During the 9th session of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, a set of criteria were approved to assist in... » More

During the 9th session of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, a set of criteria were approved to assist in the identification of ‘Ecologically or Biologically Significant Areas' (EBSAs; Annex I of CBD Decision IX/20). These criteria were later consolidated during the Expert Workshop on EBSAs held in the Azores, in October 2007. OBIS and OBIS SEAMAP data have obvious relevance to several of the criteria. The Global Ocean Biodiversity Initiative (GOBI) produced illustrations on how scientific datasets, among others those available through OBIS, can be used to contribute to the process of identifying EBSAs. These existing illustrations will be presented, and additional indicators that could possibly be calculated on the basis of OBIS-like data will be suggested. The potential role of GOBI, OBIS and OBIS SEAMAP in regional workshops, planned in the process of identifying EBSAs, will be discussed. General data policy issues, such as open availability of the data, and quality control issues, will be discussed in the light of the specific use of the data in the context of management of the environment.

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