Species lists
Information about species is important. Knowing what species exist, where and how they live, how they grow and interact, helps us understand patterns of change, and provides better knowledge of how to change our behaviour to support our fragile biodiversity.
Scientists have so far (2010) described an estimated 1.8 million species of animals, plants, fungi and other organisms. Millions more are believed to exist. Their interactions ensure functioning ecosystems in oceans, freshwater and on land. Many of these may disappear before they have even been named, as climate change, land-use change and other factors take their toll.
There exist already several “Global Species Information Systems". A “Global Species Information System” aims at gathering and making available information on all known species on earth and which serves as a tool for information and awareness raising for the wider public as well as for enhanced scientific cooperation.
An overview of some species lists:
Contents
Global initiatives for species lists
Marine:
- Marinespecies.org (http://www.marinespecies.org/)
- SeaLifeBase (http://www.sealifebase.org)
Marine and terrestrial:
- Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) (http://www.itis.gov)
- Species2000 (http://www.sp2000.org/)
- Species2000 + ITIS: Catalogue of Life (http://www.catalogueoflife.org)
- Wikispecies (http://species.wikimedia.org/)
European initiatives for species lists
Marine:
- European Register of Marine Species (ERMS) (http://www.marbef.org/data/erms.php)
Marine and terrestrial:
- Euromed plant base (http://www.emplantbase.org)
- Fauna Europaea (http://www.faunaeur.org)
Regional marine initiatives for species lists
Marine:
- https://www.marinespecies.org/rams/
- http://www.vliz.be/vmdcdata/narms/
- http://www.marinespecies.org/afremas/
North Atlantic Register for Marine Species
Marine Species Database for Eastern Africa (MASDEA)
SCAR-Marine Biodiversity Information Network (SCAR-MarBIN) Webportal
Species-specific initiatives for species lists
Marine:
- http://www.fishbase.org
- http://www.algaebase.org/
- http://www.marinespecies.org/porifera/
- https://www.marinespecies.org/turbellarians/
- http://nemys.ugent.be/
- http://www.marinespecies.org/cumacea/
- http://www.marinespecies.org/pycnogonida/
Fishbase
Algaebase
Porifera World Database
World database of Proseriata and Kalyptorhynchia - Rhabditophora
Hexacorallians of the World
World database of Mysids and nematodes - Nemys
A database-driven web site on all living cephalopods
World database of Cumacea
World database of Pycnogonida
Other initiatives for species lists
Information pages by aggregating all known data about every living species
Marine and terrestrial
- Encyclopedia of Life (EoL) (http://www.eol.org/).
- WikiSpecies: (http://species.wikimedia.org)
Systems for biogeographic information on marine organisms
Marine:
- EurOBIS (http://www.eurobis.org)
- OBIS Ocean Biogeographic Information System (http://www.obis.org/)
Systems for global biodiversity information
Marine and terrestrial:
- GBIF Global Biodiversity Information System (http://www.gbif.org/)
- Biodiversity Heritage Library (BHL) (http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
References
Please note that others may also have edited the contents of this article.
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