News

All the OBIS-related sessions at Living Data 2025 at a glance!

Submit your abstract and join OBIS. TDWG, GEO BON and GBIF at the Living Data 2025 conference in Bogotá and online on 21-24 October 2025. We have gathered below all the OBIS-related sessions programmed at the conference. Don’t miss this fantastic opportunity to raise topics of interest and join the conversation to make your voice heard.

The proposed sessions list covers a huge variety of topics, from highly technical presentations on advancing biodiversity data standards to experience-sharing discussions and conversations on data actionability for science-to-policy interfaces. Pick yours, and dive into your favourite topics.

You can:
submit several abstracts to several sessions,
submit your abstract in Spanish or English,
join in person or online.

Abstract submission deadline: 25.5.2025 at 23:59 COT (21.5.2025 5:59AM UTC+1)

You have a question? Send us an email helpdesk@obis.org

You can’t find a session matching your interests on this page? Access all the Living Data 2025 sessions here. You can submit a poster (session ID #6960763) or an abstract on a free topic that you deem important for the community for the Contributed Oral Presentation session (session ID #6960773).

You are ready to submit? Click here!

OBIS-led sessions

Organized or co-organized by members of the OBIS Community, these sessions explore essential topics fundamental to OBIS’s objectives and success. We gathered all the OBIS-led sessions below. Click on a title to access the details. For improived clarity, we have grouped the sessions under OBIS-relevant thematics.

Data Standards, Integration, FAIRness, and Trust

Improving data management strategies, sharing and FAIRness of DNA-derived Biodiversity Data
OBIS session co-lead(s): Saara Suominen (OBIS Secretariat)

Standards for all: Darwin Core in multiple languages
OBIS session co-lead(s): Ana Carolina Peralta (OBIS Caribbean)

Darwin Core Data Package: an updated model and format for exchanging biodiversity data
OBIS session co-lead(s): Yi Ming Gan (OBIS Antarctica) / This is a closed session!

Trust, Traceability & Transparency: Tackling biodiversity data provenance
OBIS session co-lead(s): Elizabeth Lawrence (OBIS Secretariat), Dan Lear (OBIS Steering Group), Pieter Provoost (OBIS Secretariat)

Integrating (and increasing the use of) additional data types
OBIS session co-lead(s): Elizabeth Lawrence (OBIS Secretariat), Ruben Perez, (EurOBIS), Silas Principe (OBIS Secretariat)

Biomolecular Data & DNA-derived Technologies

Biodiversity-literate citizens: Building Biodiversity Information with Community-Based eDNA Sampling
OBIS session co-lead(s): Emilie Boulanger (OBIS Secretariat), Pieter Provoost (OBIS Secretariat), Saara Suominen (OBIS Secretariat)

Integrating DNA Reference Databases and Molecular Taxon Concepts in Biodiversity Databases
OBIS session co-lead(s): Emilie Boulanger (OBIS Secretariat)

Taxonomy and DNA Technologies: Shaping the Future of Biodiversity Inventories for Action
OBIS session co-lead(s): Saara Suominen (OBIS Secretariat)

Capacity Building, Community Engagement & Regional Cooperation

Community Engagement and Capacity Building for Increased Biodiversity Data Accessibility
OBIS session co-lead(s): Katherine Tattersall (OBIS Steering group)

Developing capacity through regional cooperation: how regional hubs enhance local scientific voices
OBIS session co-lead(s): Laurent Chmiel (OBIS Secretariat), Ana Carolina Peralta (OBIS Caribbean)

The Power and Pitfalls of Civic Science
OBIS session co-lead(s): Dan Lear (OBIS Steering Group), Ruben Perez (EurOBIS)

Enhancing Data Policy & Biodiversity Monitoring: Quality, Gap Analysis & Environmental Integration
OBIS session co-lead(s): Clara Baringo Fonseca (OBIS Brazil), Maria Cornthwaite (OBIS Canada), Keila Macfadem Juarez (OBIS Brazil), Silas

