The IPY has concluded in March

Mar 31, 2009 13:36 GMT  ·  By
Nearly all Antarctic wildlife species have been documented in the new SCAR-MarBIN scientific database
   Nearly all Antarctic wildlife species have been documented in the new SCAR-MarBIN scientific database

The Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research's (SCAR) again finds itself at the forefront of scientific advancements, with the completion of the first set of databases meant to give naturalists, biologists and everyone else interested access to the first complete marine census in history.

This March, the International Polar Year (IPY) has come to an end, and its end has seen the creation of a number of scientific databases, containing knowledge about the Antarctic animals themselves, as well as about their interactions and the regions in which they live.

“SCAR-MarBIN [SCAR's Marine Biodiversity Information Network] is a unique tool that allows over a hundred international datasets to be searched and shown on one map. This is the first time such a huge amount of Antarctic biodiversity information has been brought together and is leading to a much better understanding of how and where life in this frozen ocean exists,” British Antarctic Survey (BAS) expert Huw Griffiths said.

“Since the data are standardized, a seamless exchange of information can take place with other online marine database networks, including the Ocean Biogeographic Information System (OBIS) or the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF),” the expert added.

“The best international science relies on effective communication. Given the remoteness of Antarctica and the many nations contributing to its study, a mechanism for ensuring fast and effective information flow is essential. SCAR-MarBIN provides that mechanism in an exemplary way,” BAS scientist Professor Andrew Clarke explained.

“Since its inception SCAR-MarBIN has rapidly established itself as an invaluable tool for allowing a global community not only to gain access to data, but also to analyze and visualize it in innovative and powerful ways. Without doubt, SCAR-MarBIN is now the most important tool for marine ecologists and oceanographers working in the southern polar regions, and its newest version will, without question, increase its value to the scientific community,” he pointed out.

Because it's widely available, the new system allows experts to instantly find and download information about any species or ecosystem they want to learn more of. This level of access will only go to further improve scientific knowledge worldwide, and will make it easier for researchers to resort to a standardized database while compiling the information they need for their own expeditions, whose results will also be added to the data banks.