The Detailed Implementation Plan for GEO BON (Group of Earth Observations Biodiversity Observation Network) constitutes a workgroup (No 8), that “… focuses on data integration and interoperability to help coordinate, standardize and manage data collected by a variety of disparate institutions and individuals for many different purposes … it is not directly aimed at generating certain products about biodiversity, rather, it will focus on building permanent structures and linkages that will support the delivery of such products.”

This aim was defined in 2010, and reaffirmed at the end of 2012. In this paper, we discuss the objectives for and basis of establishment of a common GEO BON systems infrastructure, and highlight the vision for a generic “end-to-end” use case, encompassing data discovery, processing, modeling, and presentation as decision support – either in the form of formal indicators, or as user-defined measures.

Underpinning such an end-to-end use case requires significant focus on content and service interoperability, and many gaps still exist in this regard. GEO BON will be approaching this on two levels: by (1) building working infrastructure using such standards and specifications as are available, and (2) defining gaps and working towards the establishment of extended content and service standards to address these gaps.

The paper concludes with an overview of current activities and global initiatives in support of the vision, and defines areas of potential research collaboration for interested parties.