From paper to cloud: elevating text from specimens and field notes to the web.

Transcription

1 From paper to cloud: elevating text from specimens and field notes to the web. Leslie W. Powrie Kirstenbosch Research Centre South African National Biodiversity Institute Private Bag X7, Claremont, 7735, South Africa

2 Basic biodiversity data are essential In this Biodiversity Planning Forum 2014 we have heard about initiatives for which basic biodiversity data are essential Key Biodiversity Areas Biodiversity Planning Biodiversity informatics Municipal Biodiversity Summaries Invasive species Biodiversity Monitoring Framework Environmental management of the ocean

3 Basic biodiversity data are essential And that is just in the first day! There is a wealth of basic biodiversity information tied up with specimens in herbaria and museums, and in field notes

4 Where are we at present? SABIF: 11 million records (all organisms) About plant data are in SABIF About 80 herbaria in South Africa Only 19 of these are in SABIF Only parts of 4 herbaria in SANBI BRAHMS (PRE, NBG, SAM, NH)

5 Where are we at present? SABONET specimens digitised 10 participating countries Since there are only about plant data are in SABIF, where are the other major herbaria?

6 Where are we at present? About 2.8 million specimens in the 8 largest herbaria of South Africa National Herbarium (PRE), the largest herbarium in Africa and the fourth largest in the southern hemisphere 1.2 million specimens over databased Compton Herbarium (NBG, SAM, STE) specimens 13% have been databased

7 Where are we at present? Still about specimens in SANBI herbaria alone still to be databased A portion of the approximately remaining specimens in other herbaria in South Africa still to be databased A further 3 million specimens in the 14 largest herbaria elsewhere in Africa

8 Where are we at present? About 10 million non-botanical specimens in museums in South Africa 67 collections 21 institutions Largest collection is terrestrial invertebrates, birds, reptiles, terrestrial mammals, marine invertebrates and mammals, and fish in Iziko Museum 70% of this collection is not accessioned and is unidentified and yet to be databased

9 Where are we at present? GBIF has 429 million records (all organisms) species collections 580 data publishers

10 Where are we at present? Data for South Africa in GBIF is contributed by 30 countries with 705 occurrence datasets with records Data in GBIF published by South Africa comprises 21 occurrence datasets with records, 1 checklist with records, and covers 194 countries, territories and islands

11 Where are we at present? A survey was undertaken in about 2010 which revealed that there were about specimens yet to be databased in the 67 collections in South Africa

12 Georeferencing of specimens QDS may be fine for animals as they are mobile QDS far from ideal for plants, but better than nothing Interestingly, plant data were generally recorded with QDS while insect and other tended to be latitude and longitude

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15 Tada! Fanfare! I ll share an exciting citizen science project that elevates this information, taking it from paper to the cloud.

16 SAFARIS This is where the title of my talk really comes from From paper Specimens Field notes Collecting registers To cloud Indexed Becomes searchable online in the Cloud

17 SAFARIS Southern African Friends and Researchers Indexing Specimens

18 Presently hosted on Atlas of Living Australia

19 Why ALA? Australian Museum has a good working system. Other collections on ALA Smithsonian Institute New York Botanical Garden The Frost Entomological Museum at Pennsylvania State University Finnish Museum of Natural History SANBI

20 Making images of specimens searchable online SAFARIS A Project A batch of specimens from a museum or herbarium collection Field note book, herbarium collection A task A specimen label, or a page from a field note book Indexer Person transcribing text in the image Validator Person doing quality control checking the transcription

21 SAFARIS

22 Now search for saf or africa

23 Select a project

24 Start transcribing

25 Progress thus far Book 1 62 tasks 1860 specimen records Book 2 87 tasks 2934 specimen records

26 Why the three sources?

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31 Give it a try be a volunteer A wonderful way to spend time Far more personal satisfaction than watching TV! Transcribing Georeferencing Validating

32 Give it a try be a volunteer Spread the word Family Friends Botanical Society Schools Clubs Scouts, Guides, Voortrekkers Church

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52 Give it a try be a volunteer Unleash the valuable records and do a good deed or 2 or 20 each day!

53 Thank you Questions? Acknowledgements GIS lab National Vegetation Map Committee Interns Colleagues SANBI Atlas of Living Aurtralia