Regional and global environmental information services

Environmental research and management are linked to the data we obtain from the natural and social spheres. The multidisciplinary nature of this subject makes these data very complex, especially when dealing with the interaction between the natural environment and society. On the other hand, some time has passed since the capacity for data collection has increased exponentially, and as a consequence the volume of data has also grown immensely.  We have gone from using field notebooks transformed into simple spreadsheets to automatic data collection systems employing sensors, drones, satellites, or citizen science. Often, the data collected have spatial or temporal components that increase their complexity and volume, to the point of causing the emergence of new areas of knowledge such as Big Data.

This paradigm shift has been closely linked to advances in computing and telecommunications. Thanks to these advances, today we can design and develop environmental information systems that help us organize and store data and answer questions about the functioning and management of ecosystems. These tools or information services represent an important line of research for CREAF since they act synergistically with the other basic and applied research lines of the center.

• Application development: We analyze the requirements for and design and develop computer applications for desktops, the web, and mobile devices. 
• Information architecture: We design the structure of information and implement it in databases.
• Interactive platforms: We coordinate the creation of interactive platforms for citizen science, environmental management and public health.
• International standards: We apply international standards for environmental information, in particular those related to biodiversity.
• Open source code: We use open source languages and tools.