GOBi

Biodiversity, an essential element for human well-being, is being lost at a rate never seen in human history. Measuring this change, providing information on its causes and providing proposals to improve the situation is a complex and at the same time particularly important objective, as reflected in the Global Biodiversity Framework or in the Strategy for Natural Heritage and Biodiversity of Catalonia.

In this context, the GOBI initiative was born, a new CREAF research group that aims to contribute to improving the coordination, integration and joint analysis of biodiversity data, primarily in Catalonia, but also at a European level. In this sense, this group is fully integrated into the Observatory for Natural Heritage and Biodiversity of Catalonia and actively participates in international initiatives such as the European Bird Census Council (EBCC).

GOBi's mission is to bring together existing knowledge, often set aside in space and at the level of biological group, and improve information on the state and change in biodiversity. At GOBi, we are passionate about monitoring species in all its facets, from field observation to the dissemination of outcomes, including robust data management and analysis. GOBi collaborates with the CREAF communication team to disseminate the results of its research to the scientific community, governments, and society in general. With this knowledge, GOBI aims to contribute to improving conservation measures and making more effective decisions for biodiversity management.

All this is done through cooperative work, both with the scientific community that has been collecting information on changes in biodiversity for decades and in the promotion of new monitoring initiatives. Despite being a newly created group, its members have a long history in the subject described in the Catalonia and Europe, through multiple collaborations with administrations, research centres and others. The long history of joint work with the Catalan Institute of Ornithology and similar organisations should be highlighted. Within CREAF, this working group is integrated into the SGR BIOCONS, from where it works closely with its members, collaborating in the collection, integration and analysis of biodiversity data.