Enabling decisions that make a difference: guidance for improving access to and analysis of invasive species information

The issue of how to detect and rapidly respond to invasive species before it is economically infeasible to control them is one of urgency and importance at international, national, and subnational scales. Barriers to sharing invasive species data-whether in the form of policy, culture, technology, or operational logistics-need to be addressed and overcome at all levels. We propose guiding principles for following standards, formats, and protocols to improve information sharing among US invasive species information systems and conclude that existing invasive species information standards are adequate for the facilitation of data sharing among all sectors. Rather than creating a single information-sharing system, there is a need to promote interfaces among existing information systems that will enable them to become inter-operable, to foster simultaneous access, and to deliver any and all relevant information to a particular user or application in a seamless fashion. The actions we propose include implementing a national campaign to mobilize invasive species occurrence data into publicly available information systems; maintaining a current list of invasive species data integrators/clearinghouses; establishing an agreement for sharing data among the primary US invasive species information systems; enhancing the Integrated Taxonomic Information System to fully cover taxonomic groups not yet complete; further developing and hosting data standards for critical aspects of invasive species biology; supporting and maintaining the North American Invasive Species Management Association's mapping standards; identifying standard metrics for capturing the environmental and socio-economic impact of invasive species, including impacts and management options; continuing to support US engagement in international invasive species data sharing platforms; and continuing US membership in the Global Biodiversity Information Facility.