the diversity and distribution
of marine life through a network of linked databases. Integrating data from many
sources, it is ideally placed to inform decision makers on global environmental issues
that threaten the health of the world oceans and thus the safety of humankind.
Informed management of the environment has to be supported by data (Richardson &
Poloczanska, 20081; Stokstad, 20082). It is the ambition of the OBIS community to
provide a sound basis for management decisions, by facilitating publication of data, and
stimulating open and free access for all potential users. Indeed, OBIS is often mentioned
as the organisation best suited for this role (e.g. Poloczanska et al., 20083). The OBIS
data are made available to management and advisory agencies to facilitate production of
assessments and reports. Information and data products based on OBIS data are
produced on a regular basis and made available through the scientific literature and on
the OBIS web site.
Actions have been taken to achieve sustainability for OBIS: the governance structure
was changed. In order to better embed OBIS in the international scene, the International
Committee, basically composed of OBIS-friendly scientists, was replaced with a
Governing Board consisting of people who are well connected with international
organisations such as IOC, FAO and IUCN. Discussions have started to investigate how
we can form an alliance with the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission, and
how this would contribute to the long-term existence of OBIS.
1.2. The Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of
UNESCO (IOC)
The IOC was created in 1960 to promote international cooperation and coordinate
programmes in research, sustainable development, protection of the marine
environment, capacity-building for improved management, and decision-making. It
assists developing countries in strengthening their institutions to obtain self-driven
sustainability in marine sciences. On a regional level, it is coordinating the development
of tsunami early warning and mitigation systems in the Pacific, the Indian Ocean, the
North-eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean, and the Caribbean. It also facilitates
1
Richardson, A.J. & E. Poloczanska, 2008. Science 320: 1294.
Stokstad, E. 2008. Science 320: 1706-1707.
3
Poloczanska, E., A.J. Hobday & A.J. Richardson. 2008. Nature 453: 720.
2
interagency coordination through the UN-Oceans mechanism and works with the United
Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in establishing a process for global reporting
and assessment of the state of the marine environment. Through the Global Ocean
Observing System (GOOS)—the ocean component of the Global Climate Observing
System (GCOS)—the IOC helps improve operational oceanography, weather and
climate forecasts and monitoring and support the sustained observing needs of the UN
Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
1.2.1 IOC’s International Oceanographic Data and Information Exchange
Programme
The IOC’s International Oceanographic Data and Information Exchange (IODE) was
established in 1961 to enhance marine research, exploitation and development by
facilitating the exchange of oceanographic data and information between participating
Member States and by meeting the needs of users for data and information products.
The IODE system forms a worldwide service oriented network consisting of DNAs
(Designated National Agencies), NODCs (National Oceanographic Data Centres),
RNODCs (Responsible National Oceanographic Data Centres) and WDCs (World Data
Centres – Oceanography). During the past 40 years, IOC Member States have
established over 60 oceanographic data centres in as many countries.
The IODE network has been able to collect, control the quality of, and archive millions of
ocean observations, and makes these available to Member States. Whereas in the past
IODE data centres focused mainly on physical oceanography data, the IODE
Programme now gives attention to all ocean related data including physical
oceanography, chemical, biological, etc. IODE now closely collaborates with, and
services the needs of the other IOC and related programmes such as Ocean Sciences,
GOOS and the Joint WMO-IOC Technical Commission for Oceanography and Marine
Meteorology (JCOMM). Another major and long-term commitment of the IODE
Programme is the long-term accessibility and archival of oceanographic data, meta-data
and information to safeguard present and future holdings against loss or degradation.
With the advance of oceanography from a science dealing mostly with local processes to
one that is also studying ocean basin and global processes, researchers depend
critically on the availability of an international exchange system to provide data and
information from all available sources. Additionally, scientists studying local processes
benefit substantially from access to data collected by other Member States in their area
of interest. The economic benefit of obtaining data by exchange as opposed to collecting
it oneself is huge.
The main objectives of the IODE Programme are :
 to facilitate and promote the exchange of all marine data and information
including metadata, products and information in real-time, near real time and
delayed mode;
 to ensure the long term archival, management and services of all marine data
and information;
 to promote the use of international standards, and develop or help in the
development of standards and methods for the global exchange of marine data
and information, using the most appropriate information management and
information technology;
 to assist Member States to acquire the necessary capacity to manage marine
data and information and become partners in the IODE network; and

to support international scientific and operational marine programmes of IOC and
WMO and their sponsor organisations with advice and data management
services.
