OBIS — Ocean Biodiversity Information System
The Ocean Biodiversity Information System (OBIS) is the world’s largest open-access repository of marine biodiversity data, hosted by the IOC-UNESCO International Oceanographic Data and Information Exchange (IODE). It aggregates species occurrence records from thousands of datasets — including the MBON network — standardized to the Darwin Core schema with extended measurement-or-fact (eMoF) extensions and OBIS quality control.
Most MBON datasets are published to OBIS, which is why the MBON Data catalog treats the OBIS record as canonical when a dataset is mirrored across portals. Use the searchable catalog and the interactive OBIS Mapper to explore occurrences by taxon, region, dataset, or time, then download records through the catalog or the OBIS API.
34 datasets available via OBIS
ARMS-MBON data on long-term monitoring of hard-bottom communities: 18S results from 2018-2020
ARMS-MBON is a network of more than 25 partners who deploy Autonomous Reef Monitoring Structures (ARMS) settlement units in the vicinity of marine stations and Long-term Ecological Research sites in European coastal waters and Ant/arctica.
View datasetARMS-MBON data on long-term monitoring of hard-bottom communities: 18S results from 2020-2021
ARMS-MBON is a network of more than 25 partners who deploy Autonomous Reef Monitoring Structures (ARMS) settlement units in the vicinity of marine stations and Long-term Ecological Research sites in European coastal waters and Ant/arctica.
View datasetARMS-MBON data on long-term monitoring of hard-bottom communities: COI results from 2018-2020
ARMS-MBON is a network of more than 25 partners who deploy Autonomous Reef Monitoring Structures (ARMS) settlement units in the vicinity of marine stations and Long-term Ecological Research sites in European coastal waters and Ant/arctica.
View datasetFish length, weight, and abundance data from trawl surveys in the Chukchi Sea, Arctic Marine Biodiversity Observing Network (AMBON) research cruise on the vessel Norseman II, 09 August 2015 - 03 September 2015
This dataset is three comma-separated values (csv) files containing fish haul information collected during trawl surveys in the Chukchi Sea during the 9 August - 3 September 2015 Arctic Marine Biodiversity Observing Network (AMBON) research cruise.
View datasetBenthic Epifauna Biomass and Abundance Data, Arctic Marine Biodiversity Observing Network (AMBON) research cruise on the Norseman II, 9 August 2015 - 3 September 2015
This dataset contains benthic epifauna biomass and abundance data collected in the Chukchi Sea, U.S. Arctic during the 9 August - 3 September 2015 Arctic Marine Biodiversity Observing Network (AMBON) research cruise aboard the vessel Norseman II.
View datasetTime series of zooplankton abundance in the Florida Keys, collected by the South Florida Program (NOAA/AOML) and the Marine Biodiversity Observation Network (MBON)
Sampling is carried out bi-monthly on the R/V Walton Smith (University of Miami) as part of the South Florida Program (NOAA Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory/ AOML) and the Marine Biodiversity Observation Network (MBON).
View dataset7th World Conference on Marine Biodiversity (WCMB 2026)
MBON at the 7th World Conference on Marine Biodiversity — sessions leveraging the Marine Biodiversity Observation Network of GEO BON and the Marine Life 2030 programme of the UN Ocean Decade.
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Terceira Island Workshop 2025: Marine Biodiversity Data
A hands-on workshop on mobilising marine biological datasets to OBIS, with field training on rocky intertidal monitoring using MBON Pole to Pole protocols. Terceira Island, Azores, November 2025.
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MBON Europe Data Publishing Seminar
A seminar for European marine data holders on mobilising biological datasets to open repositories, applying Darwin Core standards, and publishing through OBIS.
Read storyInternational Ocean Data Conference
MBON contribution to the International Ocean Data Conference: the OBIS we need for the ocean we want.
View detailsOBIS and UNESCO Marine World Heritage Sites
OBIS and UNESCO launch a two-year eDNA project to monitor fish biodiversity across marine World Heritage sites, providing globally standardised data on climate vulnerability.
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MBON Pole to Pole Data Atlas
Harmonized rocky-shore and sandy-beach biodiversity observations from Canada to Patagonia, standardized for cross-regional comparison and open access via OBIS.
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