News and Announcements

2007

May [GISIN in the media]
GISIN Listed first in Table 1- "Examples of international and national information networks; many of these databases and networks are working together to share information and to achieve increasingly global coverage of IAS." In: Invasive alien species in an era of globalization. Laura A Meyerson and Harold A Mooney. May 2007. In Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution: Special Issue Ecology in an Era of Globalization 5(4):199–208. Full Text | PDF

Quote: "...web-accessible databases with unified formats are being assembled by an international collaborative effort of scientists and managers (www.gisinetwork.org)..."
In: Assessing invasive alien species across multiple spatial scales: working globally and locally. Richard N Mack, Betsy Von Holle, and Laura A Meyerson. May 2007. In Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution: Special Issue Ecology in an Era of Globalization 5(4):217–220. PDF

Quote: "Examples of useful and easily accessible database systems and tools include: ... GISIN (Global invasive species information network): www.gisinetwork.org/" In: Invasive species data applications and data sharing across the Americas. Barry Rice. May 2007. In Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution: Special Issue Ecology in an Era of Globalization 5(4):w15–w16. PDF

2006

October [GISIN in the media]
GISIN described as "the only distributed global IAS information network."
In: Essential elements of online information networks on invasive alien species. Annie Simpson, Elizabeth Sellers, Andrea Grosse, and Yan Xie. October 2006. Biological Invasions 8 (7):1579-1587. Reprinted with permission. PDF

August [GISIN in the media]
Quote: "DAISIE aims to become the European portal of the Global Invasive Species Information Network (http://www.gisinetwork.org)."
p.1312 In: Shirley, S. M., Kark, S (2006). Amassing Efforts against Alien Invasive Species in Europe. PLoS Biol 4(8):e279. DOI:101.1371/journal.pbio.oo40279.

February [GISIN in the media]
GISIN was mentioned in the February edition of ESRI's ArcUser Online journal thanks to an article by Hannu Saarenmaa, Deputy Directory for Informatics, GBIF Secretariat and member of the GISIN interim Steering Committee.
In: Saarenmaa's Information Pyramid, GISIN represents the type of information network operating between those that serve primary data (such as GBIF) and those that serve secondary and tertiary data (such as the Clearinghouse Mechanism (CHM)). Read the article...

February 20-24 [GISIN in the media]
GISIN interim Steering Committee and experts meeting to review Invasive (Alien) Species Profile Schema (IAS-PS). Members of the GISIN interim Steering Committee and experts from eleven countries met on February 20-24 in Agadir, Morocco to review the Invasive Species Profile Schema developed for the GISIN and released for comment in October 2005. The schema and discussion topics of three working groups convened at the meeting (Checklists, Terminology, and Technical Implementation) are available for review and comment online at http://wiki.cs.umb.edu/twiki/bin/view/IASPS/

January 25
Annie Simpson and Michael Browne (GISIN interim Steering Committee members) quoted in Reuters Foundation Alertnet Feature Article "Costly alien invaders rock world's balance" by Lucas van Grinsven. Quote: "Annie Simpson of Global Invasive Species Information Network (GISIN), says scientists estimate that up to 5 percent of the world's gross domestic product is being destroyed as a result of foreign pests and other invasive species." Read the article...

2005

November
New Tool Provides Context-Sensitive Definitions for Invasive Alien Species Terms
CAB International's new Invasive Alien Species Concepts, Terms and Context (IAS-CTC) system helps users find definitions for terms used in the context of IAS.

October
Invasive Species XML Schema Available for Comment
The CBD cordially invites comments on the Invasive Species Profile Schema for the GISIN. The schema proposes preliminary draft standards for the exchange of invasive species information such as fact sheets, projects and case studies, expertise and checklists.
To comment on the schema, go to http://wiki.cs.umb.edu/twiki/bin/view/IASPS/ and follow the instructions on the "Three Easy Steps" link on that Wiki page.

Background reading: September 2005 Consultant's Report on development of the schema (PDF)

2004 and beyond...

July 2004 [GISIN in the media]
IOI SA Attends the First Meeting to Establish a GISIN. Quote: "Martin Cocks (IOI-SA) and Kobie Brandt (GISP) were invited to attend a meeting of experts for the establishment of a Global Invasive Species Information Network (GISIN)." Article (page 3) published in Issue 10 of the Pacem in Maribus Newsletter of the International Ocean Institute Southern Africa (IOI SA), July 2004.
Full article...

June 2004 [GISIN in the media]
GISIN Moves Forward - front page article in the second issue of the newsletter of The Global Invasive Species Programme (GISP). Quote: "Moves towards the establishment of a Global Invasive Species Information Network (GISIN) took a major step forward at a recent Experts Meeting convened by Annie Simpson and her team from the U.S. National Biological Information Infrastructure this year." Full article (PDF): English | French | Spanish

April 2004
Experts From Over 26 Countries Attend Meeting on Implementation of a Global Invasive Species Information Network (GISIN) held 6-8 April 2004, Baltimore, Maryland, USA. Read more...

May 2002
Quote: "It is agreed that the countries of the Nordic-Baltic region develop a catalogue of databases on alien species in the region. This catalogue will be hosted by and internet accessible through GISP, which is one of the international thematic focal points of the CBD Clearing-house Mechanism. Information on as many databases in the region should be collected, including scientific, governmental, NGO and IGO supported databases ... This is considered a first step in the development of a regional information network on alien species as part of the Global Invasive Species Information Network."
Development of a Nordic/Baltic Invasive Species Informational Network. Report of the Workshop on the Development of a Nordic/Baltic Invasive Species Informational Network held at the Estonian Ministry of Environment, Toompuiestee 24, Tallinn, 21-23 May, 2002.

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