News
This is your chance to become Co-Chair of the OBIS Data Coordination Group!
actionable data community Data Coordination Group
We are seeking a Co-Chair for the OBIS Data Coordination Group (DCG), a vital leadership role at the heart of global marine data management. Apply by 23.3.2025 23:59 CET!
Breaking barriers in ocean science - A conversation with Martha Patricia Vides Casado
International Women's Day community capacity development Gender balance
To celebrate the International Women's Day, we had the privilege of interviewing Martha Patricia Vides Casado, Head of the Research Line at the Programa de Biodiversidad y Ecosistemas Marinos (BEM) at the Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras (INVEMAR) in Colombia. She shared precious insights on the role of women in science and leadership, sharing her experience, highlighting challenges and ways forward.
Engaging with local researchers to improve data sharing - How IndOBIS enhances regional capacity
actionable data community capacity development IODC-III Policy
Discover IndOBIS' strategy for engaging with researchers at local and national levels to drive up data contributions.
Norway joins OBIS - Integrated data for a sustainable future
community Norway GBIF
Explore how Norway is transforming its national marine biodiversity data landscape by joining OBIS!
PacMAN by OBIS - A transposable sea-to-screen framework to fight marine biorisk
actionable data community capacity development IODC-III Policy
Explore how the OBIS framework developed within the PacMAN project can help fighting marine invasive species.
Exploring ocean DNA with Saara Suominen - A conversation on eDNA, science, and inspiration
eDNA community capacity development Women in science
Celebrating Women and Girls in Science Day with Saara Suominen, OBIS scientific officer, sharing her journey, marine science insights, and career advice.
Recently published datasets
Use cases
State of knowledge on marine connectivity gathered by migratory marine species
ABNJ connectivity marine species management telemetry tracking
Advancements in technology have improved our knowledge of how different areas of the ocean are connected by the movement of migratory and mobile marine species. This information is vital to inform area-based management and conservation efforts. The authors of this study, led by the OBIS-SEAMAP node, performed a literature review of 25 years of accessible connectivity data for 173 marine mammal, fish, sea turtle, and seabird species to shed light on the current state of knowledge. They found telemetry methods are the most effective tool for demonstrating connectivity, but that significant gaps and obstacles remain in this field of research.
Invasive marine algae in the Mediterranean was misidentified for decades
Algae Invasive species Mediterranean Modelling
The red algae, "Lophocladia lallemandii", one of the worst invasive species in the Mediterranean, was misidentified for nearly three decades. The researchers who discovered this error recommend genetic analysis as a mandatory first step when identifying, monitoring and managing invasives. OBIS served as a useful data repository to confirm the occurrence of this misidentified species.
Preserving seagrasses in a changing climate
climate change modelling MPA seagrass
This study provides the first comprehensive global assessment of how climate change may affect the distribution and range of 66 seagrass species. It also examines how well the current global MPA coverage will protect these important ecosystems in the future. The authors relied on occurrence records from OBIS, along with other sources of data and expert knowledge, to develop species distribution models under various scenarios.
Metabarcoding is a promising tool for identifying species of fish from their eggs and larvae
DNA eggs fish larvae ichthyoplankton metabarcoding Indian Ocean
Understanding the diversity and distribution of fish egg and larvae in the ocean provides invaluable information on ecosystem health, capacity to recover from disturbances and helps guide management and conservation efforts. This study shows that metabarcoding is a promising tool that allows for rapid and accurate species identification. OBIS was used to validate and confirm the distribution range, habitat and occurrence of the species detected by metabarcoding.
How many species live in the world’s largest marine mineral exploration region?
Biodiversity Deep sea Pacific Taxonomy
This study offers the first comprehensive synthesis of published data for the Clarion-Clipperton Zone (CCZ) in the central and eastern Pacific. The authors report that this area, which covers 6 million km2, represents significant undescribed biodiversity with an estimated 88%–92% species waiting to be described. Data used in this research were extracted from OBIS highlighting its value as a global data repository for marine biodiversity.
Current knowledge on the reproduction of deep-sea corals
Corals Deep Sea Depth Distribution Reproduction
This study looks at the current state of research on the reproduction of deep-sea corals. Occurrence records were extracted from OBIS to find available information for species living at depths below 100m. Less than 7% of known deep-sea coral species were found to have any aspect of their reproduction reported in the literature highlighting significant gaps and priorities for future research.