Global initiatives & decision-support for policymaking

Beyond 2030: Building the Data Foundations for Biodiversity Action to support the BBNJ
OBIS session co-lead(s): Ward Appeltans (OBIS Secretariat)

A Global Biodiversity Observing System for the Ocean
OBIS session co-lead(s): Ward Appeltans (OBIS Secretariat)

Matching decision-making needs with actionable data product to drive biodiversity monitoring impact
OBIS session co-lead(s): Laurent Chmiel (OBIS Secretariat), Silas Principe (OBIS Secretariat)

Improving data management strategies, sharing and FAIRness of DNA-derived Biodiversity Data

Session 6796330
OBIS session co-lead(s): Saara Suominen (OBIS Secretariat)
Themes Open data, Data integration
Format Symposium

Every lifeform in the world, from viruses to whales, contains a biomolecular footprint that informs about their occurrence and biology. DNA-based methods are transformative tools for biodiversity detection and monitoring. Environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding in particular, is expected to massively accelerate the field by enabling the detection of entire biological communities from soil, water, and air samples. However, the detection of biodiversity from environmental samples (using eDNA) generates larger data sets, unlike traditional methodologies in which each DNA sequence comes from an isolated individual.
Despite its potential, standardized sharing and integration of metabarcoding data and other DNA-associated biodiversity data have remained limited until now. Best practices for FAIR data sharing include submitting raw sequence data to INSDC (International Nucleotide Sequence Database Collaboration) short read archives (e.g. ENA, SRA) and sharing the processed and interpreted biodiversity records (e.g., Amplicon Sequence Variants, ASVs and Operational Taxonomic Units, OTUs) through biodiversity databases like those of the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF.org) and Ocean Biodiversity Information System (OBIS.org). We invite contributions that address:
- New tools and pipelines for improved sharing of DNA-derived biodiversity data.
- Approaches for better integration of DNA-derived data with other biodiversity data.
- Remaining challenges and solutions for achieving FAIR DNA-derived biodiversity data.
- Non-technical aspects that infrastructures should consider, such as legal frameworks, domain-specific data culture etc.
This session will include discussions on best practices and solutions to enhance the FAIRness of DNA-derived biodiversity data for biodiversity research, with a main focus on eDNA and metabarcoding data. We will seek to share the initiatives, strategies and experiences that have been proposed regarding the management and final disposal of this information as a useful tool for decision-making on environmental matters.

Standards for all: Darwin Core in multiple languages

Session 6798214
OBIS session co-lead(s): Ana Carolina Peralta (OBIS Caribbean)
Themes Community Engagement and Capacity Building, Open Data
Format Symposium

The Darwin Core Standard (DwC) is the most widely used standard to share, use and reuse biodiversity data globally. Provides a glossary of terms, identifiers, labels and definitions, aimed at facilitating biodiversity data sharing. Unfortunately, most of its normative information and associated documents are still currently available only in English. This constitutes a barrier for wider use in non-English-speaking countries, because it adds an additional layer of complexity, and hinders participation.
The community has acknowledged this issue and there have been several initiatives to translate DwC materials. Previously, translations of term definitions were available and linked to the official Quick Reference Guide, but were disconnected as they were not part of the standard and were having trouble being up to date. Other initiatives have provided translations, such as Portuguese, Spanish, and a joint effort between GBIF and TDWG to manage translations for more than 12 languages, using the Crowdin platform. This session will explore different translation initiatives that help local users learn, appropriate and use DwC. By showcasing experiences we will explore the possibility of creating a Task Group within TDWG to continue working on broadening DwC use based on diversifying available languages and managing translations in the long term.

