Biocomplexity Resources

General Topics

This list includes general online resources for biocomplexity. Also included are large portal sites, such as the National Biological Information Infrastructure, for biocomplexity links.

  • BIOSIS. BIOSIS is a non-profit organization that delivers information services to the global life sciences community. BIOSIS on-line resources include the resource guide for zoology, the software reviews archive, the guide to the animal kingdom for students and educators, and more. BIOSIS also produces comprehensive indexes by selecting documents from thousands of sources worldwide, indexing and abstracting them into citations which describe their content, and maintaining databases for searching citations. These comprehensive indexes are available for purchase, and trial versions are available. (more info)
  • BioQUEST Curriculum Consortium. Engages in the collaborative development of curricula and actively supports educators interested in the reform of undergraduate biology. The pedagogical approach of BioQUEST encourages the use of simulations, databases, and tools to construct learning environments where students are able to engage in activities like those of practicing scientists. The BioQUEST website offers information on current research and educational projects, a calendar of faculty workshops, and BioQUEST publications. ( This site may be offline. )
  • Biogeosciences.org. This web site presents a collection of biogeoscience resources for all levels of education and interest. Basic biogeoscience links, background information, and program resources are available along with more detailed information on jobs, funding, and research opportunities. The site has lists of degree and research programs, journals and other publications, a database of relevant conferences and meetings, a discussion forum, and an image gallery. There are also interviews with scientists working in the field. (more info)
  • Biology Browser. BiologyBrowser brings together a variety of internet resources for students, educators and scientists. With the browser tool, users may browse subject fields, enter geographic regions, or search for specific terms. The site also features articles on current science topics, highlights of relevant web sites and links to follow-up information. This resource is part of the Biocomplexity collection. http://serc.carleton.edu/biocomplexity/ ( This site is likely no longer available. )
  • Center for International Earth Science Information Network. Agriculture, biodiversity, land use, population, climate, environmental health and environmental treaties. (more info)
  • Data from Selected U.S. Geological Survey National Stream Water-Quality Monitoring Networks (WQN), USGS Digital Data Series DDS-37. Water-quality data including 63 physical, chemical, and biological properties analyzed during more than 60,000 stream visits using relatively consistent sampling and analytical methods over a wide range of streamflow conditions. (more info)
  • Dive and Discover: Expeditions to the Seafloor. An interactive distance learning web site designed to immerse visitors in the excitement of discovery and exploration of the deep seafloor. Dive and Discover brings you right on board a series of Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution research cruises to the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Oceans, and gives you access to the latest research as it happens! Be at the front line of scientific inquiry and join scientists - geologists, geophysicists, chemists and biologists - who are exploring the seafloor and making amazing deep-sea discoveries. Includes an educator's companion that features student explorations activities that meet national education standards. (more info)
  • Earth Observatory. Customizable maps of atmospheric, oceanic, climatic, land use and biologic data plotted on world maps and animations. (more info)
  • Environmental Quality Statistics. HTML and Excel tables for US population, economy and environment, public lands and recreation, ecosystems and biodiversity, air quality, pollution prevention, energy and transportation. (more info)
  • Indiana University - Biocomplexity Institute. This is a collaborative effort among several academic departments. The institute is active in the areas of research, communication and outreach, software and resources, and training of scientists. This web site provides in-depth information on research projects, bioimaging, bioinformatics, biocomplexity in the curriculum, and more. The site also features CompuCell, a software framework for multimodel simulations of biocomplexity problems. ( This site may be offline. )
  • Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University. Biological, solid earth and climatic data sets. (more info)
  • Landsat 7 Data Sets. Provides Landsat 7 scenes of geomorphic features or earth events in LAN or TIF format. The image files are intended for use with MultiSpec software, available for free download from the site. ( This site is likely no longer available. )
  • National Plants Database. This United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) database is a single source collection of standardized information about plants of the US and its territories. The database includes names, checklists, automated tools, identification information, species abstracts, distributional data, crop information, plant symbols, plant growth data, plant materials information, links to more resources, references, and other facts. A search tool and photo gallery display plants of interest. (more info)
  • National Water-Quality Assessment Program (NAWQA). National database and maps of stream discharge, water quality, groundwater, surface water, bed sediment and animal tissue data. (more info)
  • Plate tectonics and the evolution of climate. This site presents the National Science Foundation's funding initiative for biocomplexity research. This research program is a multi-year investment designed to promote new approaches to investigating the interactivity of biota and the environment. The site contains descriptions of current competitions for research funding, with complete program descriptions and application deadlines. There is also information on past competitions and links to the abstracts that have received awards. ( This site is likely no longer available. )
  • Population Reference Bureau. Easy-to-use, customizable database of population, health, and human geography data. (more info)
  • South Dakota Center for Biocomplexity Studies. The Center seeks to promote federally competitive biocomplexity research by South Dakota scientists. The web site provides a list of external funding opportunities with program announcements and deadlines. The Center staff can assist in proposal preparation. The web site provides an index of scientists with expertise related to biocomplexity at participating institutions, with areas of expertise and contact information. The web site also features digital data sources for South Dakota environmental resources. (more info)
  • TerraViva! World Resources. This global data visualization software puts state-of-the-science environmental and socioeconomic data sets on the user's desktop. Statistical databases include the World Resources Institute Database and the CIA World Factbook Database. Data can be retrieved and plotted as histograms, scatterplots and other standard graphical displays. Thematic maps include elevation and depth, population density, USGS Land Cover, night lights, national and sub-national political boundaries, maximum greenness, mean annual temperature, and mean annual precipitation. Textual resources include a searchable database of environmental treaties and country studies. ( This site may be offline. )
  • The Knowledge Network for Bio-Complexity. This site allows the user to search for biocomplexity data according to specific topics or general subjects. This database enables the efficient discovery, access, interpretation, integration and analysis of complex ecological data from a highly distributed set of field stations, laboratories, research sites and individual researchers. (more info)
  • USGS Biological Resources: National Activities. This website contains a comprehensive listing of biological research taking place within the USGS biology branch. This portal provides access to the National Bird Banding Project, the National Park Service flora and fauna database, the National Water Quality Assessment Program, the Global Change Research Program, the Land Use History of North America and many more. It is an excellent starting place for information and data from research projects within the USGS Biological Resources branch. ( This site is likely no longer available. )
  • Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute - Biology Department. Research in the Biology Department at WHOI continues to be very broad in the subjects studied and the approaches employed to identify and understand the diversity of organisms and their functions. WHOI biologists study organisms from the smallest scale (marine viruses and bacteria) to the largest (whales). This site includes reports on past and current research projects, information on talks and seminars, and a list of 12 working group sections that include discussion sections and informational links. This site also includes links to educational opportunities for academic exercises for students from kindergarten through PhD level education. (more info)