Encyclopedia of Life

March 3, 2008 by Eugene
Filed under Nature and Biodiversity

The Encyclopedia of Life (EOL) is finally launched and the first 30,000 pages of this online resource for the biodiversity of life is available to the public. The EOL is the brainchild of renowned biologist, E. O. Wilson, and is the beginning of a 10-year effort between scientists and the public to document, identify and understand the world’s biodiversity. Professor Wilson says:

“The launch of the Encyclopedia of Life will have a profound and creative effect in science… It aims not only to summarize all that we know of Earth’s life forms, but also to accelerate the discovery of the vast array that remain unknown. This great effort promises to lay out new directions for research in every branch of biology.”

The EOL “will create ‘one-stop shopping’ for authoritative information, offering the world at large a better understanding of the planet and all its inhabitants. It is being assembled by a growing partnership of individual scientists, international organizations, technology leaders, and prestigious research institutions. But soon anyone will be able to provide information for consideration, too.” In the later part of this year, the public will also be able to contribute text, videos and images about a species.

Check out details and learn more about biodiversity at the EOL website.