Many things have changed rapidly and these are unprecedented and stressful times, but one positive for our team now all working remotely are all of the new coworkers!
Due to the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic, many iDigBio-associated events are being re-designed for online participation (or postponed), so iDigBio staff are shifting focus to how we can support the community online. Thanks to the incredible efforts of collections professionals and data aggregators around the world, researchers, educators, policymakers, and anyone else who wants to access biodiversity data from the comfort and safety of their own homes, can. In this unprecedented time, we want to focus our energy in promoting and facilitating the discovery and use of the data we have all worked so hard to mobilize.
Below is a list of services or programs from us and/or our community partners to help you access and use the data:
Worldwide COVID-19 Collaborative Efforts
iDigBio, SPNHC, NSCA, and the Mammalogy community are aligning efforts with the CETAF-DiSSCO Task Force on COVID-19, bringing researchers and collections staff together worldwide to facilitate rapid access and discovery of collections, specimens, tissues relevant for research and education.
BCoN COVID-19 Pandemic Impact on Biodiversity Collections: April 2020 Questionnaire: https://aibs.wufoo.com/forms/biodiversity-collections-network-survey/ Deadline is April 30, 2020.
iDigBio sharing relevant COVID-19 resources
- You can investigate potential COVID-19 Vectors. Find iDigBio specimens that are or could be subsampled for tissue with a dataset ready to go that gathers specimens with known tissue samples from three potential covid19 vector genera (Manis, Paguma, Rhinolophus).
- USA DNA and Genetics Resources List at iDigBio: A list to enable discovery of US-based genetic resources, being updated right now.
- Search the Global Genome Biodiversity Network (GGBN) to discover potential genetic material worldwide. Find out what GGBN has for potential COVID-19 vector genera.
- A recent publication listing all known Mammal tissue collections in the Western Hemisphere. Jonathan L. Dunnum, Bryan S. McLean, Robert C. Dowler, "Mammal collections of the Western Hemisphere: a survey and directory of collections," Journal of Mammalogy, 99(6), 1307-1322, (1 December 2018) https://doi.org/10.1093/jmammal/gyy151
If you know of more resources out there, or networks to collaborate with for amassing what we know about COVID-19 possible vectors and zoonotic-ecological relationships, please let us know.
Virtual Learning and Support Opportunities
Supporting Digitization Efforts and Research Use
- Open Office Hours hosted by the API User Group (R-based)
- Darwin Core Hour webinar series. The Next episode is here.
- 4th Annual Digital Data Conference (June 1-3, 2020): Now Virtual! Hosted by Indiana State University.
- SPNHC 2020 now to be online in June 2020 instead of in-person. A team at SPNHC is working on what this will look like. Stay tuned for details soon.
- ADBC Summit (September 23-25, 2020): Due to the cancellation of the Biodiversity Summit 2020, iDigBio has decided to host a virtual ADBC Summit in lieu of the in person event. Stay tuned for details.
Supporting Educators
- STEM Inclusive Teaching Practices Webinar Series supported by EDSIN (Environmental Data Science Inclusion Network), B(ui)LDS (Biological Universal and Inclusive Learning in Data Science, BLUE (Biodiversity Literacy in Undergraduate Education), and QUBES (Quantitative Undergraduate Biology Education and Synthesis). Find the first episode here.
- Teaching Quantitative Biology Online QUBESHub Group: Includes online educational resources and office hours to support educators in implementing new content online. Our EODI Coordinator has office hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays!
- Extending Specimens: Curators in the Classroom supported by Natural Science Collection Alliance (NSCA), Society for the Preservation of Natural History Collections (SPNHC), Biodiversity Collections Network (BCoN), Extended Specimen Network (ESN), BioQuest, Quantitative Undergraduate Biology Education Synthesis (QUBES), and Biodiversity Literacy in Undergraduate Education (BLUE).
- Also find Collections-based education resources from BLUE, and the ADBC Community. Find some of these resources through QUBES as well --more coming online soon!
- 3D data for vertebrate anatomy on Sketchfab from the oVert Thematic Collections Network:
- Skulls: https://sketchfab.com/ufherps/collections/vertebrate-anatomy-skulls
- Skeletons: https://sketchfab.com/ufherps/collections/vertebrate-anatomy-skeletons
- Herpetology: https://sketchfab.com/ufherps/collections/herpetology-course
- 3D mesh files on MorphoSource: http://bit.ly/MeshSource
Community Science Opportunities
- WeDigBio Lite (April 16-19) All online version just in time for Earth Day!
- Notes from Nature
Please reach out to us if you would like to add to the list! Want to see more iDigBio four-legged friends? Check out the Facebook Photo Album!