MarBEF Data System
MarBEF Data System (Marine Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functioning) was a project of the European Union's Network of Excellence which served as a platform to integrate and disseminate knowledge and expertise on marine biodiversity, with links to researchers, industry, stakeholders and the general public. The program was funded by the EU and formally ended in 2009.[1] MarBEF consisted of 94 European marine institutes.
While the initial MarBEF project has ended, work continues through numerous related projects including the European Ocean Biogeographic Information System, the European Register of Marine Species, the European Marine Gazetteer, and includes a related Marine Biodiversity Wiki and MarBEF Open Archive.[2] The data system's online Register of Resources (RoR) includes the details of over 1,000 European marine biology experts and their affiliated institutions and publications.[2]
The European Register of Marine Species
The European Register of Marine Species (commonly known by the acronym ERMS) is an authoritative taxonomic list of species occurring in the European marine environment. The ERMS was founded in 1998 by grant from the EU's Marine Science and Technology Programme and the project covers species of the kingdoms Animalia, Plantae, Fungi and Protoctista occurring in the marine environment over a wide geographic range. The marine area within the scope of the ERMS includes the continental shelf seas of Europe as well as the Mediterranean shelf, Baltic Seas and deep-sea areas.[3] The database contains the records of tens of thousands of marine species.[4]
The World Register of Marine Species grew out of the ERMS.[5]
ERMS executive committee
The executive committee of the project includes:[3] Dr. Mark Costello (Chief editor) of the University of Auckland, Prof. Philippe Bouchet of the Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Prof. Geoff Boxshall of the United Kingdom's Natural History Museum, and Mr. Ward Appeltans from UNESCO's Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission.
References
- ^ "MarBEF home page". MarBEF. Retrieved August 24, 2013.
- ^ a b "Marine Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functioning - MarBEF". EuroMarine. Retrieved August 24, 2013.
- ^ a b "The European Register of Marine Species". MarBEF. Retrieved August 24, 2013.
- ^ "Statistics". MarBEF. Retrieved August 24, 2013.
- ^ "About". World Register of Marine Species. Retrieved August 24, 2013.