Community Engagement and Capacity Building for Increased Biodiversity Data Accessibility

Session 6798479
OBIS session co-lead(s): Katherine Tattersall (OBIS Steering group)
Themes Community Engagement and Capacity Building
Format Symposium

The critical importance of capacity building and globally accessible biodiversity knowledge in addressing the global biodiversity crisis is highlighted in the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), particularly Targets 20 and 21. How are we taking action to address these priorities? What are the benefits of capacity development and organized biodiversity data on different scales from local communities to global networks? For this session, we invite speakers to present approaches to community engagement, skills development, and knowledge-sharing for increased biodiversity data and information aggregation, sharing and use. We aim to inspire new ideas and partnerships that further support the knowledge needs of the global community. Through compelling examples and success stories, we aim to showcase how empowering communities can result in enhanced data accessibility. We can also explore how we can nurture and strengthen collaborations to align efforts and share expertise for maximum impact.

Biodiversity-literate citizens: Building Biodiversity Information with Community-Based eDNA Sampling

Session 6798643
OBIS session co-lead(s): Emilie Boulanger (OBIS Secretariat), Pieter Provoost (OBIS Secretariat), Saara Suominen (OBIS Secretariat),
Themes Community Engagement and Capacity Building, Biodiversity Data Application
Format Symposium

Environmental DNA (eDNA) is transforming biodiversity monitoring by enabling the detection of species from trace genetic material in the environment. However, to fully harness its potential at scale, community engagement is crucial. Empowering communities to generate, understand and use biodiversity data is a major action towards building sustainable territories. This session explores how citizen scientists, equipped with simple yet powerful eDNA sampling techniques, can contribute to high-resolution biodiversity datasets. We will showcase successful community-based eDNA programs, discuss best practices for training and data validation, and examine how such initiatives complement traditional biodiversity surveys and how they actively engage communities to transform their behavior and practices. Participants will engage in discussions about integrating community-collected eDNA data into research, policy, and conservation efforts. We invite contributions that address:
The role of eDNA in biodiversity monitoring
Case studies of citizen science eDNA initiatives
Ensuring data quality and reliability in community-collected eDNA
Building partnerships between researchers, conservationists, and the public
The future of community-driven biodiversity data
This session aims to bring together community science organizers, scientists, and stakeholders and increase awareness of the potential for citizen-driven eDNA sampling, share strategies for designing effective community-based eDNA programs and provide insights into overcoming challenges in data quality, engagement, and scalability.

Beyond 2030: Building the Data Foundations for Biodiversity Action to support the BBNJ

Session 6798851
OBIS session co-lead(s): Ward Appeltans (OBIS Secretariat)
Themes Data Integration, Open Data, Biodiversity Data Application
Format Symposium

The UN Convention on the Law of the Sea’s Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) agreement recognizes the critical need for conserving and sustainably using marine biological diversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction (ABNJ). A robust data foundation is essential for informed decision-making, tracking progress, and ensuring the successful implementation of the BBNJ agreement. This session aims to share the latest science, foster dialogue and collaboration among stakeholders, and inform its future implementation. It provides an opportunity to showcase initiatives and projects that enhance the ability to meet the ocean biodiversity data and information needs of the BBNJ agreement. More specifically, we invite papers that focus on data management activities related to (i) the collection of samples and sharing of biodiversity data, (i) environmental impact assessments, (iii) area-based management tools like Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), and (iv) fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from marine genetic resources, digital sequence information, and the utilization of such resources in ABNJ. The session will also explore the role and functions of the BBNJ Clearing-House Mechanism as a platform to access, provide, and disseminate data and information related to the elements of the BBNJ agreement.

Integrating DNA Reference Databases and Molecular Taxon Concepts in Biodiversity Databases

Session 6798929
OBIS session co-lead(s): Emilie Boulanger (OBIS Secretariat)
Themes Data Integration, Open Data
Format Symposium
Reference databases and molecular species concepts are foundational for DNA-based biodiversity research and essential for extending detection and monitoring to neglected branches of the tree of life. Challenges remain in ensuring their effective use and integration into biodiversity data infrastructures. This session will showcase advancements in DNA reference databases, efforts to connect molecular and taxonomic species concepts, enhanced integration of molecular taxa into biodiversity data systems, and strategies for crediting reference data providers.
We invite contributions that address:
- Significant developments in DNA reference databases.
- Challenges and solutions in curating and standardizing DNA reference databases.
- Strategies for integrating and operationalizing reference databases in data platforms.
- Incentives for sharing up-to-date DNA reference data, including usage tracking and contributor recognition.
By connecting researchers, managers and curators of databases and datasets, and infrastructure developers, this session aims to drive improvements in the management and integration of DNA reference data in biodiversity data systems.

