iDigBio Update for 2016
Dear iDigBio Enthusiasts,
Dear iDigBio Enthusiasts,
-- Contributed by Shelley James & Libby Ellwood, iDigBio
The Biodiversity Information Standards (TDWG) annual meeting in 2016 had the theme of "Standards Supporting Innovation in Biodiversity and Conservation". Understanding the use of biodiversity standards, and having clear and concise documentation, is essential for the creation, aggregation and downstream use of biodiversity data, and it is exciting to see the diverse TDWG community helping to clarify and expand on the already existing data standards. Read more here.
An iDigBio-hosted Symposium at the XIX International Botanical Congress in Shenzhen, China
The Society for Preservation of Natural History Collection's (SPNHC) 2017 Conference, "The Next Generation in Best Practices" is being held in Denver, Colorado, from June 18 - 24, 2017, hosted by the Denver Museum of Nature and Science and the Denver Botanic Gardens.
Contributed by Libby Ellwood and Austin Mast (iDigBio-Florida State University).
Mike Webster (Cornell Lab of Ornithology) and Gil Nelson (iDigBio)
Second Update: Inaugural Digital Data in Biodiversity Research Conference, 5-6 June 2017, Ann Arbor, Michigan. Conference sponsors include iDigBio, the University of Michigan Museum of Zoology, the University of Michigan Herbarium, and the University of Michigan Museum of Paleontology.
Contributed by Deborah Paul (iDigBio – FSU), Shelley James (iDigBio- UF)
Contributed by-- Matthew Collins, Dan Stoner, and Alex Thompson
Downloaded data from iDigBio serve as a base for important biodiversity research. It is important to understand how to interpret the way data are represented in the Darwin Core Archives (DwC-A) that you retrieve from our download system either through the portal or the download API. For more information about our data processes and how to use our data, feel free to email idigbio@acis.ufl.edu.
by Deb Paul
iDigBio had a blast at ICE XXV International Congress of Entomology, held September 25-30, in Orlando, Florida.. The event brought together thousands of scientists from around the world under the theme “Entomology without Borders.” iDigBio staff participated in two symposia, the Insect Expo, and hosted the iDigBio booth in the ICE Exhibit Hall.
Cleared and stained Bowfin, Amia calva UF# 18751 collected in Alachua County, 1970. Photo by Zachary Randall.
Contributed by: Teresa Iturriaga, Rhianna Baldree, Alex Kuhn, Andrew N. Miller
University of Illinois, Illinois Natural History Survey, 1816 South Oak Street, Champaign, IL 61820-6970
We forget because remembering everything is impossible.
We also forget because remembering can be painful and raise too many questions that have no clear answers.
Such is the case regarding many ghost towns. They remind us of the transience of everything.
-- Contributed by Elizabeth R. Ellwood, Florida State University, with Henry L. Bart, Jr., Michael H. Doosey, Dean K. Jue, Justin G. Mann, Gil Nelson, Nelson Rios, Austin R. Mast
Citizen scientists participate in a host of activities that advance scientific research. These individuals are not trained scientists, but their contributions to research enable scientists to scale up their research across taxa and geographies. Read more here.
-- Contributed by Jillian Goodwin, iDigBio, interviewing Sam Droege, USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center
Sam Droege heads the USGS Native Bee Inventory and Monitoring Lab based at the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Maryland, and is working with other researchers to assess the status of bees nationwide.
Images courtesy of Invertebrate Paleontology Division, Yale Peabody Museum
iDigBio’s fourth annual retreat was held on August 26, 2016. The event was held at Camp Weed in Live Oak, FL, which was conveniently located midway between UF and FSU. The retreat provided an opportunity for the diverse staff at iDigBio to celebrate the past year’s accomplishments, develop plans for the future, and get to know one another better.
-- Contributed by Katie Peterson, PhD Student, Parent Lab, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Idaho
I am currently a third year PhD student at the University of Idaho in the Parent Lab. The Parent Lab studies the biodiversity and evolution of organisms that have recently colonized novel, “blank slate”, environments on islands....read more here.
Photo courtesy of the Florida Museum of Natural History Photography Department
For the third straight year, iDigBio hosted a full-day workshop on research methods using digitized herbarium specimen data at the annual Botany conference (Botany 2016, Savannah, GA), sponsored by the Botanical Society of America and its affiliated societies. After successful workshops on Georeferencing (
-- Contributed by Joan Meiners, PhD Student, Ernest Lab, School of Natural Resources and Environment, University of Florida
For my PhD research in Dr. Morgan Ernest's lab at the University of Florida, I am using large datasets of occurrence records of native bees and their habitat associations to try to understand native bee biodiversity and foraging patterns...read more here.