TDWG 2020: Collections to Mitigate & Prevent Zoonotic Disease: Data Mobilization/Integration - SYM05
Channel: Biodiversity Information Standards TDWG
Date: 31/10/2020

The COVID-19 pandemic, zoonoses, and pathogens in general provide key opportunities to highlight the predictive value of collections and the information specimens and related materials (e.g. genetic / genomic data, associated species data, trait data) can contribute to ecological understanding, tracking the origin and transmission of disease, policy development, and global infrastructure needs. In addition, the current pandemic highlights (and has encouraged) much-needed cross-disciplinary collaboration and the impetus to advance changes needed in standards of practice. For these reasons, representatives from SPNHC, iDigBio, NSCA, and the US mammalogy, virology, and disease ecology communities formed the ViralMuse task force. Leadership from SPNHC, GBIF, iDigBio, Pensoft, and Plazi, along with relevant domain scientists, joined the COVID-19 Task Force convened by CETAF and DiSSCo to identify both short-term responses and longer-term prediction and mitigation roles for these communities. Ongoing efforts show data and knowledge gaps for pathogens and their hosts as well as possible solutions for data integration. Behind these data integration efforts are needs for standards development and adoption.

Organizers: Pamela Soltis, University of Florida/iDigBio, Gainesville, US; Deborah Paul, iDigBio/Florida State University, Tallahassee, US

- Paul DL, Soltis PS (2020) Progress Out of a Pandemic: Global collections, data sharing, and changing standards of practice. Biodiversity Information Science and Standards 4: e59268. https://doi.org/10.3897/biss.4.59268

- Krimmel E, Mast A, Paul D, Bruhn R, Rios N, Shorthouse DP (2020) Rapid Creation of a Data Product for the World's Specimens of Horseshoe Bats and Relatives, a Known Reservoir for Coronaviruses. Biodiversity Information Science and Standards 4: e59067. https://doi.org/10.3897/biss.4.59067

- Upham NS, Agosti D, Poelen J, Penev L, Paul D, Reeder DM, Simmons NB, Csorba G, Groom Q, Dimitrova M, Miller JT (2020) Liberating Biodiversity Data From COVID-19 Lockdown: Toward a knowledge hub for mammal host-virus information. Biodiversity Information Science and Standards 4: e59199. https://doi.org/10.3897/biss.4.59199