Darwin Core Data Package: an updated model and format for exchanging biodiversity data

Session 6798937
OBIS session co-lead(s): Yi Ming Gan (OBIS Antarctica)
Themes Data Integration
Format Symposium (This session is closed and doesn’t accept abstracts!)

In this session we will present the Darwin Core Data Package (DwC-DP), a new model and format for sharing biodiversity data. DwC-DP is designed to overcome the limitations of Darwin Core Archives (such as the star schema) and introduces a semantic model for biodiversity data. This model consists of a number of related tables (e.g. Events, Occurrences, Agents, Assertions) that aim to capture the diversity of biodiversity data in a common model, while still feeling familiar to data publishers. As a format, DwC-DP builds upon the Data Package standard and expresses data as CSV files and technical information as a machine-readable metadata file (similar to Darwin Core Archives). DwC-DP is the result of an extended iterative approach supported by the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) and based on a wide range of use cases. Some of these use cases (e.g. survey data, collection data, eDNA data) will be presented by early adopters as concrete showcases on how to use DwC-DP, while GBIF will present how it supports DwC-DP through their Integrated Publishing Toolkit (IPT) and infrastructure. Finally, we will explain the next steps for DwC-DP and how you can contribute or provide feedback.

Trust, Traceability & Transparency: Tackling biodiversity data provenance

Session 6802990
OBIS session co-lead(s): Elizabeth Lawrence (OBIS Secretariat), Dan Lear (OBIS Steering Group), Pieter Provoost (OBIS Secretariat)
Themes Open Data, Data Integration, Biodiversity Data Application
Format Symposium

Ensuring accurate data provenance is critical for biodiversity research, the development of defensible policy and the implementation of management measures, yet recording and tracking provenance presents significant technical and cultural challenges. Technically, lack of consistent use of persistent identifiers, lack of standardised tools and wider interoperability issues hinder seamless provenance tracking. Culturally, differing attitudes towards data sharing, ownership and attribution, and varying levels of data literacy create additional barriers. This session explores the complexities of recording and tracking data through complex and multiple transformations and aggregations, and through usage across diverse systems and stakeholders. We welcome submissions from the research, policy and wider societal sectors highlighting exemplar implementations of provenance tracking, showcasing supporting tools and frameworks, and illustrating alignment and standards and current good practice to improve trust, reproducibility, and data reusability in biodiversity science.

The Power and Pitfalls of Civic Science

Session 6803025
OBIS session co-lead(s): Dan Lear (OBIS Steering Group), Ruben Perez (EurOBIS)
Themes Community Engagement and Capacity Building, Open Data
Format Symposium

We invite submissions exploring the role of participatory and civic science in biodiversity research and in their contribution to regional and international policy development. Engaging non-professional volunteers in data collection offers exciting opportunities to expand spatial and temporal coverage, enhance public engagement, and foster inclusive scientific collaboration. However, this approach also presents challenges, including data quality assurance, standardization, participant training, and long-term project sustainability. We welcome contributions on innovative methodologies, case studies, and frameworks that address these challenges while leveraging the strengths of citizen science. Topics may include data validation techniques, ethical considerations, effective partnerships between researchers and communities, and the integration of citizen science data into decision-making processes.

