LifeWatch: e-Science and Technology Infrastructure for Biodiversity Data and Observatories
LifeWatch survey
Initiated by WP3 (Science Network Strategy).
Introduction to LifeWatch
LifeWatch is an e-Science infrastructure to explore, describe and understand patterns in biodiversity and the
processes that maintain biodiversity in space and time at the gene, species, and ecosystem level.
The objective of LifeWatch is to establish a European research infrastructure on biodiversity and
ecosystem research to facilitate new frontiers in research concerning evolutionary, genetic, ecological,
landscape and conservation aspects of biodiversity. Key elements of the infrastructure will consist of
distributed observatories/sensors, interoperable databases, processing and analytical tools, computational
capability, and computational capacity.
Analytical platform
The innovative LifeWatch design offers integrated access to large-scale external data resources, advanced
algorithms and computational capability through a service-oriented architecture to support knowledge
development on biodiversity from the genetic level to ecosystems and landscapes. Data mining, data
analysis and modeling allows users to study patterns and mechanisms across different levels of biodiversity.
The LifeWatch infrastructure provides scientific research teams with new collaborative environments by
creating ‘e-Laboratories’ or composing ‘e-Services’. Through workflows, templates can be made that
integrate data transformations, different types of data analyses, and reporting. These workflows hold the
complete methodological approaches of a research project, and can be used by others. This enables easy
replication, and avoids doubling of work by each scientist. Furthermore data and analytical and modeling
algorithms can be shared with others, while controlling access. If required, fast computational capacity can
be accessible through distributed high performance computer facilities. LifeWatch enables “distributed large
scale” and collaborative research on complex and multidisciplinary problems.
LifeWatch will be an open access research infrastructure, offering a single portal for users from the scientific
community, as well as policy makers and representatives of the private sector.
Cooperation between LifeWatch and Data and Computational Resources
LifeWatch is not a data repository but aims at serving users by offering integrated access to a wide variety
of external data resources, such as EBI, GBIF, LTER-Europe or MARS. The same holds for external
computational capabilities such as analytical and modeling tools. LifeWatch is collaborating with these
external resources to provide added value by offering easy ways to use or construct workflows as
combinations of preferred data and (modeling) software tools. The (semantic, technical and legal)
interoperability between the different data sets and software applications will be supported.
Dissemination and use of data
Access to the external data resources through the LifeWatch portal benefits both the users and the data
publishers. It is planned that the LifeWatch technical services support the automatic management of proper
resource citation and any applicable intellectual property rights. In many cases, individuals are expected to
benefit from the strong LifeWatch capabilities to analyze their own research data. Such users will be
encouraged to share their data with the wider community. LifeWatch will offer automatic support to share
their data with any applicable external data resource.
Fund raising
LifeWatch can be a mechanism to promote funding for research and associated data generation. Since data
resources are essential components of LifeWatch, any research proposal to use LifeWatch capabilities should
consider in - situ data measurement, observations and data curation as an essential part of the proposal
budget. Targeted (and sustained) data generation and curation for agreed common Lifewatch priorities
might be considered as part of the national contribution to the European infrastructure and as such included
in the national funding plans. LifeWatch also may provide a broker role by connecting users, funding bodies
and custodians of data resources.
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Background
LifeWatch is for the preparatory phase funded through a FP7 grant (ESFRI-project). The construction of
LifeWatch will be a country driven process.
The LifeWatch project has originally been developed by a range of European FP6 Networks of Excellence as
MarBEF, AlterNet, EDIT and Marine Genomics Europe.
“LifeWatch belongs to a new generation of research infrastructures. Its architecture will
allow scientific and other users to operate their own virtual laboratory, while sharing their
data and modeling tools with all other users. Networks of ecological observatories and
biological collections are going to offer integrated access to support the understanding of the
natural environment. All users benefit from the full computational power of the infrastructure.
This user-driven infrastructure is going to boost innovation.”
Wouter Los, Project coordinator, University of Amsterdam
The survey
With this survey we are interested what scientific questions today cannot be answered, but could be
answered within LifeWatch in the (near) future.
To this end, the aim of the survey is to inventory future scientific challenges for Science Networks.
We therefore want to inventory the scientific challenges in biodiversity issues for/among scientific networks
and individual members that LifeWatch could address (scientific horizon scanning)
As a result of the survey an overview will be made that we will send to the respondents. Moreover, a
Workshop will be held in May 2010 with some representatives and visionaries of associated networks.
If you are the representative of a Network associated with LifeWatch, please also forward this
survey to the individual member organizations/institutes of your Network.
We thank you for filling in the survey.
Herman Hummel, Pim van Avesaath & Sander Wijnhoven.
N.B.
Please return the response to Sander Wijnhoven (s.wijnhoven@nioo.knaw.nl) before the 23rd of April 2010.
For those representing more than one network we ask you to fill in for each network a separate survey.
More information on LifeWatch can be found on www.lifewatch.eu
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Contact person
Institute full name
Department
Name of contact person
Email address of contact person
:
:
:
:
…………………………
…………………………
…………………………
…………………………
Your address:
Street, nr
Postal Code
City
Country
:
:
:
:
…………………………
…………………………
…………………………
…………………………
What is your task in the institute (e.g. director, deputy director,
head department, etc ..)
: …………………………
What is your specific expertise (phylogenetics, fish ecology, …) : …………………………
Member of Network (name)*
: …………………………
Representative of network (Yes/No)
: …………………………
If Yes, your task in the network (e.g. general coordinator,
executive director, national coordinator, etc)
: …………………………
Is the representation of you in the network:
on behalf of the institute (yes/no)
: …………………………
on behalf of the department (yes/no)
: …………………………
an individual membership (yes/no)
: …………………………
* For those representing/participating in more than one network we ask you to fill in for each network a separate survey
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Scientific Horizon Scanning
1)
What are, to your opinion, the scientific challenges within your research and/or within your
scientific research network(s) with regard to biodiversity to be tackled on the short term (next 5
years)? (A: see guideline below)
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….……………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
2)
What are, to your opinion, the major scientific challenges within your research and/or within your
scientific research network(s) with regard to biodiversity for the Scientific Networks to be tackled
on the long term (next 20 to 30 years)? (A: see guideline below)
……………….……………………………………………………………………………………..……………………………………
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3)
Who do you suggest as being a visionary within your network, who might have an interesting view
on future challenges for Scientific Networks in the framework of LifeWatch (Please provide name
and contact details; we might approach a few visionaries to participate in a LifeWatch Scientific
Horizon Scanning Workshop next April/May 2010)?
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………….………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………….……………………………………………………………………………………………
A
: Guideline for (directions of) future research questions:

Developments in interdisciplinary research, e.g. ecology and phylogenetics that jointly focus on the population
level, and how will these developments change biodiversity research on different levels of organization (from
gene to the landscape level)?

Specific needs for modeling (what is missing so far) that would be possible with the easy access to large
datasets and high computational power;

What is in your opinion hampering our understanding of what determines species diversity? Would LifeWatch
potentially be a driver in removing possible barriers that hamper our understanding?
We thank you for filling in the survey.
Please return the response to Sander Wijnhoven (s.wijnhoven@nioo.knaw.nl) before the 23rd of April 2010
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