Maryland Biodiversity Project

Maryland Biodiversity Project
Name	Maryland Biodiversity Project
Formation	2010
Founder	Steve Hofmann
Type	Nonprofit
Headquarters	Baltimore, Maryland
Region served	Maryland

Maryland Biodiversity Project The Maryland Biodiversity Project is an online natural history database and community science initiative focused on documenting species across Maryland. It aggregates observational records, photographs, and distribution maps to support research, conservation, and education involving institutions such as the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, the Smithsonian Institution, and regional universities. The Project collaborates with museums, botanical gardens, and citizen science platforms to increase knowledge of flora and fauna in ecosystems ranging from the Chesapeake Bay estuary to the Appalachian highlands.

Overview

The Project functions as a centralized repository for species accounts, linking observational data with authoritative sources including the United States Geological Survey, the National Audubon Society, and the Botanical Society of America. It hosts multimedia content that complements collections at the National Museum of Natural History, the Maryland Center for History and Culture, and local naturalist societies such as the Maryland Native Plant Society. The site integrates taxonomic frameworks from organizations like the International Union for Conservation of Nature, the Integrated Taxonomic Information System, and the Biodiversity Heritage Library to ensure consistency across records.

History and development

Founded in 2010 by naturalist Steve Hofmann, the Project evolved from regional species lists maintained by volunteer experts associated with the Maryland Entomological Society, the Delaware Museum of Natural History, and academic researchers at the University of Maryland, College Park. Early collaborations included data sharing with the Chesapeake Bay Program and specimen exchanges with the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University. Growth was driven by partnerships with citizen science networks such as iNaturalist, eBird, and the Global Biodiversity Information Facility, and by outreach to educators at institutions like Johns Hopkins University and Towson University.

Mission and activities

The Project's mission aligns with conservation goals advanced by the National Park Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Nature Conservancy by documenting distributional changes, invasive species incursions, and rare taxa occurrences in Maryland. Activities include producing species pages, photographic field guides, and distribution maps used by staff at the Maryland Department of Natural Resources Wildlife and Heritage Service and by researchers at the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science. The Project supports monitoring programs related to the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and collaborates with regional land trusts such as the Audubon Naturalist Society and the Potomac Conservancy.

Data collection and methodology

Observational records are contributed by volunteers, naturalists, and professional biologists and are vetted by expert reviewers affiliated with organizations like the Maryland Lepidopterists and the Herpetological Association of Maryland and DC. Methodologies reference standards established by the Federation of Virginia Herpetology, the American Ornithological Society, and the Entomological Society of America for identification, georeferencing, and specimen documentation. Photographs and metadata are cross-checked against museum specimens in collections at the Peabody Museum of Natural History and the Harvard Museum of Comparative Zoology, and occurrence data are formatted for interoperability with the Global Biodiversity Information Facility and the Integrated Digitized Biocollections initiative.

Projects and partnerships

The Project has undertaken targeted surveys in partnership with the Sustainable Fisheries Science Center, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources Fisheries Service, and the Chesapeake Conservancy to map fish, bird, plant, and insect distributions. Collaborative endeavors include pollinator monitoring aligned with the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation and wetland assessments coordinated with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Maryland Coastal Bays Program. Educational partnerships involve the Maryland Science Center, the Howard County Conservancy, and K–12 programs supported by the Maryland State Department of Education.

Impact and outreach

The Project informs state-level conservation planning used by agencies such as the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and contributes occurrence records to national datasets maintained by the U.S. Geological Survey and the National Phenology Network. Outreach initiatives include workshops with the Audubon Society, public lectures hosted by the Maryland Historical Society, and resources for teachers coordinated with the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibit Service. Its data have supported publications in journals associated with the American Naturalist and the Journal of Biogeography and have aided restoration projects conducted by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and local land trusts.

Category:Organizations based in Maryland Category:Biodiversity databases