Regional Biodiversity Portal Toolkit

 The Pacific Basin Information Node (PBIN) technical staff is participating in the development of a Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) Nodes Portal Toolkit (NPT). The primary goal of the portal toolkit project is to develop an open-source platform for aggregation and dissemination of regional biodiversity-related content. Content will include but not be limited to species factsheets, observation records, publications, and spatial data.  In December 2009, GBIF Node Managers (including PBIN technical staff) met in Montreal to explore the development of the NPT. The group developed a draft action plan that will be carried out by        representatives from PBIN, the Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility, and the African Biodiversity consortium.  Initial tasks will be to conduct a user requirements document and implement a draft content management system based on the London Natural History Museum ScratchPads biodiversity portal project. A test interface will be demonstrated at the GBIF Nodes meeting in Seoul, Korea, in October 2010.

(Photo: Red-eyed Tree Frog (Agalychnis callidryas), Costa Rica.  Photo by Gregory Basco, 2003.  Courtesy of GBIF)

Hawaii Early Detection Network Update

The Hawaii Early Detection Network has conducted invasive species identification workshops with the Pacific Whale Foundation, Maui County road crews in Hana, and the nearly 100 U.S. Department of Agriculture-Animal Plant Health Inspection Service baggage inspectors. This partnership between the Pacific Basin Information Node (PBIN), the Island Invasive Species Committees (ISCs), and the state of Hawaii trains members of the public to become the “eyes and ears” on the watch for new invasive pests. All participants in the workshops learned how to conduct tests for little fire ant (Wasmannia auropunctata), one of the newest invaders of Maui County.  The little fire ant is considered one of the “world’s worst” invaders by the IUCN SSC Invasive Species Specialist Group and has major detrimental environmental and economic impacts on other Pacific islands.  Participants are encouraged to report all suspicious invasive plants and animals to the PBIN invasive species reporting system.

(Photo: Little fire ant (Wasmannia auropunctata); Image: SM Gallagher, AntWeb, hosted by California Academy of Sciences.

Maui County Geospatial Technology Collaboration

Pacific Basin Information Node (PBIN) is working with Maui Community College (MCC) and Maui to develop a geospatial information infrastructure, based at MCC that will serve as an archive and point of dissemination for cultural, natural resource, and urban landscape spatially referenced data. The technological infrastructure and source data sets (e.g., biodiversity data, culturally significant locations, historic structures, etc.) will provide a focal point for inter-disciplinary instruction, student internships, and hands-on work experience. For more information, visit the Pacific Basin Information Node (PBIN) website.

Photo: Geographic Location of Hawaii and the U.S. Pacific Island Territories (Guam, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa)

Image Source: http://www.nsrc.org/OCEANIA/oceania.html