LETTER OF AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE
OCEAN BIODIVERSITY INFORMATION SYSTEM AND THE SECRETARIAT OF THE
GLOBAL BIODIVERSITY INFORMATION FACILITY
The purpose of this non-binding Letter of Agreement is to specify the scope of cooperation
between the Ocean Biodiversity Information System (hereafter referred to as “OBIS”), a
project of the International Oceanographic Data and Information Exchange (IODE)
programme of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO whichaims to be the most comprehensive data and information gateway on the diversity,
distribution and abundance of marine life to support its Member States in achieving a healthy
and resilient ocean ecosystem, and the Secretariat of the Global Biodiversity Information
Facility (hereafter referred to as “GBIF”), an intergovernmental initiative whose Participants,
including governments, economies and international organizations, collaborate to promoteand facilitate free and open access to biodiversity data for use in research and policy.
OBIS and GBIF agree:
1. to cooperate under the aegis of the Biodiversity Information Standards (TDWG) bodyon the continuing evolution and advancement of the Darwin Core data standard inuse by both systems to promote maximum interoperability between the datasystems;
2. to develop coordination at the governance level of both organizations by activelyencouraging shared membership on advisory groups and technical working groups inboth organizations by experts familiar with and involved in the science, technology,
and operations of both GBIF and OBIS;
3. to actively encourage OBIS nodes and GBIF data publishers to publish marine data
both to OBIS and to GBIF, using a single publishing step. For that purpose, GBIF
and OBIS will encourage working relationships to be developed between relevantGBIF and OBIS data publishers and Nodes, promoting science and technology
exchange and partnerships. OBIS will encourage OBIS Nodes to become GBIF datapublishers, providing endorsement for them as needed. GBIF will encourage GBIF
data publishers to flag relevant datasets containing marine observations and species
occurrences with metadata for inclusion in OBIS;
4. to exchange data processing and enhancement technologies on matters of mutualinterest through public, open source release of software, exploration of joint
development projects between OBIS and GBIF;
5. to encourage shared staffing through temporary assignments, secondments, andother mechanisms at the Secretariat between the groups to promote common
design, shared technological components, and improved methods;
6. to conduct, whenever possible, shared and collaborative training opportunities andcapacity development programs with global partners, including exchange ofknowledge and logistical information on data management and scientific analysis
training events globally;
7. to cooperate on new funding opportunities jointly between GBIF and OBIS topromote the growth of biodiversity data and services available through both systems
and building on the strengths of each;8. to cooperate on shared attendance and collaborative representation in meetings ofmutual interest in the use and application of biodiversity data in science and policy;
9. to align, to the extent possible, written guidance on the publication of data to OBIS
and GBIF respectively;
10. to collaborate on the incorporation of novel data streams, including occurrence data
based on genetic sequences, remote sensing, and other sources;
11. that this Letter of Agreement is without prejudice to agreements concluded by either
party with other organizations and programmes;12. this Letter of Agreement will come into effect upon its signature by the Co-Chairs ofOBIS and the Executive Secretary of the Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Itwill remain in effect for five (5) years from the signing date and may be terminated byany of the parties by giving to the other a written notice six months prior to theproposed date of termination;
IN WITNESS WHEREOF the undersigned have signed the present Letter ofAgreementin duplicate.

Joe MILLER
Executive Secretary, Global Biodiversity Information Facility

DATE 31 August 2020

Sky BristolCo-Chair, Ocean Biodiversity Information System

DATE

31 August 2020

Martha Vides
Co-Chair, Ocean Biodiversity Information System

DATE

31 August 2020