Guide supports researchers in government, academia and NGOs, and freshwater practitioners to format and publish freshwater data.

Freshwaters are some of the most threatened ecosystems on the planet, and insufficient data availability contributes to challenges in conserving these essential environments. To support freshwater data holders, GBIF has released the Freshwater Data Publishing Guide to better support data-intensive research, policy, and management of these environments. This guide is part of a series of digital documentation guides currently open for community peer review.

The GBIF guide was authored by freshwater biologists Jennifer Lento of University of New Brunswick and Canadian Rivers Institute and Astrid Schmidt-Kloiber of BOKU University-Institute of Hydrobiology and Aquatic Ecosystem Management in Vienna, Austria.

In addition to describing best practices for preparing freshwater data to share through GBIF, the authors present detailed lists of required and recommended data and metadata fields, such as sample locations and sampling methods that can enable deeper analyses across freshwater datasets. The guide’s primary aim is to improve the data coverage on freshwater species by streamlining the process of preparing such data for publication.

The guide is intended for a wide range of freshwater practitioners, including researchers, government agencies, NGOs, and individuals involved in data collection and monitoring. It is particularly beneficial for those aiming to publish data in alignment with global standards, ensuring their datasets are both accessible and useful for broader analyses.

By following the recommendations in this guide, freshwater data contributors can improve the consistency, quality, and interoperability of their datasets, thereby supporting global efforts in freshwater conservation and management.