IODE undertakes activities at the global as well as regional level. The latter are mostly
capacity-building related and are implemented as Oceanographic Data and Information
Networks (ODINs) which have now been established in Africa, the Caribbean and South
America, Eastern Europe, the Western Pacific region and the Indian Ocean region.
1.2.2 IOC Project Office for IODE
The IODE Programme is managed by the IOC through its IOC Project Office for IODE
based in Oostende, Belgium since April 2005. The main objectives, in addition to the
management of the IODE programme are: (i) to establish a creative environment
facilitating the further development and maintenance of IODE and partner data and
information management projects, services and products with emphasis on improving
the efficiency and effectiveness of the data and product/service stream between the
stage of sampling and the user; and (ii) to assist in strengthening the capacity of
Member States to manage oceanographic data and information and to provide ocean
data and information products and services required by users. Currently the Project
Office hosts most of IOC’s web-based information services (web sites) and
OceanTeacher distance learning and multimedia servers.
1.3. Collaboration between IOC and OBIS
In the context of IODE attention was given to biological data management and ocean
biodiversity since IODE-XVI (2000) with the creation of the IODE Group of Experts on
Biological and Chemical Data Management and Exchange Practices (GE-BICH;
Recommendation IODE-XVI.4). During IODE-XVII (2003) an invitation was extended to
OBIS to participate in the activities of the Group of Experts. The OBIS Executive Officers
have been participating in Sessions of the Group since then.
The strong interest of IODE in biological data management and ocean biodiversity was
further demonstrated by the organization of the “Colour of Ocean Data” Symposium in
November 2002. The focus of IODE on ocean biodiversity continued with the
organization of the “Ocean Biodiversity Informatics Conference” in Hamburg, 2004 and
Dartmouth, 2007 which were organized jointly between IODE and OBIS.
At the regional level there has been increasingly close collaboration between OBIS and
IODE, e.g. within the framework of ODINAFRICA. The Chair briefed the meeting about
the ODINAfrica contribution to the African node of the OBIS network, AfrOBIS. Two
biodiversity data management training sessions were held, one in Oostende, Belgium (in
French), one in Mauritius (in English). In these training sessions, attendees were
introduced to issues in taxonomy and biogeography relevant to data managers, and to
some of the tools that are used in marine biodiversity data management in general, and
in the OBIS network in particular (Access, SQL Server, DiGIR). Two data logging
sessions have been organized, both in Oostende. One focused on molluscs, one on
sponges. Species distribution records extracted from the scientific literature during these
logging workshops will be made available to AfrOBIS.
At the international level the IODE/MarBEF Biodiversity Data Management Course was
organized in March 2003. The course was specific for biodiversity data management,
going into details on specific data needs for taxonomy and geography.
1.4. First actions towards collaboration
OBIS is seen as one of the legacies of the Census of Marine Life (CoML). The
governance of OBIS has to be revised so as to make this a reality. This change was
begun in the 2006-2008 project phase, and will be completed by 2010. The International
Committee, formerly the top-level committee of OBIS, was replaced by a Governing
Board. The International Committee was mainly composed of scientists with a strong
interest in OBIS which was a way of assuring that the system was properly constructed,
brought the scientific authority that was needed to find its niche, and to develop tools
that were required to play its role. The needs of OBIS have evolved; the Governing
Board will be instrumental in positioning OBIS in the world of international organisations.
The Board will guide the Executive Committee and the OBIS Secretariat in forging links
with these organisations, and in creating a funding basis for the project.
Several alternatives for a corporate structure were discussed; one of the options
explored best is to seek affiliation with IOC. A proposal to adopt OBIS as an IOC
Programme was presented during the IOC Executive Council, Paris, 24 June – 2 July
2008, by Jim Baker, member of the OBIS Governing Board; the full text is appended to
this document. The proposal was well received, and a recommendation was made to
draft a business plan for this collaboration, and to start exploring possibilities for a host
organisation for the Programme Office for OBIS.
2. The proposal
Support is requested to facilitate the process towards achieving an agreement
adopted by the IOC Assembly (2009) and OBIS Governing Board (2009) on cooperation
between OBIS and IOC. The outcome of the support will be the aforementioned
agreement.