Taxonomy and DNA Technologies: Shaping the Future of Biodiversity Inventories for Action

Session 6803090
OBIS session co-lead(s): Saara Suominen (OBIS Secretariat)
Themes Data Integration, Biodiversity Data Application, Open Data, Community Engagement and Capacity Building
Format Panel discussion

The exploration, conservation, and management of biodiversity have long relied on species being classified, named, and described through a rigorous, yet often time-consuming, taxonomic process. Over the past two decades, advancements in DNA technologies have significantly accelerated biodiversity assessments, leading to the generation of tens of millions of DNA sequences assigned to numerous Molecular Operational Taxonomic Units (MOTUs). These MOTUs are often well-georeferenced, imaged, and databased, but many still lack formal species names. While efforts are underway to integrate DNA data with classical taxonomy, the rapid generation of molecular data — particularly with the advent of environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding — coupled with a global taxonomic impediment, raises important questions about the future of using DNA-based data for biodiversity research, conservation, and policy-making. This panel aims to bring together representatives from biodiversity databases hosting DNA data, scientists, and decision-makers to discuss the future of inventorying and monitoring biodiversity in a world facing unprecedented biodiversity loss alongside a significant shortage of taxonomic expertise.

Integrating (and increasing the use of) additional data types

Session 6803114
OBIS session co-lead(s): Elizabeth Lawrence (OBIS Secretariat), Ruben Perez, (EurOBIS), Silas Principe (OBIS Secretariat)
Themes Open Data, Data Integration, Biodiversity Data Application
Format Symposium

This session will explore recent advancements in collecting, standardizing, and integrating diverse data types into global platforms to support biodiversity research. For example, traits—morphological, physiological, or phenological characteristics—are essential for understanding community structure and ecosystem functioning. Contextual information (e.g., interactions, environmental measurements and habitat descriptions) helps link species occurrences to ecosystem conditions, enhancing our ability to predict impacts of environmental changes. We will focus on how the use of extended Measurement or Fact (eMoF) extensions from OBIS and GBIF can make these data more accessible and standardized.

A Global Biodiversity Observing System for the Ocean

Session 6803154
OBIS session co-lead(s): Ward Appeltans (OBIS Secretariat)
Themes Community Engagement and Capacity Building, Data Integration, Biodiversity Data Application, Open Data
Format Symposium

Effective monitoring is crucial for a better understanding of marine biodiversity and ecosystems status and trends, for assessing progress towards the goals and targets of multilateral agreements such as the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and for forming effective conservation strategies. This session will explore the need for data products and coordinated ocean observing to produce information needed for global ocean assessments and monitoring. Submissions are invited on the role of data, observation systems, and international collaborations in establishing robust monitoring programmes and communities of practice, particularly focusing on marine biodiversity, as a contribution to a comprehensive and connected Global Biodiversity Observing System for the ocean. In particular we invite papers that (i) Implement and utilize the Global Ocean Observing System’s Essential Ocean Variables (EOVs) framework to monitor changes in marine biodiversity and understand the drivers of these changes, (ii) Enhance ocean biodiversity observing technologies and methods, (iii) Enhance data standardization, quality control, integration, and accessibility ensuring data is FAIR and data products are applicable for effective management and decision making.

Enhancing Data Policy & Biodiversity Monitoring: Quality, Gap Analysis & Environmental Integration

Session 6803199
OBIS session co-lead(s): Clara Baringo Fonseca (OBIS Brazil), Maria Cornthwaite (OBIS Canada), Keila Macfadem Juarez (OBIS Brazil), Silas Principe (OBIS Secretariat), Pieter Provoost (OBIS Secretariat), Jon Pye (OBIS Ocean Tracking Network),
Themes Biodiversity Data Application, Data Integration
Format Symposium

