The Canadensys network, managed by the Université de Montréal Biodiversity Centre, brings together collections belonging to several Canadian universities, botanical gardens and museums, collectively constituting tens of millions of specimens.
The mission of Canadensys is to coordinate the networking of participating biological collections’ data, and to make this data accessible to the public in a user-friendly web environment. Canadensys data is compatible with that of the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) and the Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility (CBIF). This compatibility facilitates pan-Canadian and international collaboration, and ensures the development of new partnerships related to biodiversity and sustainable development.
Launched in 2012, the Canadensys Explorer allows the user to search, sort, view and download all specimens published on Canadensys, and view them on interactive maps. The Explorer presently includes nine collections, corresponding to half a million specimens. Other collections will be integrated soon.
Analysing Canadensys data using environmental and geospatial models will allow public and private administrators to take appropriate steps to ensure the conservation and sustainable use of Canada’s biological heritage.
Please visit the website of Canadensys or write to the contact person, Carole Sinou, by email (carole.sinou@umontreal.ca).