There will be 5 core events:
(i) OBIS-IOC meeting: the objective of the meeting will be to identify possible
scenarios of collaboration between IOC and OBIS taking into consideration
existing arrangements within IOC and OBIS for the management, sharing and
dissemination of marine biodiversity data. The meeting will also focus on the
formal and resource implications of cooperation as well as the role of other
partners – this event will be funded through the current proposal
(ii) IODE-XX (China, May 2009): the IODE Committee will be invited to comment on
the proposed scenarios taking into consideration the activities of IODE in
biological data and biodiversity data management;
(iii) IOC Assembly: the June 2009 Session of the IOC Assembly will be presented
with a detailed working document that outlines the possible scenarios for
cooperation and their formal and resource implications. The Assembly will be
requested to select a scenario;
(iv) OBIS Governing Board: the 2009 Session of the OBIS Governing Board will be
invited to consider the scenario as proposed by the IOC Assembly.
(v) Signing of Agreement: provided agreement is reached on the scenario a formal
agreement will be signed by IOC and OBIS.
There will be 5 deliverables:
(i) Working document(s) for the OBIS-IOC meeting;
(ii) Report of the OBIS-IOC meeting;
(iii) Working Document for the IOC Assembly including different scenarios for OBISIOC cooperation;
(iv) Draft Resolutions for adoption by the IOC Assembly (2009);
(v) Adopted Resolution (adopted by IOC Assembly);
(vi) Signed Agreement between OBIS and IOC.
Support will be used to hire a consultant who will have the following terms of
reference:
(i) Collate the documentation and other information required for the OBIS-IOC
meeting (in close collaboration with the OBIS and IOC Secretariats);
(ii) Be the rapporteur for the OBIS-IOC meeting;
(iii) Prepare the report of the OBIS-IOC meeting;
(iv) Consult with relevant IOC or OBIS experts as necessary;
(v) Finalize the working document for the IOC Assembly (2009);
(vi) Introduce the working document to the June 2009 Session of the IOC Assembly
and invite IOC Member States to decide on a scenario;
(vii) Prepare the draft resolutions
(viii) Assist with the drafting of the OBIS-IOC Agreement.
It is proposed to hold the OBIS-IODE at the IOC Project Office for IODE in Oostende,
Belgium between 24-26 November 2008.
3. Timeline
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10 October (latest) identification of members of the project team, comprising
representatives from IOC and OBIS
1 November (latest): recruitment of consultant
18-20 November or 24-26 November: OBIS-IOC meeting, Oostende
15 December 2008: distribution of meeting report
January-February: further consultations of relevant OBIS, IOC experts by
consultant
1 March 2009: draft working document for IOC Assembly prepared and
circulated to participants in OBIS-IODE meeting, IOC Officers, IODE Officers,
members of the IOC Data and Information Management Advisory Group, OBIS
Governing Board
1 April 2009: formally submit working documents to IOC Secretariat
5-8 May 2009: discussion of working document at IODE-XX
23 June-4 July 2009: IOC Assembly
July 2009: transmission of adopted Resolution to OBIS Governing Board for
agreement
August-December 2009: drafting and signing of Agreement
4. Budget
ACTIVITY
Consultant (1/2 time, 11 months)
OBIS-IOC meeting (10 pax)
COST
33000
22500
55500
IOC/IODE Contribution (OBIS-IOC meeting)
10500
Funding requested from Sloan
45000
Appendix: OBIS statement read at the IOC Executive Council, Paris, June 2008
The enormous diversity of ocean life signals the health of the oceans and is a key in
sustaining them. Until recently this biodiversity was largely unexplored and undescribed.
Now, through the Census of Marine Life, scientists from more than 80 countries in the
northern and southern hemispheres are collaborating to assess and explain the
abundance, distribution, and diversity of marine life throughout the world’s oceans, past,
present, and future. Launched in 2000 with funding from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation
among others, CoML is an unprecedented, 10-year, multi-national, scientific effort. The
first phase of the Census is drawing to a close; part of the output will be a series of
reports, the 2010 Synthesis, describing the state of the ocean.
The Census consists of several interlinked projects. Of these, 14 are field projects,
covering the major habitats and groups of species in the global ocean. Eleven field
projects address habitats, such as seamounts or the Arctic Ocean. Three field projects
look globally at animals that either traverse the seas or appear globally distributed: the
top predators such as tuna and the plankton and the microbes. Two more Census
projects are the History of Marine Animal Populations, looking back at fisheries through
historical time, and Future or Marine Animal Populations, predicting future change
through modelling efforts. OBIS, the Ocean Biogeographic Information System, is the IT
component of the Census.