Both public conservation policies and the development of indicators to assess progress toward global biodiversity targets rely on large volumes of data with accurate taxonomic, spatial, and temporal information. However, biodiversity data gaps exist across these dimensions, limiting the scope of possible analyses. At the same time, for many regions and taxonomic groups, data are being collected but remain fragmented, scattered across different organizations and not flowing to central systems.
Recognizing how these gaps affect data usability is essential for advancing strategies to maximize the value of available data. This includes modeling, integrating multiple data sources (e.g., biological collections, regional species lists, expert knowledge, remote sensing, and citizen science), and implementing initiatives to address these gaps through data mobilization, refinement, and targeted primary surveys. This symposium will explore approaches that integrate biodiversity data to support public policy and monitor progress toward global biodiversity targets. Additionally, we will examine strategies for assessing data quality and identifying gaps. Through collaborative dialogue and case studies, we aim not only to identify barriers to data integration but also discuss actionable solutions—from new technologies for biodiversity data collection to coordinated efforts for increasing spatial and taxonomic coverage.
We invite researchers, policymakers, educators, and conservation professionals to join us in discussing biodiversity indicators and sharing knowledge, experiences, and best practices for improving data availability, quality, and usability, with special attention to reducing fragmentation and enhancing data flow to centralized systems.

Developing capacity through regional cooperation: how regional hubs enhance local scientific voices

Session 6803206
OBIS session co-lead(s): Laurent Chmiel (OBIS Secretariat), Ana Carolina Peralta (OBIS Caribbean)
Ruben Perez (EuroOBIS)
Themes Community Engagement and Capacity Building
Format Symposium with discussion

Local scientific communities might lack the mobilizable expertise and adapted resources needed to participate in international biodiversity data initiatives fully, depriving global systems of precious local insights. Regional hubs can address these challenges by encouraging capacity development, cooperation, and knowledge transfer between scientific communities. The Hubs would break away from a North/South approach to create a multidirectional dynamic in which all participants would contribute.
This session explores strategies to boost regional cooperation and create sustainable, long-term regional collaboration initiatives. It will examine successful case studies and strategies supporting regional capacity development, from content to funding. We will also explore how regional hubs can increase engagement by bridging gaps between local researchers and global data-sharing networks, ensuring that research outcomes are accessible and actionable while highlighting how contributing to data repositories can enhance researchers’ ability to monitor and study their own environments more effectively.

Matching decision-making needs with actionable data product to drive biodiversity monitoring impact

Session 6803214
OBIS session co-lead(s): Laurent Chmiel (OBIS Secretariat), Silas Principe (OBIS Secretariat)
Themes Biodiversity Data Application
Format Panel discussion

Biodiversity observation organizations generate an unfathomable quantity of high-quality, reliable, and up-to-date data covering most of Earth. This data offers scientific insights into pressing biodiversity issues, but effectively integrating it into decision-making processes remains challenging and complex, requiring time, skills, and resources. This complexity creates a gap that prevents decision-makers from making use of the data they need to support their decisions. Bridging this gap is crucial to achieving the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework’s goals, particularly Target 21. How can the scientific community better understand the needs of decision-makers? Could highly transformed and aggregated data-driven products, such as accessible dashboards, be a solution to increase data uptake from non-specialists? This session will explore potential dialogue between decision-makers and biodiversity observation organizations, along with best practices, challenges, and solutions for ensuring biodiversity data is fit-for-purpose and readily actionable at local, regional, and global levels. We will aim to identify strategies to turn biodiversity data into readily available insights supporting conservation policies and management actions worldwide.

OBIS-related sessions

Although not directly led or organized by members of the OBIS Community, these session touch upon crucial topics related to OBIS’s work and scope.

Biodiversity Monitoring in Transitional Waters

Session 6796402
Themes Open Data, Data Integration, Biodiversity Data Application, Community Engagement and Capacity Building
Format Lightning talks

Transitional waters are important ecosystems. They are the place where connectivity between different species populations and communities takes place, thus representing corridors for numerous migrating or interacting species. There is an urgency to synergize approaches to biodiversity monitoring, data collection, and joint science efforts among the global community across such interfaces in freshwater, marine and terrestrial domains. Interaction between these communities would help better understand drivers of biodiversity change, strategies for conservation, and test concepts of sustainable development.
This session will explore how biodiversity monitoring capabilities, approaches, and scientific and management collaboration can be aligned to track biodiversity change within and across transitional waters. Topics will include 1) the role of thematic biodiversity observation networks (FWBON and MBON) and existing programs (GBIF, OBIS, GOOS) in building the Global Biodiversity Observation System (GBiOS); 2) the linkages between EOVs, EBVs, and ECVs to monitor across aquatic habitat gradients; 3) convergence on approaches for data interoperability and mobilization including formatting standards and the application of FAIR and CARE principles 4) priorities for indicator development to support national needs and international agreements such as the Kunming-Montreal GBF, the SDGs, and others. We invite contributions on concepts and gaps as well as on case studies.

