GE-BICH stands for Group of Experts on Biological and Chemical
Data Management and Exchange Practices. It is a working group formed by the International Oceanographic Data and Information Exchange (IODE) programme of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) (see the GE-BICH page on the IODE website for more information). GE-BICH's remit is to address issues related to the management and exchange of biological and chemical data collected in the world's oceans. The group is formally composed of:
The group works also closely with invited experts. Since its first session in 2002, collaborations have taken place with experts from external organisations such as ICES, FAO, the ICSU’s WDCs, European projects and networks such as SeaDataNet and EUR-OCEANS, from international initiatives such as OBIS and WoRMS, and also from other IOC programmes. Such collaborations are essential in helping us identify priorities while minimising duplication of effort, developing interoperability and ensuring that GE-BICH does not act in isolation. |