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| Hawaiian Biodiversity Information Network | |
|---|---|
| Name | Hawaiian Biodiversity Information Network |
| Formation | 2000s |
| Type | Biodiversity data network |
| Headquarters | Honolulu, Hawaii |
| Region served | Hawaiian Islands |
Hawaiian Biodiversity Information Network
The Hawaiian Biodiversity Information Network is a regional data network supporting biodiversity informatics, natural history collections, and conservation planning across the Hawaiian Islands. It aggregates specimen records, observational data, and metadata from museums, herbaria, and research institutions such as the Bishop Museum, University of Hawaiʻi, and National Tropical Botanical Garden to inform policy decisions in contexts like the Hawaiʻi State Legislature and federal conservation efforts. The Network works closely with agencies including the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service, and United States Geological Survey to support species recovery plans for taxa listed under the Endangered Species Act.
The Network's mission emphasizes digital access to Hawaiian biota specimens, specimen metadata, and observational datasets to support science, management, and public engagement. Key objectives align with initiatives from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility, Smithsonian Institution, and Consortium of Pacific Herbaria to mobilize biodiversity data for projects such as species distribution modeling by researchers at the Hawaiʻi Institute of Marine Biology and the Pacific Biosciences Research Center. Activities support conservation frameworks used by the State of Hawaiʻi Department of Land and Natural Resources and United States Fish and Wildlife Service recovery teams for taxa like the ʻAlalā and Hawaiian monk seal.
The Network emerged in the early 21st century amid digitization trends led by institutions such as the Natural History Museum, London, and Harvard University Herbaria, and was influenced by federal programs like the National Science Foundation's Advancing Digitization of Biodiversity Collections. Founding contributors included curators from Bishop Museum, Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum Archives, and University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, with early funding partnerships involving the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The initiative expanded through collaborations with regional projects such as the Pacific Islands Ocean Observing System and the Pacific Islands Fish and Wildlife Office, and was shaped by conservation milestones including listings under the Endangered Species Act and international agreements like the Convention on Biological Diversity.
Governance combines advisory boards, institutional partners, and data stewards drawn from entities like the University of Hawaiʻi system, Bishop Museum, National Tropical Botanical Garden, and Haleakalā National Park. Operational oversight often involves representatives from the State of Hawaiʻi Department of Land and Natural Resources, United States Fish and Wildlife Service, and Smithsonian Institution scientists, while technical governance aligns with standards promoted by GBIF, DataONE, and the Biodiversity Information Standards (TDWG) organization. Funding and strategic direction have involved philanthropic partners such as the Moore Foundation and federal funders including the National Science Foundation and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
The Network aggregates specimen records from natural history collections including the Bishop Museum Herbarium, University of Hawaiʻi Insect Museum, and Hawaiʻi State Archives, and observational data from platforms used by researchers affiliated with NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center and the Pacific Cooperative Studies Unit. Services include data cleaning consistent with Darwin Core, georeferencing protocols used by the Global Biodiversity Information Facility, and online portals modeled after the Integrated Digitized Biocollections and iDigBio. Datasets support ecological studies published by authors affiliated with the Pacific Islands Fish and Wildlife Office, Mānoa research groups, and international collaborators at institutions such as the University of California, Berkeley and University of Washington.
Research supported by the Network has informed recovery plans developed by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and conservation strategies implemented by the State of Hawaiʻi Department of Land and Natural Resources and the Nature Conservancy Hawaiʻi. Programs target endemic taxa including Hawaiian honeycreepers, Hawaiian lobelioids, and native marine fauna such as the Hawaiian monk seal, involving partners like the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, Haleakalā National Park, and the Maui Nui Seabird Recovery Project. Educational outreach leverages museum education programs at Bishop Museum, university extension programs from the University of Hawaiʻi, and K–12 initiatives coordinated with the Hawaiʻi Department of Education to promote stewardship exemplified by community efforts in Hanalei, Hāna, and Hilo.
The Network collaborates with international and regional organizations including the Global Biodiversity Information Facility, iDigBio, Smithsonian Institution, and regional agencies such as the Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center and Pacific Cooperative Studies Unit. Institutional partners include Bishop Museum, University of Hawaiʻi, National Tropical Botanical Garden, and federal land management agencies like the National Park Service and United States Fish and Wildlife Service, while NGO collaborators include The Nature Conservancy Hawaiʻi and local organizations involved in watershed restoration and invasive species control on islands such as Oʻahu, Maui, Kauaʻi, and Hawaiʻi (Big Island).
Technical infrastructure adheres to community standards such as Darwin Core, TDWG protocols, and GBIF exchange formats, and employs tools and platforms used by iDigBio, the Atlas of Living Australia, and DataONE for data aggregation, API services, and persistent identifier resolution. Georeferencing follows best practices promoted by the Biodiversity Information Standards organization and integrative modeling workflows used by researchers at the Hawaiʻi Institute of Marine Biology and NOAA, enabling applications in species distribution modeling, habitat mapping, and environmental impact assessments for projects under the Hawaiʻi Environmental Policy Act and Marine Mammal Protection Act.
Category:Biodiversity databases Category:Environment of Hawaii