Marine Biodiversity Data Mobilization and Applications

Session 6796407
Themes Open Data, Data Integration, Biodiversity Data Application, Community Engagement and Capacity Building
Format Lightning talks

Knowledge about marine biodiversity is fundamental to sustainable development and managing, conserving, and enhancing ecosystem services. Emerging technologies make it possible to routinely incorporate biology and ecology into ocean surveys and monitoring programs at local and regional scales. A better understanding of CARE and FAIR principles and legal frameworks, advances in standardization of data formats and storage, databases that protect intellectual property and data rights and provide specific products openly, all contribute to critical regional to global assessments of how biodiversity is changing and why. Publication of accepted best practices is important for information to be implementable by local groups, intercomparable, and scalable. This session invites contributions that promote the local and regional integration of BioEco observations into coastal and ocean observing systems and monitoring programs. Increased coordination, capacity development, and implementation efforts are required for standardisation, or at least interoperability of collection, analysis, and delivery of biodiversity observations.
Experts and stakeholders are invited to present co-design strategies conducted in collaboration with the Marine Biodiversity Observation Network (MBON), the Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS), and the Ocean Biodiversity Information System (OBIS). Our goal is demonstrate how to satisfy national needs and reporting requirements in order to meet the targets of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), and other multinational environmental agreements.

Biodiversity data for One Health: Integrating open data to address global health challenges

Session 6796861
Themes Open Data, Data Integration, Biodiversity Data Application
Format Symposium

The One Health approach recognizes the intricate connections between human, animal, and environmental health. Biosurveillance has traditionally focused on detecting known pathogens and disease outbreaks. However, translating biodiversity monitoring data into actionable insights for disease surveillance, pathogen spillover prediction, and public health remains a challenge.
This session will explore how biodiversity data can enhance pathogen surveillance, disease ecology, and One Health applications. Experts in biodiversity informatics, data science, and public health will discuss the role of biodiversity monitoring, the integration of databases (e.g., GBIF, GloBI, NCBI Virus, OBIS, Mammal Diversity Database), and best practices for data standardization. Key topics include data mobilization challenges, FAIR principles, automated workflows, and community engagement. By fostering cross-sector collaboration, this symposium aims to support the development of integrated biodiversity monitoring into the One Health frameworks, advancing data-driven decision-making for global health and conservation. This session, presented in collaboration with the GEOBON One Health working group, explores how integrating biodiversity data into biosurveillance networks, and vice versa, can enhance our understanding of disease and biodiversity dynamics, ultimately leading to better prevention. We welcome abstracts examining successful case studies where biodiversity monitoring has helped identify disease emergence risks, discussing tools to link data across fields, examples of data-driven actions, and proposing frameworks for incorporating ecological data into existing biosurveillance systems.

Ocean data application for biodiversity inclusive Marine Spatial Planning

Session 6802438
Themes Biodiversity Data Application
Format Symposium

The integration of biodiversity data into policies such as Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) is of key importance. Ocean observation technologies have provided growing opportunities for biodiversity characterization and monitoring at increasing resolution. In parallel, international networks and data infrastructures such as OBIS, GEO BON and the GOOS BioEco Portal have supported the use of such data by aggregating ocean observation data and facilitating access to standardized datasets.
MSP initiatives benefit from these technologies and infrastructures by accessing, sharing and contributing biodiversity data. This integration is key for knowledge-based decision-making, from policy creation to implementation. The Global Biodiversity Framework has a specific target for biodiversity inclusive MSP. Within this context, the MSP global programme of UNESCO-IOC has collaborated with GOOS and OBIS to develop a set of guidelines to support MSP practitioners to strengthen their knowledge on data application. This session invites presentations on the practical integration of biodiversity data into MSP at local, national, and regional scale, demonstrating how such data has been used to tackle conservation, climate change and maritime sector demands in an integrated way. Discussions will explore needs and gaps, as well as how OBIS, GEO BON, the GOOS BioEco Portal and others can support MSP initiatives.

