Italy joins GBIF through the establishment of a National Node
As of October 2025, Italy has officially joined the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF), strengthening its engagement in the international landscape of open biodiversity data.
Already a member of LifeWatch ERIC through LifeWatch Italy, with the National Research Council (CNR) as the leading entity, Italy has now established its national GBIF node, coordinated by DSSTTA (Department of Earth System Sciences and Environmental Technologies). Ilaria Rosati, already actively involved in LifeWatch Italy, has been appointed Node Manager of the Italian GBIF node.
DSSTTA is committed to advancing the understanding of how Earth’s systems, including climate, cryosphere, biodiversity, and related components, are deeply interconnected and influenced by human activities.
The Italian GBIF node builds on national expertise in biodiversity research and data management, contributing to free and open access to biodiversity data at the global scale. GBIF represents the leading international platform for the management and sharing of species occurrence data, supporting research, policy, and decision-making worldwide.
The governance of the Italian GBIF node includes the following representatives:
- Head of Delegation: Diego Fontaneto (CNR-IRSA)
- Node Manager: Ilaria Rosati (CNR-IRET)
- Alternate Head of Delegation: Stefano Martellos (University of Trieste)
- Additional Delegate: Gabriele Bucci (CNR-IBBR)
This development is significant because membership in GBIF enables Italy to contribute its biodiversity data directly to the world’s largest open-access repository of species occurrence information, supporting international research through science-based knowledge.
Map data image from: OpenStreetMap