Expressions of Intent for International Polar Year 2007-2008 Activities

Expression of Interest Details

PROPOSAL INFORMATION

SCAR-MarBIN: the information dimension of Antarctic Marine Biodiversity  (SCAR-MarBIN)

Outline
The Antarctic marine biodiversity has an exclusive value due to its relatively pristine state, its highly adapted character and its presumed sensitivity to environmental changes. Its knowledge is patchy: benthic fauna of a few parts of the continental shelf and near-shore regions have been quite well studied, as well as the biology of some pelagic species, such as Antarctic krill. For the most part almost nothing is known about the mesopelagic, bathy/abysso-pelagic and benthic fauna of the slopes and deep sea abyssal plains, nor about the tiny organisms (bacteria, archaea, eukarya, viruses, nanoplankton) in the sea wherever they occur and in whatever habitats. Knowledge of life under the sea ice is, at best, fragmentary. Moreover, most existing biodiversity information is widely scattered and not easily accessible, although the use of this highly needed information may reach its utmost potential once the required data become highly available in digitised format through integrated information networks.The SCAR-MarBIN (Marine Biodiversity Information Network) project aims at establishing and supporting a distributed system of interoperable databases, that will form a coordinated network, placed under the aegis of SCAR (Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research). SCAR-MarBIN will co-ordinate, support, complete and optimize such databases networking or integrating efforts in order to give a single and easy access to the marine biodiversity information and to maximize the exploitation of these resources.This network will leave a highly valuable legagy for future generations, in the form of a powerful information tool, which will provide a reference for comparison with the future and past.In the framework of the IPY, SCAR-MarBIN will constitute the information component of the SCAR-Census of Antarctic Marine Life (CAML) project. CAML is a 5-year project that will focus the attention of the public on the ice-bound oceans of Antarctic during the International Polar Year (IPY) in 2007/08. Its main objective is to study the evolution of life in Antarctic waters to determine how this has influenced the diversity of the present biota, and to use these observations to modelize its responses to climate change. By presenting and linking CaML resources, SCAR-MarBIN will allow the exploitation of data emerging from an unprecedented multi-scale investigation effort, leading in turn to a better understanding of the diversity and status of Antarctic marine life.

What significant advance(s) in relation to the IPY themes and targets can be anticipated from this project?
Theme 1: SCAR-MarBIN will manage valuable marine biodiversity data. Marine habitats which are under-represented in the literature will receive special attention.Theme 2: SCAR-MarBIN will provide the necessary tools to integrate and disseminate data that will be exploitable in the future, and which will represent a reference point.Theme 3: SCAR-MarBIN will help in answering key questions regarding speciation mechanisms in the Antarctic and their relationships with environmental parameters.Theme 4: SCAR-MarBIN will manage data which will most probably reveal new patterns and structure in overall Antarctic ecosystems, more specifically in deeper parts of the oceans.

What international collaboration is involved in this project?
As a component of CAML, SCAR-MarBIN will be an international structure in its essence. It can only work through close collaboration with many nations, at individual and institutional levels.

FIELD ACTIVITY DETAILS

Geographical location(s) for the proposed field activities:
The geographical range of data will rely directly upon CAML coverage. It hopes to cover a circum-Antarctic area (ideally Indian, Atlantic and Pacific ocean sectors), knowing that participating ships will probably remain in their “usual” operational sector.

Approximate timeframe(s) for proposed field activities:
Arctic: 08/07 – 04/08 (CAML)            
Antarctic: n/a

Significant facilities will be required for this project:
No significant logistic support/facilities will be specifically needed for SCAR-MarBIN, it will rely on those used in the framework of CAML.

Will the project leave a legacy of infrastructure?
The project will leave a legacy in the form of an internet portal providing a single access to a system of interoperable databases.

How is it envisaged that the required logistic support will be secured?
Consortium
Own national polar operator
National agency

Has the project been "endorsed" at a national or international level?
Y At national level, SCAR-MarBIN has been endorsed by the Belgian Science policy, which has committed five-persons-years to the development of the Network.At international level, SCAR-MarBIN has been endorsed by SCAR as the information component of Census of Antarctic Marine Life programme (CAML), and as an integral part of its programme “Evolution and Biodiversity in Antarctica” (EBA). The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation (NY, USA) has agreed to fund SCAR-MarBIN activities (coordination, workshops costs, specific travel) from January 2005 for five years.SCAR-MarBIN has also been endorsed by the international Census of Marine Life (CoML) and Ocean Biogeographic Information System (OBIS).

PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND STRUCTURE

Is the project a short-term expansion (over the IPY 2007-2008 timeframe) of an existing plan, programme or initiative or is it a new autonomous proposal?


Component of an existing or planned activity SCAR-MarBIN is an integral part of CAML, which falls into a series of related projects such as the decanal CoML (Census of Marine Life). CAML will run for five years, and will comprise the Southern Ocean part of the wider CoML.

How will the project be organised and managed?
The international organization of SCAR-MarBIN will interact with different entities, directly, or through committees. During the starting phase, a Steering Committee will be setup, and will include representatives from international initiatives (SCAR Life Science Standing Group, Joint Committee on Antarctic Data Management, OBIS) as well as representatives from national organization.SCAR-MarBIN will keep close contacts with appropriate international organisations (in particular GBIF, OBIS and ENBI) in order to follow advances in terms of technical developments, standards and procedures.SCAR-MarBIN will require a small permanent team and will be managed by a biologist-coordinator under the supervision of the project promoter (delegate to SCAR).

What are the initial plans of the project for addressing the education, outreach and communication issues outlined in the Framework document?
SCAR-MarBIN plans to setup and launch a website in early 2005. Communication will take place mostly through the Internet, using up-to-date technology.

What are the initial plans of the project to address data management issues (as outlined in the Framework document?
SCAR-MarBIN was adopted by SCAR to setup the Antarctic marine biodiversity information network. As well as making data accessible through a single access point, SCAR-MarBIN will provide data to the Ocean Biodiversity Information System (OBIS), as required by CoML.

How is it proposed to fund the project?
Funds for the necessary staff (coordinator, IT specialist) as well as operation costs, equipement and subcontracting will be met by the Belgian Science policy.Complementary funds for the coordination of SCAR-MarBIN (1 year) including specific travel funds and workshops organization will be met by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation (NY, USA) and SCAR.

Is there additional information you wish to provide?
SCAR-MarBIN will rapidly grow into an international consortium with activities ranging from harmonization of a wide variety of databases, optimization of their interoperability to dissemination of the information at the global level. SCAR-MarBIN will provide the means to understand the effects of environmental changes on Antarctic marine biodiversity, allowing the integration of enormous amounts of data to reach unprecedented modelization power.

PROPOSER DETAILS

Dr Bruno Danis
29, rue Vautier
Brussels
1000
Belgium

Tel: +32(2)6274272
Mobile: +32(486)934398
Fax: +32(2)6274277
Email:

Other project members and their affiliation