Azores Bioportal - PORBIOTA
Summary
The Azorean Biodiversity Portal E-Infrastructure was approved by FCT for the National Research Infrastructure in the Roadmap.
The approval of Azorean Biodiversity Portal by the Portuguese E-Infrastructure Roadmap, will guarantee financial support between 2015 and 20120 and the improvement of the Portal and new products.
This is quite an important achievement for this regional Biodiversity Portal. The Azorean Biodiversity Portal (ABP) is a key e-infrastructure for the integrated management of biodiversity data of the Azores, providing a large number of specialized services supporting research, policy and education.
The evaluators considered that the submitted proposal lists some significant policy integration opportunities with Azorean government using the portal as part of its conservation activities for protected areas, as well as for the sustainable management of biodiversity relating to agriculture, forestry and fisheries.
This was the first Biodiversity Portal in Portugal, starting in 2008, and the only one which provides easy access to island biodiversity data. ABP is currently recognized as a valuable outreach, management and conservation tool for all who work in science and protection of biodiversity. The 3000 visits per day, the numerous international scientific collaborations, resulting in publications and academic thesis, and the connection with other prestigious databases demonstrate the Portal’s scientific quality as well as its general appeal.
This project initiated in 2008 under the leadership of researchers from the Azorean Biodiversity Group (CITA_A) based in the Dep. of Agrarian Sciences in Terceira Island and included also the collaboration with researchers from the CIBIO-Azores based in the Dep. Biology of the Univ of Azores and more recently researchers from IMAR-DOP in Horta. In this moment the Portal is being funded by Azorean Science Ministry (project ATLANTISMAR).
The main ABP action lines are to:
- improve the informatics system of the e-infrastructure to allow complex queries and improve user-friendliness
- guarantee a rigorous classification for every species, providing updated comprehensive checklists, ensuring accuracy on the compilation of biogeographical information; this is the backbone of the Portal and all its products and services
- provide innovative biodiversity analytical tools for both researchers and community members and invite them to contribute data to the Portal, establishing effective science communication
Funding Institution
Azores PO 2020
Partners
PORBIOTA - CIBIO
ICOS - Portugal
LTER -Portugal