Liberating and re-use of data imprisoned in scientific literature.

Session 6803041
Themes , Open Data, Data Integration, Biodiversity Data Application, Community Engagement and Capacity Building
Format Workshop / training

Biodiversity research results are contained in the ever-growing corpus of scientific publications, traditionally stored in, or provided through, academic libraries. Access to this literature can be difficult in terms of both findability and accessibility. In the digital age, this barrier can and should be lifted by opening publications to machine access, ensuring the data they contain adheres to the FAIR principles. This workshop provides a hands-on demonstration of the existing workflows to liberate data from legacy publications, as well as to publish in a semantically-enhanced way and to reuse the data. It will also highlight the benefits and opportunities provided by accessible, semantically-enhanced literature in the biodiversity domain. The workshop will have three parts:
1. Introduction by means of a hand-on exercise to the applied concepts, using existing workflows to convert a publication including biodiversity-related data from a PDF to a machine actionable format, for dissemination to GBIF, the Biodiversity Literature Repository, ChecklistBank, and OBIS;
2. Explanation of how to find, access and use the data, including for potential new data metrics, or use of the resources for AI applications to support for example IPBES and, potentially, generation of essential biodiversity variables;
3. Demonstration of services enabling direct semantic publishing.

Connecting the Dots: Integrating Animal Movement Data into Global Conservation Frameworks

Session 6803172
Themes Data Integration, Biodiversity Data Application, Community Engagement and Capacity Building, Open Data
Format Symposium with discussion

Animal movement data offers tremendous potential for enhancing Species Population Essential Biodiversity Variables (EBVs), which provide the central avenue for addressing the growing need for biodiversity metrics that are representative and robust at chosen spatial and temporal scales. The UN Global Biodiversity Framework is catalyzing an ever-growing interest in information products supporting the effective measurement and management of species populations. Species Populations EBVs capture critical information about species distributions, population dynamics, and range shifts—including contractions, expansions, potential extinctions, and invasions. When combined with species distribution modeling approaches that utilize diverse data sources (field observations, remote sensing, and biological collections), movement data can significantly improve our understanding of spatial biodiversity patterns in a rapidly changing world. Various initiatives have emerged to enhance species distribution knowledge at regional and cross-country scales, despite persistent challenges throughout the modeling workflow.
This session will explore opportunities for integrating the Animal Movement Biodiversity Observation Network (Move BON) Initiative - launched in 2025 as a collaborative and open partnership - with the global community through GEO BON and in partnership with groups such as GBIF, OBIS, GOOS, FW BON, and MBON. We aim to support a more comprehensive and dynamic global biodiversity monitoring system by bringing together the Move BON initiative with experts in Species Population EBVs and species distribution modeling . We will highlight the need for collaboration across geographic regions and taxonomic groups, address challenges in the modeling workflow from data curation to prediction evaluation, emphasizing how movement data can fill critical gaps in biodiversity assessments, enhance species distribution models, and contribute to environmental decision-making for conservation planning and ecosystem management worldwide.

Contributed Oral presentations

Session 6960773
Themes Open Data, Data Integration, Biodiversity Data Application, Community Engagement and Capacity Building
Format Contributed Oral Presentations

If the topic of your abstract fits the themes of the conference but does not fit in one of the existing sessions, and you hope to give an oral presentation, you may submit it here. However, the schedule and space to accommodate contributed oral presentations are very limited, due to the large number of organized sessions. The Academic Committee strongly encourages conference participants to submit presentations to appropriate organized sessions if possible.