MBON Data

MBON Seascapes
MBON Seascapes provide information about the quality and extent of different oceanographic habitats or features and can be used to assess and predict the different planktonic and fisheries communities that reside within seascapes. Current Seascapes products include monthly and 8-day time steps at 5 km resolution. High resolution (1 km) case studies are planned on a case by case basis as through cooperation with US and global MBON partners.

U.S. MBON Portal
U.S. MBON projects and U.S. IOOS Regional Association biological data that supports MBON objectives are being made available at the Marine Biodiversity Observation Network (MBON) Portal, where users can:

  • Search and download real-time, delayed-mode, and historical data for in situ and remotely-sensed physical, chemical, and biological observations
  • Compare datasets across regions and disciplines
  • Generate and share custom data views
  • Link to information about protocols, methods and best practices for biological observing
  • Access a full suite of tools developed with a broad range of IOOS and MBON partners

MBON Curated Data Views
Within the MBON Portal, users can select and save a collection of data layers and visualize them together for comparison and analysis. These collections are called data views, and they can be accessed by clicking on the “star” icon near the top right corner of the toolbar.

There are several premade data views on the MBON Portal main page that highlight issues of concern to MBON partners and provide an example of how data views can be used to answer a science or management question.

MBON Portal Example Data Views:

OBIS Global Data Portal
U.S. MBON and U.S. IOOS partners are encouraged to align biological data with the Darwin Core standard to ensure it is globally accessible via the Ocean Biodversity Information System. OBIS provides a gateway to many datasets containing information on where and when marine species have been recorded. The datasets are integrated and searchable by species name, higher taxonomic level, geographic area, depth, and time.

A Primer for Biological Data Management
The Earth Science Information Partners (ESIP) Biological Data Standards Cluster developed this primer for managers of biological data to provide a quick, easy resource for navigating a selection of the standards that exist. The goal of the primer is to spread awareness about existing standards and is intended to be shared online and at conferences to increase the adoption of standards for biological data and make them FAIR.