Integrated Observations and Informatics Improve Understanding of Changing Marine Ecosystems

Abstract

Marine ecosystems have numerous benefits for human societies around the world and many policy initiatives now seek to maintain the health of these ecosystems. To enable wise decisions, up to date and accurate information on marine species and the state of the environment they live in is required. Moreover, this information needs to be openly accessible to build indicators and conduct timely assessments that decision makers can use. The questions and problems being addressed demand global-scale investigations, transdisciplinary science, and mechanisms to integrate and distribute data that otherwise would appear to be disparate. Essential Ocean Variables (EOVs) and marine Essential Biodiversity Variables (EBVs), conceptualized by the Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS) and the Marine Biodiversity Observation Network (MBON), respectively, guide observation of the ocean. Additionally, significant progress has been made to coordinate efforts between existing programs, such as the GOOS, MBON, and Ocean Biogeographic Information System collaboration agreement. Globally and nationally relevant indicators and assessments require increased sharing of data and analytical methods, sustained long-term and large-scale observations, and resources to dedicated to these tasks. We propose a vision and key tenets as a guiding framework for building a global integrated system for understanding marine biological diversity and processes to address policy and resource management needs. This framework includes: using EOVs and EBVs and implementing the guiding principles of Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable (FAIR) data and action ecology. In doing so, we can encourage relevant, rapid, and integrative scientific advancement that can be implemented by decision makers to maintain marine ecosystem health.

OBIS Infrastructure, Lessons Learned, and Vision for the Future

“…OBIS is now extending beyond species occurrence data, embracing ecosystem Essential Ocean Variables (EOV) in support of the Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS) and the Marine Biodiversity Observation Network (MBON). The identification of the taxonomic components of the EOVs, and the capacity to assimilate and integrate nontaxonomic entities into the global database (i.e., community types like macroalgae) will contribute to their efforts to build a sustained, globally coordinated observing system on the status and trends of marine biodiversity and habitats (Benson et al, 2018).…”

A Response to Scientific and Societal Needs for Marine Biological Observations

“…For almost 20 years now, OBIS and its 30 regional OBIS nodes have been successful in mobilizing a global network of nearly 1,000 institutions to provide seamless, integrated access to nearly 60 million records of 120,000 marine species. Since 2017, OBIS expanded from focussing purely on species occurrence data to embrace datasets that combine biological and environmental data, including details about sampling effort and methods, and supporting EOVs, EBvs and ECVs (De Pooter et al, 2017;Benson et al, 2018). Its new infrastructure (OBIS 2.0) supports robust near real-time data integration and curation and provides powerful data access and analytical services.…”

Access to Marine Genetic Resources (MGR): Raising Awareness of Best-Practice Through a New Agreement for Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ)

“…For example EOVs/EBVs aim to progress the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including SDG14 10 (Anderson et al, 2017). As such these frameworks directly link science and policy, and further development of these links is being discussed (Geijzendorffer et al, 2016;Anderson et al, 2017;Weatherdon et al, 2017;Benson et al, 2018;Wetzel et al, 2018). Quality and timely data is critical to environmental monitoring (Benson et al, 2018).…”

“…As such these frameworks directly link science and policy, and further development of these links is being discussed (Geijzendorffer et al, 2016;Anderson et al, 2017;Weatherdon et al, 2017;Benson et al, 2018;Wetzel et al, 2018). Quality and timely data is critical to environmental monitoring (Benson et al, 2018). Therefore, accurate taxonomic data and usage of data standards are necessary for these frameworks (Kissling et al, 2018).…”