Living Data - Biodiversity Data Systems Conference and Workshop

Proceedings

• Plenary Presentation Slides
• System Showcase Slides
• Workshop Report

Event Dates

26 August 2012, Otari-Wilton's Bush, 160 Wilton Road  Wilton, Wellington

• 12:00pm - 3:00pm Otari-Wilton's Bush Field Trip

27 August 2012, Mac’s Function Centre, corner Taranaki and Cable Streets, Wellington (map):

• 9:00am - 4:45pm: Biodiversity Data Systems Conference
• 5:00pm - 7:00pm: Launch of the New Zealand Organisms Register (NZOR)

28 August 2012, NIWA, 301 Evans Bay Parade, Hataitai, Wellington (map):

• 9:00am - 4:30pm: Biodiversity Data Systems Workshop

Data to Sustain Life on Earth

Biodiversity underpins the systems that sustain life on Earth. It cleans air and water and provides the soil and species that humans depend on for food. It creates the natural environments that sustain our cultures and recreation.

Species and ecosystems are being lost every day. The only way to stem this loss is to coordinate the restoration efforts of millions of government and non-government groups around the World. And that needs data.

Efforts to protect biodiversity depend on data about the state and trends of species and ecosystems. Data is needed to manage the local reserve, the biodiversity of a region, across New Zealand and around the World. But biodiversity data is complex and messy.

A Network of Connected Systems

Managing the complexity and geographic spread of biodiversity data requires a network of connected systems. Biodata systems increasingly support data-sharing using common standards. Middleware is emerging to provide the connections in a federated data infrastructure.

Collaboration among agencies managing biodata is now a given. But how should that collaboration happen? What will this shared system look like in New Zealand? What steps are towards building it?

Enabling Interoperability

A network of distributed biodiversity data systems requires three enablers.

• Standards – Common standards for monitoring, data and metadata must be understood and adopted.
• Data – Agreements and processes for sharing data and using shared data must be agreed and adopted.
• Systems – Efforts to establish and maintain systems must be coordinated.

Advancing Alignment of Biodata Systems

Living Data aims to advance collaboration on building a network of shared biodata systems in New Zealand.

• The Field Trip will connect the biodata conversations with hands-on management of collections and restoration.
• The Conference will survey plans and progress in data systems as part of a network of linked systems and identify opportunities for collaboration.
• The Launch of NZOR will open a world-leading taxonomic clearing-house.
• The Workshop will generate action to align data systems.

Who Should Attend

Biodiversity and Biosecurity Scientists, IT Specialists, Managers and Policy-Makers should attend. Living Data will also be of interest to anyone interested open Government data, open and data-driven science, and environmental and geospatial data.

Otari-Wilton's Bush Field Trip

Sunday 26 August, 12:00pm - 3:00pm, Otari-Wilton's Bush, 160 Wilton Road, Wellington (map)

How can biodata systems support collections and restoration projects? The Field Trip is an opportunity to connect data systems with a hands-on biodiversity project.

Otari Native Botanic Garden and Wilton's Bush Reserve is the only public botanic garden in New Zealand dedicated solely to native plants. It is classified as a Garden of National Significance by the Royal New Zealand Institute of Horticulture.

This unique plant sanctuary and forest reserve consists of 100 hectares of native forest, and five hectares of plant collections. Some of Wellington's oldest trees are here, including an 800-year-old rimu.

Members of all Wellington restoration groups are invited to participate in this event.

Field Trip Programme

Biodiversity Data Systems Conference

Monday 27 August, 9:00pm - 4:45pm, Mac’s Function Centre, corner Taranaki and Cable Streets, Wellington (map).

Conference Programme

Launch of the New Zealand Organisms Register (NZOR)

Monday 27 August, 5:00pm - 7:00pm, Mac’s Function Centre, corner Taranaki and Cable Streets, Wellington (map).

The New Zealand Organisms Register (NZOR) is a definitive authoritative registry of taxonomic names for the 100,000+ organism names relevant for New Zealand’s biodiversity, biosecurity, conservation and biotechnology sectors.

Having this information available online will save organisations time and money, while reducing the risk
in decision making and improving inter-agency communication.

Find out how NZOR works, talk to the developers and discuss how NZOR will support NZ organisations, business and the economy.

NZOR was developed by Landcare Research under a multi-agency steering group established in 2006 and supported with funding from the Terrestrial and Freshwater Biodiversity Information Systems Programme. It will form a key part of New Zealand’s bioinformatics infrastructure, supporting scientific research and biodiversity and biosecurity management.

Biodiversity Data Systems Workshop

Tuesday 28 August, 9:00am - 4:30pm, NIWA, 301 Evans Bay Parade, Hataitai, Wellington (map).

The agenda of the workshop is to achieve explicit commitments to actions that will increase collaboration on building a federated biodata infrastructure.

The workshop will focus on the three key enablers for interoperability. The specific opportunities to be addressed will be identified in the afternoon plenary session of the Conference.

The workshop will address issues such as finding ways to:

• increase adoption of standards
• reduce duplication of effort
• secure ongoing funding for data systems
• balance local and national needs
• improve data-sharing agreements and processes
• manage duplicate data sets

Workshop Programme

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Registration is Free and is Open Now.

Request for Speakers

To express interest in presenting at the conference please email details of your proposed presentation to Dan Randow.