OBIS was established by the Census of Marine Life, in order to integrate all data
generated by the Census, and combining it with data from other sources. It is an
evolving strategic alliance of people and organizations sharing a vision to make marine
biogeographic data, from all over the world, freely available over the World Wide Web. It
is not a project or programme, and is not limited to data from CoML-related projects. Any
organization, consortium, project or individual may contribute to OBIS. OBIS provides,
on an ‘open access’ basis through the World Wide Web: (i) taxonomically and
geographically resolved data on marine life and the ocean environment; (ii)
interoperability with similar databases; and (iii) software tools for data exploration and
analysis.
OBIS is a global network, with 14 Regional OBIS Nodes providing true global cover.
Each of these RONs is working with the scientists in its region to assist them in
publishing their data through the OBIS system. Most of the Regional OBIS nodes
provide visibility for regional activities through a regional OBIS portal. The OBIS
Secretariat is based at Rutgers University in New Jersey, and is responsible for central
activities, such as maintaining the data exchange standards and building the global
portal.
OBIS is a very successful network, and is growing fast. New Regional OBIS Nodes
regularly join the network. Data acquisition is going smoothly, with nearly 14 million
records available through the global portal. New datasets are added regularly. By 2010,
all data generated through the Census field projects will be available through the OBIS
portal, in time for the first Synthesis of the Census; this will accelerate data ingestion
considerably towards the end of 2009.
The fist meeting of the OBIS Governing Board was held in Rome, on 28 and 29 April
2008. During that meeting, the long-term future of OBIS was discussed. One alternative,
and the one clearly favoured by the members of the Board, is to form a close alliance
with IOC. This alliance would indeed be a formal recognition of the shared interests and
joined activities. IODE and OBIS were both involved in a series of three conferences on
Ocean Biodiversity Informatics (held in Brussels, 2002, Hamburg 2004 and Halifax
2007). Representatives of OBIS have attended GE-BICH meetings. Joined training
workshops on biodiversity informatics have been held. Data logging sessions, to assist
African countries to generate data for ODINAfrica and AfrOBIS were organised. OBIS
collaborates with HAB on the development of HAIS.
The organisational models of OBIS and IODE mesh very well. Both are distributed
networks, with OBIS’ RONs equivalent to IODE’s NODCs. Several RONs are actually
operated by NODCs. Both OBIS and IOC are standards-based, and have been actively
involved in developing internationally accepted standards. Both IOC and OBIS have a
policy of free and open access to their data holdings.
The alliance could take different forms, ranging from a loose agreement on cooperation,
to the adoption by IOC of OBIS as an IOC programme. Adopting OBIS as an IOC
programme, and create an IOC Programme Office to host the OBIS secretariat, would
seem like the most logical option. It is the solution that would have most consequences
for both organisations, but the mutual benefits and the scope for synergies seem to
outweigh potential drawbacks.
Adopting OBIS would enlarge the IODE NODC family with many data centres
specialised in management of taxonomically resolved data, an expertise that is not very
strong in many of the traditional NODCs. In its ‘Strategic Plan for Oceanographic Data
and Information Management’, IOC recognises the need to organise a ‘System of
Systems’. OBIS can be part of this, as the system providing data and information on
biodiversity data. Adopting a system to manage biodiversity data, rather than developing
one, is consistent with the IOC Data and Information Management Strategy to build on
existing initiatives. The Strategy document explicitly names collaboration with OBIS as
an alternative to creating new data centres.
IOC can offer OBIS an institutional home, and a position in the international
organisations. If a suitable host organisation for the Programme Office can be found,
OBIS’ needs to serve its core business would largely be served on a long-term basis.
Being an IOC Programme should enhance the chances of attracting funding for projectbased activities.
If the Executive Council approves, the OBIS secretariat will work together with the IOC
Data and Information Management Advisory Group, to develop a document for
submission to the General Assembly of 2009. This document will describe possible
scenarios for collaboration between IOC and OBIS, concentrating on the possibility of
the creation of an IOC OBIS Programme and Programme Office. It will, for different
scenarios, investigate consequences for both IOC and OBIS. It will contain also
estimates of budgetary implications. If the Executive Council approves, discussions will
be held with potential donor countries and/or host organisations for the Programme
Office.