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Observation.org

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  • Comment: Note for AfC reviewer: The author of this article is the co-founder of observation.org as indicated on their user page.Jeraxmoira (talk) 19:12, 25 December 2023 (UTC)
Observation.org
Type of site
Citizen science
Area servedWorldwide
URLobservation.org
CommercialNo
RegistrationOptional
Launched2004; 20 years ago (2004)
Current statusActive

Observation.org is a worldwide platform of naturalists, citizen scientists, and biologists to collect, validate and sharing biodiversity observations. Observation.org may be accessed via its website or from its mobile applications. The Observation.org database holds 233 million nature observations and 79 million photos.[1] It is published and hosted in the Netherlands under Dutch and European law by the non-profit foundation Observation International[2].

Quality assurance

Quality assurance measures on Observation.org are upheld through the oversight of established species experts responsible for curating the reference set of observations.[3] Automated validation, supported by artificial intelligence, utilizes this reference set to aid validators in managing the extensive dataset. However, human experts retain final authority in all validation matters, ensuring meticulous scrutiny and accuracy. This collaborative system of AI-driven validation and human expertise safeguards the credibility and reliability of observations documented on Observation.org.[4][5]

Open data

Map of Observation.org data on GBIF

The observations that have been approved are shared as open data on Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)[6]. With over 82 million occurrences, Observation.org is the third largest publisher of the world on GBIF.[7] Observation.org also publishes over 19 million annotated images[8] and over 69,000 annotated sound recordings[9] on GBIF.

Use of Observation.org data

As of December 2023, more than 1,700 research results have been published that cite the Observation.org dataset on GBIF[10], often in the fields of ecology, conservation, climate change.

The platform is often the source of the discovery of a new species for a country. Some examples are the discovery of the dragonfly Trithemis kirbyi in Belgium[11], and first observations of the cricket Modicogryllus burdigalensis in Belgium (2021[12]) and the Netherlands (2022[13]) were reported on Observation.org. The data can also be used to document changes in ecology. The peacock butterfly Aglais io was proven to be bivoltine in Belgium based on Observation.org data[14]. Local extinction of Coenonympha pamphilus, in the southeast of the Iberian Peninsula, is thought to be due to aridity per research using Observation.org data.[15]

Other research focuses on monitoring invasive alien species[16]. A good example is the spread of Asian hornet Vespa velutina in the Netherlands. The first report in 2017[17],[18] came in through Observation.org, triggering responsibility of the Dutch government to take action. Government, beekeepers and citizens all relied on the national reporting platform[19] on Observation.org to gather data.

Observation.org data is also used for tracking zoonoses such as Avian influenza[20].

Partners and users of Observation.org regularly participate in Bioblitzes to collaboratively collect nature observations. Examples of these Bioblitzes are the City Nature Challenge[21][22] and the Biomaratón de Otoño in Spain[23].

On a European level, Observation.org is a portal partner of EuroBirdPortal[24], delivering data to visualize movement of birds across Europe.

International names

In the Netherlands, Observation.org is primarily known as Waarneming.nl[25]. In the Dutch Caribbean, the name Observation.org is used[26]. In Belgium, the platform is primarily known as Waarnemingen.be[27] (Flanders) and Observations.be[28] (Wallonia).

