What is IndOBIS?

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About IndOBIS:

Indian Ocean Biodiversity Information System (IndOBIS) is the Indian regional node of the global Ocean Biodiversity Information System (OBIS).
It is hosted by the Centre for Marine Living Resources & Ecology (CMLRE), Kochi.
IndOBIS collects data of taxonomically resolved marine species occurrence records from the Indian Ocean and contributes to the OBIS as one of the 30 regional nodes of the Ocean Biodiversity Information System OBIS.
What is OBIS?
- It is one of the largest global repositories of information on marine species, containing millions of records from thousands of datasets contributed by researchers, governments, and organisations worldwide.
- It provides detailed information on species distribution across the world’s oceans, including data on their occurrence, habitats, and environmental parameters.
- It offers tools and services that allow users to search, visualise, and download biodiversity data.
- It is supported by a network of nearly 30 regional nodes contributing data while ensuring the data’s quality and accessibility.
- It is a ready reference resource in marine science, conservation, and education.
- It has been set up by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO for promoting marine science, conservation, and sustainable development.
- It is now an integral component of the International Oceanographic Data and Information Exchange (IODE) of IOC.

Q1: What is the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission?

It promotes international cooperation in marine sciences to improve management of the ocean, coasts and marine resources. The IOC enables its 150 Member States, and India has been a member of this commission since 1946. It works together by coordinating programmes in capacity development, ocean observations and services, ocean science, tsunami warning and ocean literacy.

Source: The Centre for Marine Living Resources and Ecology (CMLRE) organises national-level workshop on IndOBIS: enhancing marine biodiversity documentation, research, and conservation