Fisheries and Aquatic Resources
Fisheries and aquatic resources
are economically, ecologically, culturally, and aesthetically important to the nation, yet many of these resources are in
decline due to factors such as habitat alteration, degrading water quality, invasive species, water availability, and
overharvest. To aid conservation and restoration efforts, the Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (FAR) node was established to
provide an integrated, comprehensive web-based resource that will: 1) serve and access fishery and aquatic databases,
2) link to fishery and aquatic resource information sites and 3) act as larger scale coordinating site for fisheries and
aquatic resources standards. For more information, check out the FAR factsheet.
FishBase for the Americas - FishBase is a searchable global database containing information on over 25,000 fish species. Currently, content is missing for many species (particularly diagnosis, ecology, photos, and common names) and the regional search capability is insufficient for the InterAmerican Biodiversity Information Network (IABIN). FishBase will repackage its existing Western Hemisphere information (on both fresh- and marine species) and integrate regional search capabilities using an IABIN/Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Node interface. Species information within FishBase will be integrated into FAR Node and IABIN applications and each group will work with FishBase to improve its data holdings within the Americas. We will also pursue collaborative opportunities with the Integegrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) to assure that taxonomic standards between ITIS and FishBase can be reconciled.
New on FAR
The FAR Strategic Plan has been completed and is now available from the FAR node web site.
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