References

  1. ^ "Statistics". Observation.org. Retrieved 2023-12-24.
  2. ^ "Observation International". observation-international.org. Retrieved 2023-12-25.
  3. ^ "Validation". Observation.org. Retrieved 2023-12-24.
  4. ^ Van Eupen, Camille; Maes, Dirk; Herremans, Marc; Swinnen, Kristijn R.R.; Somers, Ben; Luca, Stijn (2021-03-15). "The impact of data quality filtering of opportunistic citizen science data on species distribution model performance". Ecological Modelling. 444. doi:10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2021.109453.
  5. ^ "Biodiversitätsdaten, Citizen Science und Online-Erfassungssysteme" (PDF). ANLiegen Natur (in German). 43. Retrieved 2023-12-25.
  6. ^ "Observation.org". www.gbif.org. Retrieved 2023-12-24.
  7. ^ "Search datasets". www.gbif.org. Retrieved 2023-12-24.
  8. ^ "Search occurrences -- Observation.org Image". www.gbif.org. Retrieved 2023-12-25.
  9. ^ "Search occurrences -- Observation.org Audio". www.gbif.org. Retrieved 2023-12-25.
  10. ^ "Resources search -- Observation.org". www.gbif.org.
  11. ^ "Hittegolf bracht Afrikaanse oranje zonnewijzer naar België". www.natuurpunt.be (in Dutch). Retrieved 2023-12-25.
  12. ^ "Spoorkrekel duikt voor het eerst op in België". www.natuurpunt.be (in Dutch). Retrieved 2023-12-25.
  13. ^ "Twee nieuwe sprinkhanen in 2022: grote spitskop en spoorkrekel" (PDF). www.hetnatuurhistorisch.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved 2023-12-25.
  14. ^ Herremans, Marc; Gielen, Karin; Van Kerckhoven, Jos; Vanormelingen, Pieter; Veraghtert, Wim; Swinnen, Kristijn R.R.; Maes, Dirk (2021-07-29). "Abundant Citizen Science Data Reveal That the Peacock Butterfly Aglais io Recently Became Bivoltine in Belgium". Insects. 12 (8): 683. doi:10.3390/insects12080683.
  15. ^ Gil-Tapetado, Diego; et al. "Aridity could have driven the local extinction of a common and multivoltine butterfly". Ecological Entomology. 48 (1): 40–54. doi:10.1111/een.13200. Retrieved 2023-12-26.
  16. ^ Johnson, Brian Alan; Mader, André Derek; Dasgupta, Rajarshi; Kumar, Pankaj (March 2020). "Citizen science and invasive alien species: An analysis of citizen science initiatives using information and communications technology (ICT) to collect invasive alien species observations". Global Ecology and Conservation. 21: e00812. doi:10.1016/j.gecco.2019.e00812.
  17. ^ "Eerste vondst van de Aziatische hoornaar Vespa velutina nigrithorax in Nederland (Hymenoptera: Vespidae)". Nederlandse Faunistische Mededelingen (in Dutch). 49: 1–10. 2017.
  18. ^ "De opmars van de Aziatische hoornaar (Vespa velutina) naar Nederland" (PDF). Entomologische berichten (in Dutch). 78. 2018.
  19. ^ "Asian Hornet reporting center". Waarneming.nl. Retrieved 2023-12-25.
  20. ^ Saavedra, Irene; Rabadán-González, Julio; Aragonés, David; Figuerola, Jordi (2023-09-21). "Can Citizen Science Contribute to Avian Influenza Surveillance?". Pathogens. 12 (9): 1183. doi:10.3390/pathogens12091183. PMID 37764991.
  21. ^ "City Nature Challenges in Österreich". citynaturechallenge.at (in German). Retrieved 2023-12-26.
  22. ^ Kaufmann, Peter; et al. "Der Bioblitz Salzburg 2021 auf Observation.org – eine Citizen Science Bestandserfassung der urbanen Biodiversität Salzburgs" (PDF). Mitteilungen aus dem Haus der Natur Salzburg (in German). 28: 5–20. Retrieved 2023-12-26.
  23. ^ "Biomaratón de otoño 2022". www.miteco.gob.es (in Spanish). Retrieved 2023-12-26.
  24. ^ "EuroBirdPortal -- Partners". eurobirdportal.org. Retrieved 2023-12-25.
  25. ^ "Interview with Hisko de Vries". www.overmeersevogels.com (in Dutch). Retrieved 2023-12-25.
  26. ^ "Observation.org". dcnanature.org. Retrieved 2023-12-25.
  27. ^ "Natuurpunt Studie -- Waarnemingen.be". www.natuurpunt.be (in Dutch). Retrieved 2023-12-25.
  28. ^ ""OBSERVATIONS.BE", UN PORTAIL D'ENCODAGE POUR TOUS". www.natagora.be (in French). Retrieved 2023-12-25.
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