Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) to be Featured in The Wildlife Professional

On July 22, Dr. Gerald “Stinger” Guala, Director of Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS), was interviewed by a writer-reporter from The Wildlife Professional about ITIS and its relevance to wildlife professionals. ITIS provides authoritative taxonomic information on plants, animals, fungi, and microbes of North America and the world. The article will also feature others who can comment on the value of ITIS to their work. ITIS is one of the core components of the USGS Biological Informatics Program. The Wildlife Professional is distributed to all members of The Wildlife Society, whose members specialize in the management, conservation, and study of wildlife populations and habitats.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Partners with Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS)

On March 23, 2010, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) signed a partnership agreement with the Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS). As a USGS-led partnership of federal agencies, international partners, and non-governmental organizations, ITIS meets the shared need of scientifically credible taxonomic information by providing an easily accessible database with reliable information on species names and their hierarchical classification. The scope of ITIS is global, providing authoritative taxonomy of the world's biota with a special emphasis on North American species. ITIS has also dedicated resources to maintain accurate and current information on protected species, which is integral to supporting the mission of the USFWS and other Department of Interior bureaus. Other U.S. federal agencies in partnership with ITIS include the U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Smithsonian Institution, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the National Biological Information Infrastructure (NBII).


(Photo: American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) near the surface of the water with turtles on its back. © 2008 Bruce Avera Hunter, NBII LIFE.)