The Freshwater Information Platform is launched

Four European research institutes have launched an online platform to make information from a large set of freshwater ecosystem research activities accessible to all. The Freshwater Information Platform offers a forum for information exchange and open-access publishing of maps and data, and aims to stimulate cutting-edge research and collaborations in the field. The Platform provides a unique and comprehensive knowledge base for sustainable and evidence-based management of our threatened freshwater ecosystems and the resources they provide.

EMODNet Jamboree and Public Conference - 20-22 October 2015

The next general EMODnet Biology meeting will take place 21-22 October, 2015 in Oostende, Belgium. The meeting will be co-organised with the other EMODnet thematic project meetings, and will be preceded by a Public Conference with all EMODnet Partners and different external stakeholders (20 October 2015, De Grote Post, Oostende).

Third issue of the Bulletin of Land Surface Dynamics (second half of 2014) is now available online.

Bulletin of the LifeWatch Wallonia-Brussels project is now available for download.

SMEBD dissolved by decision of the council

The SMEBD council would like to officially inform you that the Society for the Management of Electronic Biodiversity Data (SMEBD) has been dissolved by decision of the council.

FixO3 workshop yields many new users of the Belgian LifeWatch e-Lab

LifeWatch, EurOBIS and EMODnet Biology were presented at the FixO3 workshop in Bremen.

Current open positions at the GBIF Secretariat

The GBIF Secretariat currently has three job openings within the informatics team based in Copenhagen.

LifeWatch supports the Catalogue of Life Global Team meeting @VLIZ

The Global Team and Board of Directors of the Catalogue of Life have met at the Flanders Marine Institute to discuss the strategic plan for the Catalogue and how these goals can be accomplished. Back-to-back with these meetings, a mini-symposium was organized, offering a discussion platform to users, providers and related networks and initiatives to the Catalogue of Life.

World Register of Marine Introduced Species (WRIMS) officially launched

WRIMS – a database of introduced and invasive alien marine species – has officially been released to the public. It includes more than 1,400 marine species worldwide, compiled through the collaboration with international initiatives and study of almost 2,500 publications.

PRESS RELEASE: Four newly discovered marine species added to world list WoRMS every day

The World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) confirms that currently 228,450 marine animal and plant species are known. A critical analysis has identified almost half the names assigned over two and a half centuries to ocean dwelling creatures as redundant aliases; they turned out to be synonyms. But still every day new species are discovered and described. In 2014 alone, some 1,451 new-to-science marine creatures were added to WoRMS — an average of four per day.

The renewed Belgian LifeWatch website is launched!

The renewed LifeWatch.be website brings together all contributions of the Belgian LifeWatch partners.