Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)
•The purpose of GBIF is to make the world
biodiversity data freely and universally available.
Biodiversity (biological diversity) refers, collectively, to all the world’s species of plants, animals and microorganisms.
•GBIF aims to “create an interoperable” whole of all the different facilities that house biodiversity data. 
•GBIF will leverage existing national and regional nodes into one data access facility through efforts “to design, implement, co-ordinate, and promote the compilation, linking, standardization, digitisation, and global dissemination of the world’s biodiversity data . . .”
•GBIF does not fund the nodes.
Global Biodiversity Information Facility
In the long term, GBIF will provide a portal that enables simultaneous queries against biodiversity, molecular, genetic, ecological and ecosystem level databases, which will facilitate and enable "data mining" of unprecedented utility and scientific merit.

Since GBIF is not yet operating, the researchers also researched other biodiversity access facilities to understand issues of access to biodiversity data and issues regarding the implementation of GBIF’s aims.