Island Biology 2016: mobilizing natural history collections data for research use

Digitized natural history collections: research uses for understanding island biodiversity, biogeography, and communities

Abstract: Changes in digital technology have made it possible to collect, use, re-use, and share natural history collections and environmental data more easily. Researchers now have access to ever larger data sets for visualization, analysis, and modeling. In our workshop, we present a broad array of examples of the latest developments in island biodiversity research using specimen data from terrestrial and surrounding oceans habitats, including genomics, habitat assessment, phenology, biogeography, and taxonomic revisions. We present current trends in collecting and vouchering of specimens and field data, methods and tools for efficient digitization and mobilization of the specimen data, and tools and skills needed for visualizing the data. We then highlight how the data are being used, especially for research that expands our understanding and conservation of island biodiversity and our environment.

Logistics

Meeting website: http://www.islandbiology2016.uac.pt
Conference dates: 18-22 July 2016; the Workshop is scheduled for Tuesday, 19 July 2016, 15:00-19:00, Auditorium of the Centro Cultural e de Congressos de Angra do Heroísmo
Location: University of Azores at Angra do Heroísmo, Terceira Island, Azores, Portugal

Travel and Accommodation: see the meeting website http://www.islandbiology2016.uac.pt for tips, reduced rates and general information.

Open to all conference participants, but must indicate attendance upon registration.

Agenda

Brief Introduction
-- Shelley James, Deb Paul & Matt Collins (iDigBio) "Integrated Digitized Biocollections (iDigBio): mobilizing natural history collections for understanding island biodiversity"

Data creation, mobilization, and tools
-- Shelley James (iDigBio) "Collecting experiences in Melanesia - best practices for efficient digitization"
-- Deborah Paul (iDigBio) "Biological Collections Data: best practices and trends for standards, digitization, and biodiversity informatics literacy for research use of collections data"
-- Matthew Collins (iDigBio/ACIS) "Accessing Digital Collections Data Sources For Research – A Tour of iDigBio Data Services"
-- Paulo Borges & Rosalina Gabriel (University of Azores) "Challenges for digitization of Azores bryophyte and arthropod biodiversity: the Azores Bioportal initiative"
-- Rosemary Gillespie (University of California, Berkeley) "HOLOS: Integrating Biological and Environmental Data to Assess Ecological and Evolutionary Response to Change"
-- Terry Donaldson (University of Guam) "The Guam Ecosystem Collaboratorium’s Biorepository Project"

Data use cases
-- Jon Price (University of Hawaii, Hilo) "The role of herbaria in research on Pacific Island floras"
-- Tom Schils (University of Guam) "Herbarium Data Mining to Trace Invasion History and Assess Invasion Risk of Marine Pest Species in Tropical Pacific Islands"
-- Student flash presentations
--- Katie Peterson (University of Idaho) "Documenting and Digitizing Specimens from a Weird and Scenic Landscape: Utilizing and Enhancing Collections to Understand Patterns of Biodiversity"
--- Sabhrina Gita Aninta (Ludwig Maximilians University) "An insight about species turnover from bat species records on Siberut Islands, Indonesia"
--- Jun Ying Lim (University of California, Berkeley) "The role of niche differentiation and conservatism in the diversification of island plant clades"
--- Andy Rominger (University of California, Berkeley) "Harnessing biocollections data with hierarchical models to understand homogenization of island biotas"

Discussion topics
-- What are the advantages and pitfalls in using natural history specimen data for island research?
-- What are the data gaps - important collections that are currently missing, and ideas for mobilizing data and funding sources?
-- What are some of the skills and tools collections personnel and researchers need to mobilize and use island biodiversity collections; where and how can they obtain them? -- iDigBio portal demonstrations