Beyond names: developing a names database and other applications for diatoms
Résumé
Names are an important reference for all aspects of Biology, Paleontology, Medicine and many other applications. Nomenclatural databases have been developed to document and identify names that have already been established, as well as when, where and by whom they have been proposed and published. There has been a long history of catalogues of names representing the great diversity of diatoms. Some of these catalogues were limited in coverage and impact, others have been more complete, widely distributed and widely cited. The catalogue of VanLandingham, as well as the Index Nominum Algarum and the New Species File at ANSP were collaboratively integrated into a single database and made available on line and presented by Fourtanier and Kociolek as the Catalogue of Diatom Names. In its first iteration, the Catalogue of Diatom Names contained 64,000 names derived from over 12,000 references. It debuted in – 103 – 2005, and in 2010 it was accessed by over 30,000 unique IP addresses and over 5,000,000 downloads. The database grew until 2011, but ceased to be updated since. A new collaboration between an international group of editors has been formed, and working with VLIZ to produce a new, reliable resource for diatom names called DiatomBase (http://www.DiatomBase.org). This project takes the Catalogue of Diatom Names and integrates with the VLIZ Aphia database structure with names from Algaebase, to create a resource for diatom nomenclature and information. DiatomBase will also support a number of nomenclatural and other informatics efforts, as well as bring together images of types and other curated images, as well as linking to other resources. The group of editors, 20 people from 14 countries, has enhanced the speed in which DiatomBase has been developed, and will be critical for the long-term sustainability of the project. DiatomBase will debut at the International Phycological Congress.