18 June 2015
3:00-4:00 p.m. EDT
Virtual meeting place: https://idigbio.adobeconnect.com/scnet
Handy-Dandy Biodiversity Database for Field Stations
Presenter: Beth Rogers, Librarian, Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre (BMSC)
The Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre (BMSC) created a web-based, geo-referenced database to track biodiversity in Barkley Sound. Bamfield and Barkley Sound are located on the west coast of Vancouver Island, Canada. The database could easily be customized for use by other field stations.
BMSC wanted this database to serve three functions: 1) list species known to occur in Barkley Sound; 2) recorded collections and observations (both positive and negative); 3) generate annual reports required by federal agencies such as DFO and CCAC.
The database includes plants and animals, and collections/observations from marine, terrestrial and freshwater environments. The project manager and developer were familiar with NatureServe’s Biotics database and had worked together previously to create the BC Species and Ecosystems Explorer web application.
The presentation will walk through the BMSC Biodiversity Database, demonstrating the types of reports that can be generated as well as the data entry interface. The goal is to help staff at other field stations imagine how they might customize the database to meet their own needs.
The database is accessible at: http://biodiv.bms.bc.ca/
Basic specifications of the database are summarized in the linked document: BDDB_info.pdf.
