NISbase Structure and Operation
During the past decade, many non-indigenous species (NIS) database workshops have been held around the world to discuss NIS data sharing. If you’ve attended one of these workshops recently, it is likely you have heard terms like “XML” and “distributed databases” touted as a promising way to share our NIS information with each other. With this in mind, NISbase has been developed as a relatively simple XML-based distributed database system for NIS information. Designed by the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center and the United States Geological Survey and built around existing NIS databases, NISbase enables end-users to search multiple data providers for information concerning NIS (existing species summaries and collections records) from a single interface. Currently, NISbase includes five data providers from the United States and Australia with an emphasis on marine and aquatic NIS. The technical expertise required for participating in NISbase as a data provider has been intentionally kept to a minimum to allow for greater participation. Also easily implemented is the search portal, allowing for the potential creation of various regional and thematic NISbase portals.