LifeWatch Biodiversity Day – Taxonomy: The science behind species discovery

Brussels, Belgium, 30 January 2024

The LifeWatch Biodiversity Day – Taxonomy: The science behind species discovery will be held at the Royal Flemish Academy of Belgium for Science and the Arts in Brussels.

Hendrik Segers, the Coordinator and National Focal Point to the Convention on Biological Diversity, will inaugurate the event with an insightful introduction, emphasising the significance of taxonomy for biodiversity policy.

The afternoon will be filled with captivating talks on taxonomic data systems. Peter Schalk from the Naturalis Biodiversity Center will discuss the opportunities taxonomy presents in the digital age. Leen Vandepitte, the Aphia/WoRMS coordinator at Flanders Marine Institute, will throw light on the World Register of Marine Species. Koen Martens from the Institute of Natural Sciences will share his Freshwater Animal Diversity Assessment expertise.

Later, the event will shift to the practical use of taxonomy for biology, distribution, and society. Fanny Douvere, Head of the Marine Programme at the World Heritage Centre, UNESCO, will discuss the combination of taxonomic information and occurrences to emphasise the importance of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Victor Deklerck, Director of Science at World Forest ID, will explore the role of World Forest ID in filling the science and data gap in global supply chains.

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