Since 1990 the research unit has worked on the compilation of large databases in support of global sustainable use of fish resources by humans. These information systems and data providing channels are coordinated by Rainer Froese and are freely accessible on the Internet.
This work has been supported by a number of grants from the European Commission, the German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN), the Future Ocean Cluster of Excellence and several foundations (e.g. the PEW Charitable Trusts).
AquaMaps (www.aquamaps.org) is an ongoing project that currently provides standardized digital range maps for 11,500 species of fishes, marine mammals and invertebrates. Initially a joint project of FishBase and SealifeBase, it is now involved in several European-wide initiatives such as iMarine and EU BON. Extension into the freshwater and terrestrial realms are ongoing with current collaborations with the Swedish Museum of Natural History and the BioFresh Project.
FishBase (www.fishbase.org) is the largest and most extensively accessed online database on the world’s fish species (average of 700,000 visits/month). It currently contains key information on 32,500 species, including 299,600 common names, 52,200 pictures, 48,600 references, and 1,900 collaborators. The database includes information on taxonomy, geographical distribution, biometrics and morphology, behaviour and habitat, ecology and population dynamics as well as reproductive, metabolic and genetic data. FishBase has already provided data for many of our own publications and has over 1,000 citations in the primary literature. The FishBase interface is also tailored for smartphones via www.fishbase.mobi.
Future Ocean Atlas (www.futureoceanatlas.de) is an ongoing project funded by the Future Ocean Cluster of Excellence. The Atlas is a simple web mapping interface that provides easy access to various biological, physical, chemical and socio-economic information about our current and future ocean. It was developed to display Future Ocean project results in a simple visual form that can be easily understood by the general public. The Atlas answers questions such as “What will be the environmental changes anticipated in a given area, and what will be the correlated changes in species composition?”
INCOFISH was a global initiative funded by the European Commission and managed from what was formerly IfM-GEOMAR. Its goal was to conduct specifically targeted strategic research suitable to contribute to the goals set by the World Summit for Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, such as restoring healthy fish stocks and ecosystems by 2015. Project results are still maintained online via www.incofish.org.
SpeciesBase (www.speciesbase.org) was an attempt to extend the successful FishBase format eventually to all species on Earth. At present, the information system presents 73,100 species, including 29,800 fishes, 25,800 algae, 3,500 crustaceans, 3,500 mollusks, 2,500 cnidarians, 142 mammals, 299 birds, 76 reptiles and more. Although currently not funded, it is currently maintained by GEOMAR. SpeciesBase is also tailored for smartphones via www.speciesbase.mobi.
For more information please contact rfroese(at)geomar.de.
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