INDOBIS (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Env and Eco)

Context: The Centre for Marine Living Resources and Ecology (CMLRE), an attached office of the Ministry of Earth Sciences, conducted a national-level workshop on the Indian Ocean Biodiversity Information System (IndOBIS) at its Kochi campus.

Indian Ocean Biodiversity Information System (IndOBIS)

• About: Indian Ocean Biodiversity Information System (IndOBIS).
• Global Repository: OBIS is one of the largest global repositories of information on marine species, containing millions of records from thousands of datasets contributed by researchers, governments, and organizations worldwide.
• Developed by: Centre for Marine Living Resources and Ecology (CMLRE).

oCMLRE is a premier research institution under the Ministry of Earth Sciences.

• Objective: It provides detailed information on species distribution across the world's oceans, including data on their occurrence, habitats, and environmental parameters.
• Support Network: OBIS is supported by a network of nearly 30 regional nodes contributing data while ensuring the data's quality and accessibility.
• Intergovernmental Support: It has been set up by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO for promoting marine science, conservation, and sustainable development.
• Integration with IODE: It is now an integral component of the International Oceanographic Data and Information Exchange (IODE) of IOC.

Ocean Eyes Mobile Application

• Aligned with: IndOBIS’s objective to generate awareness of marine biodiversity, CMLRE has developed a mobile application called Ocean Eyes.
• Community Engagement: The Ocean Eyes app is a citizen-centric and community-engagement approach to data collection, sharing, and analysis in marine biodiversity monitoring and research.
• User-Friendly Interface: The app has a user-friendly interface and is available free of cost for both iOS and Android platforms.
• Data Recording and Reporting: Citizens and users can record sightings of marine species, log environmental conditions, and upload geotagged photos directly through the app. Real-time reporting of observations to IndOBIS is also possible.