Lucy Scott, ACEP's Information Systems and GIS co-ordinator attended the 4th Annual GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility) Science Symposium, held in Cape Town at the BMW Pavilion in the Waterfront on the 5th and 6th of April 2006.

The talks were excellent, and interesting as they showcased different approaches to using biodiversity information. Several talks discussed the GBIF databases themselves, and two demonstration projects were concerned with mapping and data portals using GBIF data. The speakers and delegates were from several countries, and the focus was clearly at a global level.

The mission of GBIF is the facilitation of digitisation and global dissemination of primary biodiversity data, so that people from all countries can benefit from the use of the information. ACEP attended as we collect and contribute biodiversity information to GBIF, together with SAIAB (which is a node of SABIF, GBIF's South African branch).