Collection and utilization of biodiversity information by Biodiversity Center of Japan, Ministry of the Environment

Biodiversity Center of Japan, Ministry of the Environment has been conducting biodiversity researches, such as National Survey on the Natural Environment and Monitoring Sites 1000, in order to comprehensively assess the status of biodiversity in Japan and provide necessary information for policy making for its conservation. National Survey on the Natural Environment has been conducted a total of seven times since 1973, with every five years as one term. Started substantially in the second term, the surveys on marine and coastal areas have been carried out to assess the extent of natural seashore and distribution of tidal flats, seaweed beds and coral reefs and the biodiversity status of each ecosystem. Monitoring Sites 1000, which aims to quantitatively monitor the changes of ecosystems, started in 2003 having in view to setting up 1000 monitoring sites and to continue more than 100 years. After setting up the monitoring sites in representative ecosystems in terrestrial areas, inland waters and marine coastal areas, selecting indicator organisms in each ecosystem which play ecologically important function, and deciding standardized survey methods for quantitative collection of data, we have started the continuous monitoring survey to collect data on densities and species compositions of the indicators. In accordance with Basic Act on Ocean Policy, a survey for collecting existing marine biodiversity information is started in 2008. The information collected by research institutes, governments and private sectors is being compiled and developed as metadatabase. As an initiative for practical application of biodiversity information to its conservation in East and Southeast Asia, East and Southeast Asia Biodiversity Inventory Initiative, (ESABII) was launched in 2008. ESABII is an international collaboration programme aiming to collect and compile existing biodiversity information in this region and whole over the world, and to develop biodiversity information inventories applicable for assessment of biodiversity and conservation of species and ecosystems in this region. The information collected by these researches and programmes (including GIS data) is provided through 'Japan Integrated Biodiversity Information System (J-IBIS)' on the website of Biodiversity Center of Japan in order to utilize the information for biodiversity conservation. For more efficient and effective provision of the information, we need to solve various problems such as unification of data format, ensuring traceability on data distribution, establishment of rules on data utilization among stake holders, leak prevention of rare species data, addition of unique function on databases, etc.