The Process:
Critical issues in creating an effective invasive species early detection/rapid assessment and response information system are as follows:
Partners:
With strong commitments and assistance from the U.S. Geological Survey we are establishing a "data cooperative" to accelerate sharing, standardization, completeness, and accessibility of information about the distribution and abundance of invasive species in the U.S. with a distributed Web network on the National Biological Information Infrastructure (NBII). The ISIN has developed partnerships with government and non-government organizations both nationally and internationally and funds numerous research projects.
History:
The ISIN was developed in 2002 as a thematic node of the NBII in response to the need for a coordinating body for invasive species activities across the NBII. Read the Spring 2002 NBII Access Newsletter article about the development of the new NBII Invasive Species Information Node. A redesign of the ISIN Web site was made public in 2005.
Structure:
The National Biological Information Infrastructure is a component of the Biological Informatics Program of the Biological Resources Discipline (BRD), of the United States Geological Survey (USGS). The National Biological Information Infrastructure (NBII) consists of thematic and regional information nodes. The Invasive Species Information Node is one of the thematic nodes, as described on our organization chart.
Funding:
The ISIN is funded by Congress through the US Geological Survey's Biological Informatics Program. Through the NBII's diverse partnerships in the governmental, non-governmental, academic, and private sectors, we are able to leverage additional funds and products from elsewhere in the invasive species and biological informatics communities, at regional, national, and international levels.