BALTICDIVERSITY
Towards transboundary access of nature observation data
- Thematic cluster:
- Vigorous sea
- Programme:
- Central Baltic Programme
- Priority:
- 1. Safe and healthy environment
- Direction of support:
- Environmental awareness raising and expertise
- Duration:
- May 2011 - Dec 2013 (2 years, 8 months)
- Total funding:
- 1 554 000 €
- ERDF funding:
- 1 165 500 €
- EUSBSR Priority area
- Preserving natural zones and biodiversity, including fisheries
- Website:
- http://www.balticdiversity.eu/
Development idea
Natural history museums provide a huge amount of data about biodiversity. The museums are using modern IT technology to accumulate and present the data, for example data from various collections, to both the general public and other user groups like environmental authorities and schools. However, so far the information has mainly been gathered on a national level in separate databases. Making the data available in a cross-border context would inspire potential users to invest even more in the gathering of data about species and habitats, and thereby also in a long-term perspective contribute to the protection of the biodiversity of the Central Baltic region.
Aim of the project
The aim of BALTICDIVERSITY was to develop a joint IT solution enabling the exchange of transboundary data about biodiversity in the Central Baltic region. Thereby the citzens would become more involved in monitoring and preservation of biodiversity. The co-operation would also highly promote the co-operation between the natural history museums.
Main project activities
The project developed a solution to connect data from the major natural history museums in the region into an interoperable whole. The joint portal is called "The Naturalist" in English and available in four languages. Comprehensive datasets regarding several species and their geographical distribution were compiled and made available to the general public. In addition, the project partnership carried out several outreach activities telling about the portal and promoting citizen science i.e. the efforts to make amateur naturalists engaged in collecting and reporting data about biodiversity.
Partners
University of Tartu
- Country:
- Estonia
- Region:
- Lõuna – Eesti
- ERDF funding:
- 300 000 €
- Amount of eligible national funding:
- 100 000 €
University of Helsinki, Museum of Natural History
- Country:
- Finland
- Region:
- Uusimaa
- ERDF funding:
- 277 500 €
- Amount of eligible national funding:
- 92 500 €
Swedish Museum of Natural History
- Country:
- Sweden
- Region:
- Stockholm
- ERDF funding:
- 315 000 €
- Amount of eligible national funding:
- 105 000 €
Institute of Geology at Tallinn University of Technology
- Country:
- Estonia
- Region:
- Põhja-Eesti
- ERDF funding:
- 157 500 €
- Amount of eligible national funding:
- 52 500 €
Estonian University of Life Sciences
- Country:
- Estonia
- Region:
- Lõuna – Eesti
- ERDF funding:
- 115 500 €
- Amount of eligible national funding:
- 38 500 €
Results
A web portal about biodiversity
The web portal provides access to the vast data about biodiversity (species) in the Central Baltic region that is being gathered by natural history museums.
The data is accessible via a joint multilingual portal called "The Naturalist" and it provides both overall information about the species and their geographical dsitribution as well as a possiblity for the users to report their observations about different species. The portal is especially focusing on grasshoppers, dragonflies, butterflies and freshwater clams.
