The SCAR Antarctic Biodiversity Portal in collaboration with Pensoft is happy to announce a dedicated topical collection of the Pensoft “Biodiversity Data Journal”.

The topical collection “Antarctic and Southern Ocean biodiversity” aims to celebrate the wide biodiversity of the Antarctic and Sub Antarctic region in the terrestrial and marine realms. The (sub)Antarctic and the Southern Ocean are hosts to unique biodiversity. Due to the remoteness and harsh environment, this biodiversity often remains poorly described despite similar threats as the rest of the globe.

The SCAR Antarctic Biodiversity Portal is a community effort that supports the publication of Biodiversity data in accordance with the FAIR principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) and the provisions of the Antarctic Treaty System (scientific observations and results from Antarctica shall be exchanged and made freely available).

Data papers submitted in this special issue should describe datasets that include biological observation of the Antarctic continent, Sub Antarctic island and in the Southern Ocean using the TDWG Darwin Core standard. There is no restriction on the type of primary biodiversity data. Providing information on sampling sites and additional relevant measures are encouraged. Data submitted will have to be published to Ocean Biodiversity Information System - OBIS and/or the Global Biodiversity Information Facility - GBIF as part of the manuscript publication process.

The SCAR Antarctic Biodiversity portal will provide tutoring through webinars and workshops on how to prepare the data in line with the Darwin Core standard and how to prepare the data paper in the Pensoft system. If required the SCAR Antarctic Biodiversity portal can actively support the publication of the dataset to OBIS and GBIF. To assess the support you may need please fill out this Expression of Interest.

The Biodiversity Data Journal (BDJ) is a community peer-reviewed, open-access journal, designed to accelerate publishing, dissemination and sharing of biodiversity-related data of any kind. The Journal has Article Processing Charges (APCs) of 650 € but the charges can be waived for up to 10 papers. If you would like to have these costs waived please indicate so in your expression of interest. Please submit your expression of interest by the end of April 2022 . These will be reviewed by the guest editors in May and we will contact you prior to the SCAR OSC. If funding is available after that then further applications will be reviewed on a case by case basis.

Guest editors Anton Van de Putte, Justine Shaw, Heather Lynch, Huw Griffiths

In case of questions you may contact Yi Ming Gan from the SCAR Antarctic Biodiversity Portal or Huw Griffiths <hjg (a) bas.ac.uk> from the British Antarctic Survey