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Information Science and Management

Information Science and Management researchers provide the technological expertise to support the broad approach necessary to address Florida’s complex fish-, wildlife-, and habitat-related issues.

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Photo Credit: FWC

The timely and targeted delivery of scientific fish and wildlife information is the fundamental mission of the Fish and Wildlife Research Institute. The “Information Age” has created a strong and growing demand for data and summarized information from FWRI. Rapid technological advancements have provided scientists with sophisticated computer-based methods of gathering and communicating information; these new methods enhance all aspects of scientific inquiry, from satellite tracking of manatees to computer mapping of upland habitats. Whether it is global positioning systems for pinpointing field observations or the Internet for retrieving hard-to-find research publications, computers and electronic information technology are now the primary tools for delivering scientific information in formats easy to comprehend by scientists, managers, and the public.

Addressing the complex environmental issues in Florida’s various ecosystems requires the integration of large and diverse databases and information sources. Information Science and Management (IS&M) scientists and technical staff manage and produce data and information that support those making decisions necessary for conserving the fish and wildlife resources in terrestrial, freshwater, and marine ecosystems. Our efforts result in a wide variety of services and products, including digital maps of fish and wildlife distributions, guides for taxonomic identification of species, economic assessments, biostatistics support, manuscript editing, and library services. IS&M programs work with, and for, all other programs at FWRI and selected local, state, and federal partners, facilitating data exchange and providing the tools, support services, and expertise needed to cooperatively develop information products.

IS&M is composed of four subsections: the Center for Biostatistics and Modeling, the Center for Spatial Analysis, Information Access, and Socioeconomic Assessment. These subsections combine to play two main roles at FWRI. The first role is research, often in cooperation with researchers in other FWRI sections such as Marine Fisheries and Wildlife as well as with those in other FWC divisions and outside agencies. For example, as part of Florida’s Wildlife Legacy Initiative, staff coordinated with researchers from other FWC divisions, agencies, and nongovernmental organizations throughout the state to help develop Florida’s Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy. In this effort, CSA staff were heavily involved in identifying key habitats and species of greatest conservation need throughout Florida’s terrestrial, freshwater, and marine ecosystems. The second role is to facilitate the Institute’s ability to manage and deliver information to other scientists, resource managers, and the public via effective data management initiatives ranging from acquisition, through analysis, to distribution and archiving. This other role calls for expertise in a diverse base of disciplines, such as bio-statistics, library sciences, data management, computer programming, Web design, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), preservation of field-collected specimens, and publications production.

The Center for Biostatistics and Modeling offers FWRI research staff a variety of services that are intended to improve and ensure the validity and quality of scientific studies originated by FWRI or in which FWRI is cooperatively involved.

The Center for Spatial Analysis produces spatially referenced data sets of terrestrial, freshwater, and marine habitats and conducts landscape-scale biogeographic modeling of fish and wildlife distributions and their habitats. The center helps identify lands and waters that are priorities for biodiversity conservation. The center’s data and information are available over the Internet to decision-makers and the public as reports, maps, atlases, and GIS layers.

Information Access (IA) staff members establish protocols for integrating, storing, archiving, and retrieving data as well as entering and storing metadata. IA staff also maintain the Resources Information Center, an extensive collection of published habitat and wildlife-related documents, and the Publications Production Office, which ensures that FWRI scientific publications are well written, properly illustrated, and efficiently printed. Finally, IA staff maintain a specimen collection of more than 5,000 fish and invertebrate species found primarily in Florida’s marine waters.

Socioeconomic Assessment staff conduct economic analyses that provide decision makers with an understanding of economic value, impact, benefits, costs and efficiency measures directly related to the conservation of fish and wildlife resources. Although the primary audience is the Florida Legislature and FWC resource managers, FWC recognizes the importance of communicating economic information to the public and provides this information through many different channels.

Additional Information:

• 2007-2008 Information Science and Management Programs (PDF file—448KB)
• GIS and Mapping Projects
• Publications and Resources

Learn more about the Fish and Wildlife Research Institute

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