Highlights for May 30, 1997
USGS Center for Biological Informatics

I. Key Department News:

• CBI Scientist Visits New Mexico State University: On May 19, Sharon Shin of CBI visited New Mexico State University Geography Department Chair Dr. Robert Czernaik. Sharon discussed BRD's role in USGS and specifically addressed metadata training activities. Dr. Czernaik discussed his Department's data documentation efforts, centering around a University requirement for undergraduate and graduate students to create metadata on geospatial data used in research projects. Although the metadata documentation currently being done at the University is not Federal Geographic Data Committee-compliant, it is a noteworthy beginning. (Sharon Shin, Denver, 303/202-4230)
  
  
• Hawaii Ecosystems at Risk Web Site Established: During the week of May 26, Peter Strong of CBI assisted PIERC by establishing a new Internet domain to disseminate information produced by the Hawaii Ecosystems at Risk project. The new domain is called hear.org. (Peter Strong, Denver, 303/202-4246)
  
  
• Visual Identity Banner Added to BRD Sites: During the week of May 26, Dave Duran and Mike Zavori of CBI affixed the new USGS visual identity banner to all Web pages served from the Center, including the BRD Home Page. (Dave Duran, Denver, 303/202-4248)
  
  
• New BRD Web Page Online: On May 28, Dave Duran (CBI) and Terry D'Erchia (OBIO) posted the new BRD page "Research Information" (http://biology.usgs.gov/news/resinformation.html). This site now contains Biological Information & Technology Notes--BIT Notes--and Biological Research Resources. (Terry D'Erchia, Denver, 303/202-4264)
  
  
• CBI Scientist to Address Lepidopterists' Society: On June 6-8, Dr. Paul Opler of CBI will attend the Pacific Slope section meeting of the Lepidopterists' Society in Quincy, California. He will give an illustrated presentation titled "Monitoring Programs for Butterflies and Moths." (Paul Opler, Fort Collins, CO, 970/226-9409)
  
  

II. Agency Works on Presidential Initiatives:

• CBI Scientist Assists U.S. Forest Service in Metadata Documentation: On May 29, Sharon Shin of CBI addressed Region 2 U.S. Forest Service geographic information systems specialists at the Lakewood, Colorado, Forest Service Office. Shin discussed the National Biological Information Infrastructure Metadata Profile and the importance of creating and serving metadata. (Sharon Shin, Denver, 303/202-4230)
  
  

III. Notable Congressional Activity: No report.

IV. Press/Media Inquiries:

• BRD Scientist Contributes to Discovery Channel Special: On May 28, Maury Nyquist (CBI) and representatives of the RMMC Earth Sciences Information Center and Spatial Technologies Lab met with Producer Beth Harrison and members of her staff regarding production of a Discovery Channel TV special on the tall grass prairie. Nyquist provided information and maps on the historical distribution of the tall grass prairie. He also called attention to a Land Use History of North America pilot project ("Agricultural and Population Expansion" by Margaret Maizel <http://biology.usgs.gov/luhna/ncri/index.html>) which shows the conversion of natural vegetation to agricultural uses. Specifically, he showed how to trace this process for the tall grass prairie through the animated graphics in the pilot project. The producer and staff were very interested in using this information and inquired about its availability and cost. Nyquist explained that this and many other types of data and information are being made available to the public free as part of the National Biological Information Infrastructure goal of helping people around the Nation share information on biological resources. (Maury Nyquist, Denver, 303/202-4217)

V. FOIA Requests: No report.