Bio1.J. Linn. SOC.,
3, pp. 249-251
September 1971
Information and data centres in the biological sciences
PHYLLIS I. EDWARDS, F.L.S.
British Museum (Natural History) Cromwell Road, London, S .W.7
INTRODUCTION
I have not included in the following list the national biological centres, which
exist in a number of countries. These can be located in The World of Learning, Europa
Publications Ltd., London.
INFORMATION AND DATA CENTRES
Biodeterioration Information Centre has been set up at the University of Aston
in Birmingham, England. The centre provides a question-answering service and
publishes International Biodeterioration Bulletin and IBRIS, a quarterly classified
bibliography. (See pp. 245-248.)
National Poisons Information Centre, Guy’s Hospital, London, S.E.l, and Poisons
Information Bureau, University New Buildings, Teviot Place, Edinburgh 8. These
are the two main centres in the British Isles; both are under the Ministry of Health
and give a 24-hour service upon dangerous drugs, household products and chemicals.
Poison Control Centre has been set up at the Children’s Mercy Hospital, Kansas
City, Missouri, giving similar information on dangerous drugs, household products
and chemicals in U.S.A.
Biological data. A storage and retrieval system has been established at the Department
of Biology, Armory lola, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80302, U.S.A.
Riverine-estuarine Information Service. This centre, at the research laboratories of
the Franklin Institute of the State of Pennsylvania, Parkway East, 20th Street,
Philadelphia Pa 19103, U.S.A., will act as a clearing-house for information on river
and estuary resources and utilization.
National Oceanographic Data Centre, Washington, D.C. 20390, U.S.A. has its data
arranged according to genera of plants and animals.
Strata Data System established at the McLean Paleontological Laboratory, P.O.
Box 916, Alexandria, Virginia 22313, U.S.A., provides biological, ecological and
geological information.
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P. I. EDWARDS
Short-lived Phenomena Information Centre has been set up at the Smithsonian
Institute, Washington D.C. 20560, to record data on phenomena such as remote
volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, birth of new islands, fall of meteorites, fireballs and
sudden changes of biological and ecological systems.
Paleontological Collections, University of Berkeley, California 94720, U.S.A. A
computerized index to these collections has been established.
Storage and retrieval of geological data. A project to produce a set of computer
programmes for the maintenance and use of files on geological data has been started
at the Sedgwick Museum, Department of Geology, University of Cambridge, England.
The initial programmes are for files on specimen-associated data and the production
of catalogues and indexes from such files. The size of the files handled will be up to
about lo3 characters (See pp. 254-260).
Aquatic Biology Serials Record Centre has been set up at the Biological Sciences
Communication Project, George Washington University, 2000 P Street N.W.
Washington 6, D.C., U.S.A. Information includes history of the serial, current publisher, price, editor and editorial policy.
Plant Type Register. The Department of Botany, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. 20560, U.S.A., aims to record all the types in the Department and to act as
a clearing house for information on the location of type-specimens in the herbaria of
as many institutions as wish to participate.
Plant Record Centre. The American Horticultural Society, P.O. Box 216 Lima,
Pa 19060, U.S.A., plan to document data on living collections of plant material in
botanical gardens and arboreta.
Plant Germ-Plasm Records System. Washington State University has established
this centre to disperse information regarding crop plants and related species.
Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations Organization (F.A.O.)
and the International Atomic Energy A g a y (I.A.E.A.) have initiated the formation of
an international network for the storage and utilization of data concerning plant
gene resources. The regional centres will be linked to an international centre at F.A.O.
in Rome.
Mycology Information Unit has been set up at the Crops Research Branch, Crops
Research Division, A.R.S., U.S. Department of Agriculture, Beltsville, Maryland
20705, U.S.A. This unit proposes to automate the processing of specimens which are
later to be deposited in the National Fungus Collection. Taxon, host, geographic
and pathogen files together with specimen labels will be generated.
International Tree Disease Register (INTERDIS) has been established at the U.S.
Forest Service, P.O. Box 2570, Ashville, North Carolina, U.S.A.
INFORMATION A N D DATA CENTRES
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Catalog of Fossil Spores and Pollen. Pennsylvania State University is expanding and
improving the coverage of this service. The number of species covered will be increased
from 5000 to 15,000 and additional information will be recorded. Guidance for
extracting the substantive data from the palynological literature, for constructing the
subject categories under which the data will be listed, etc., is given in a procedural
manual prepared by H. L. Cousminer of the American Museum of Natural History.
It is hoped that adoption of a common methodology for extracting and recording
microfossil data will provide the capability for future machine manipulation of the
data and for interlinking the various sectors of the entire spectrum of the paleontological Literature. Further information is available from F. D. Smith, American
Geological Institute.
Seabirds. A pilot study for the automatic processing of data relating to seabirds
has been set up at the Smithsonian Institution, Washington D.C. 20560, U.S.A.
Wild bees. An index of literature is being maintained at the Division of Entomology,
University of California, Berkeley, California 94700, U.S.A.
Fish and invertebrates. An exploratory data centre has been established at the Fishing
and Gear Research Base, Bureaux of Commercial Fisheries, Pascagonla, Mississippi,
U.S.A. for information regarding fish, crustaceans and other invertebrates found in
the central Western Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean. Data segments are
available to both individuals and institutions.
Entomology. A taxonomic literature citation index is being maintained at the Division
of Entomology, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, U.S.A.
Mosquito genetics. Data relating to 100 strains of Aedes eaegyti is being maintained
at the University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556, U.S.A.
Intestinal Adsorption Information Centre has been set up at the University of Sheffield,
England.
An herpetology bibliographic service has been established at the American Museum
of Natural History. This service will include the preparation of a bibliographic index
to current literature to appear quarterly in Herpetological Review; a list of holotype
specimens of venomous snakes and a comprehensive and retrospective bibliography
and index.
Bibliographic service for ichthyologists. T h e National Science Foundation is supporting
this American Museum of Natural History project. A pilot service will provide: (1)
annual list of current literature, with detailed indexes, (2) on request, bibliographies,
and bibliographic information and (3) Compilations and analyses of the literature on
various taxonomic groups of fishes and on special subjects.