User Acknowledgment

By using data, software, or other information accessed through the OBIS Portal, I agree that, in any publication or presentation of any sort based wholly or in part on material so accessed, I will:

1. Acknowledge the use of specific records from contributing databases in the form appearing in the 'Citation' field thereof (if any); and in any event acknowledge the use of the OBIS facility in the following prescribed form:
"Accessed in J.F. Grassle & Y. Zhang eds., OBIS Distributed Data Search (OBIS World Wide Web electronic publication www.iobis.org)"

Example: "Richer de Forges, B. 2001. Electronic Database of ORSTOM Sampling on the Norfolk Ridge. As viewed in K. Stocks, 2003, SeamountsOnline Version 3.1. http://seamounts.sdsc.edu. Accessed in J.F. Grassle & Y. Zhang (eds.), OBIS Distributed Data Search (OBIS World Wide Web electronic publication www.iobis.org)"; and

2. For information purposes, provide to the OBIS Webmaster the full citation of any publication I make (printed or electronic) that cites OBIS or any constituent part.

Users beware

OBIS renders information prepared by contributors accessible through dynamic on-line publication. It does not peer-review the quality of the data provided. However, it is confident that the data are the best available in electronic form. OBIS does not own or try to control or limit the use of any data or products accessible through its website. Accordingly, it does not take responsibility for the quality of such data or products, or the use that people may make of them.

Users must recognize that the analysis and interpretation of data requires background knowledge and expertise about marine biodiversity (including ecosystems and taxonomy). Users should be aware of possible errors in the use of species names, georeferencing, data handing and mapping. They should crosscheck their results for possible errors, and qualify their interpretation of any results accordingly. Appropriate caution is thus necessary in the interpretation of results derived from OBIS.

Users must be aware that OBIS is a federation and that it is necessary to refer to the websites of individual contributors for appropriate contextual, explanatory and interpretive information, and for relevant metadata. Users should also refer questions that they have concerning such issues to individual contributors though the procedures established in their respective websites. Questions about the portal function itself should be directed to the OBIS webmaster."