What is the OBIS Products Catalog?
The OBIS Products Catalog is a cmetadata repository that helps users discover and access data products created from OBIS-mediated marine biodiversity data, or designed to support the OBIS network. As the OBIS network has grown, it became challenging to track the diverse products, like maps, models, training, visualizations, software, and presentations, that researchers have created. This catalog provides a searchable focal point for the products, and also ensures the metadata are exposed to catalogs like ODIS for increased findability.
Key Features
Centralized Discovery - Find data products from across the OBIS network
Lightweight - Focuses metadata focused across multiple repositories without manipulation
Semantic Web Ready - JSON-LD export for machine-readable metadata and sharing with ODIS
Linked Data - Connections to OBIS nodes, institutions, and Ocean Expert
Multiple Product Types - Datasets, publications, software, presentations, visualizations, and more
Infrastructure at a Glance
| Component | Description |
|---|---|
| Core Stack | CKAN 2.11, PostgreSQL, Solr, Redis, NGINX |
| Data Sources | OBIS API, Ocean Expert API, Zenodo |
| Organizations | 38 OBIS regional/thematic nodes |
| Institutions | 668 Ocean Expert Institutions |
| API | Full CKAN API v3 + custom JSON-LD endpoints |
Community
The OBIS Products Catalog is developed and maintained by the OBIS Products Coordination Group (PCG).
- Meetings: Every other month, open to the OBIS community
- Contact: helpdesk@obis.org
- Issues: GitHub Issues
Last updated: October 2025