API

The Netherlands Biodiversity API is a biodiversity data service

The Netherlands Biodiversity API is a modern data service for scientists, application developers, national and regional government bodies and anyone else interested in biodiversity and biodiversity-related data. This service starts with the biodiversity-related data of the Naturalis Biodiversity Center by granting access to its very extensive catalogue, historical and recent data relating to a variety of species, including specimen, multimedia and taxon data.

Netherlands Biodiversity API offers a raft of possibilities

The information released via this application is highly suitable for use by scientists working in taxonomical and thematic biodiversity studies. Detailed inventories of various types and a wide variety of (historical) data analyses are just some of the possible applications. For government bodies, the data can be an important source of information in developing new nature (conservation) policy as well as evaluating and monitoring existing policy in this field. Finally, application developers will be able to use the interface to bring plants, fungi, animals, fossils, minerals and rocks to life in interactive applications, aimed at specific target groups.

Netherlands Biodiversity API starts by opening up the extensive Naturalis Collection

The collection at Naturalis is one of the largest in the world and the quality of the objects is excellent. The collection represents an invaluable scientific value. Financed with FES (Economic Structure Enhancement) funds over the past few years, Naturalis has undertaken a unique digitisation project, according to which by 1 July 2015, all 42 million objects will have been recorded on digital cards, 8 million of them to a high level of detail. All in all, from the moment of its initial launch, this means that the Netherlands Biodiversity API is not only extensive in terms of size but also offers a valuable level of in-depth information.

Netherlands Biodiversity API is freely accessible

Unless stated otherwise, Naturalis has opted to place all its data in the public domain under CC0 licence, making it free for all to use. Users do not require authorisation to gain access to the biodiversity data. This means that any form of reuse of the content of this site is permitted, except when for a piece of content (such as a photo or a document) copyright is indicated.

Netherlands Biodiversity API and compatibility

Naturalis aims to achieve compatibility with previous versions when carrying out maintenance on this API. Whenever it becomes necessary to add a function, as a consequence of which compatibility can no longer be guaranteed, the active version will continue to be maintained for a further six months, while the new function will only be available in the higher version. In the event of security problems or system abuse, Naturalis reserves the right to deviate from this principle.

More about the Netherlands Biodiversity API

Further information or questions about the Netherlands Biodiversity API:

docs.biodiversitydata.nl offers more functional and technical information.

For questions, requests or comments, please mail to nba@naturalis.nl