Biological diversity information flow in KBIF, its activity and the role to GBIF

Hyung-Seon (Howard) PARK, Ph.D

Korea Institute of Science and Technology Information (KISTI), Daejeon, Korea

Korean Biodiversity Information Facility (KBIF)

GBIF is an international scientific co-operative project based on a multilateral agreement (MoU) between 50 countries and 38 international organizations. GBIF Data Portal serves 145 million biodiversity records of the world through GBIF network at present, and is expected to serve 1 billion records within couple of coming years. Stable and fast access to this data service should be assured to researcher, policy-maker, and general public in global, therefore, GBIF established Data Portal mirror sites on 3 continents: NBII, U.S., BGBM, Germany and KISTI, Korea. Korean GBIF Node, KBIF, is hosting GBIF Data Portal and this mirror site has securing the system and performing seamless data service all around the world. Recently, New GBIF Data Portal has opened by fully functional, providing access to the types of data: Taxonomic names and Specimens and Observations, and it has enhanced with Georeferencing data. KBIF does actively participate and communicate through GBIF network and now contribute the data case of nearly 1.6million records which devoted by 14 data providers sharing to GBIF Data Portal and its total record ranked at 17^th amongst GBIF participant at present (April. 2008). The missions in KBIF are to establish a Korean data network in order to make national biodiversity data to be used freely and universally through internet, and importantly to represent Korea in GBIF network. Also it is included that to establish the information infrastructure for facilitating the usage of data, it leads to serve as the gateway from the data providers to the network. Main activities are to support research and implement on data exchange standards and protocols, so the national biodiversity information management system is evidently required. KBIF operates KBIF data portal system and data repository. It also includes that to become a liaison between the national actors and data holders, and to provide technical assistance to other data providers in order to ease data sharing and work more efficiently, and to carry out training or mentoring activities, particularly, organize serious of training workshop and promote 'Becoming a GBIF Data Provider'. In this short communication, the activity, mission, role, operations of data node and achievements of the KBIF will be delivered and discussed.