ºÙºÙÊÓƵ

The National Biological Information Infrastructure is to establish an informatics "node" at the University of California, Davis. The NBII is an interagency federal program to build an information network for biology and the environment. The U.S. Geological Survey leads the program. The ºÙºÙÊÓƵ node is one of eight to be established nationwide. It will provide online access to data on subjects such as government and private conservation projects, migratory birds, disappearing amphibians and fish, the effects of urban sprawl, threats from invasive species, and the Endangered Species Act. Universities, museums, park services, and state and federal agencies are collecting information such as maps, images, climate records, and plant and animal surveys on their computers, but these databases are highly fragmented, said ºÙºÙÊÓƵ ecologist Jim Quinn who is interim director of the ºÙºÙÊÓƵ node. "We need to integrate this data, some of which goes back to the 19th century, and make it useful to scientists, the public and politicians," said Quinn. NBII is a national effort to coordinate these rich resources and to make them available online as maps, databases and bibliographies. As part of the NBII, ºÙºÙÊÓƵ will receive a share of this year's $8 million budget to develop standards for biological data and to create links between datasets. The money will create permanent new staff positions and fund postdoctoral researchers, and is expected to grow considerably over the next few years. It will build on existing projects at ºÙºÙÊÓƵ, such as the Information Center for the Environment. "There's a combination of technical and biological interpretation needed, to make this information available to the public through high-speed access," said Quinn. An early objective for the NBII is to complete directories of biodiversity -- lists of animals and plants -- in California state parks, U.S. national parks, and ultimately parks and reserves around the world. Another is to develop international standards for invasive species information. An information center featuring maps, fact sheets and control strategies for California invasive species ranging from giant reeds to fire ants is planned for this year. Funding for the new NBII nodes was included in the federal budget for fiscal year 2001, approved by Congress in January this year. More information: ,