The Fourth Annual Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) Science Symposium was held in Cape Town on the 5th and 6th of April. The symposium explored the role of GBIF and other new technologies in conservation and monitoring of biodiversity change world-wide.

GBIF provides biodiversity information which enables decisions to be made within the fields of conservation science, by allowing free access to a wide range of biodiversity data, through collaborations with more than 75 countries and other international organizations.

These data are vital since they allow for the management of various natural ecosystems and their resources. The Natal Museum's wealth of biological specimens, particularly within the groups of earthworms, arthropods, molluscs, amphibians and reptiles, was represented in the form of posters and pamphlets. 

A recent issue of African Invertebrates, an internationally recognised research journal produced by the Natal Museum, and a copy of the recently published Field Guide to the Land Snails and Slugs were available for viewing.

The Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS) was established in order to try and provide a framework within which to assemble environmental data that can be used to underpin planet-wide sustainability.

What people need is access to extensive, accurate and comprehensive data sets which provide links between taxonomic, ecological, species, genetic, molecular, economic and social data. Existing data need to be validated, and additional information needs to be digitized. This is an enormous task and success will depend on collaboration between scientists, software engineers and various other practitioners all over the world.

John Wieczorek from the University of California, who has been awarded the most prestigeous GBIF Ebbe Nielsen Prize prize for his groundbreaking work in the field of biosystematics and biodiversity informatics, emphasized the importance of  museums: 'The value of a museum is measured by the extent to which it is used. If data are not accessible, this use becomes limited.'

In light of this, one cannot underestimate the importance of museums, including Natal Museum, in biodiversity management & conservation. The process of accurate data capture is vital. In order to produce reliable and accessible data, Natal Museum researchers are building data sources of all specimens from collections that will eventually be available on the web.

This process will undoubtedly bridge gaps in the field of natural science by allowing researchers from all over the World access to valuable data in our collections.