BioBlitz

Base camp at a BioBlitz in Auckland, New Zealand

A BioBlitz is a 24-hour inventory of all living organisms in a given area, often an urban park. The term "BioBlitz" was coined by National Park Service naturalist Susan Rudy while assisting with the first BioBlitz at Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens, Washington D.C. BioBlitz in May 31 - June 1, 1996. Approximately 1000 species were identified at this event. This early BioBlitz was conceived and organised by Sam Droege (USGS) and Dan Roddy (NPS), and inspired many other organisations to do the same. The bioblitz name and concept is not registered, copyrighted, or trademarked; it is an idea that can be used, adapted, and modified by any group to freely use for their own purposes. The next year, 1997, the Carnegie Museum of Natural History conducted a BioBlitz in one of the Pittsburgh parks. They added a public component, inviting the public to see what the scientists were doing. At about the same time Harvard biologist E.O. Wilson and Massachusetts wildlife expert Peter Alden developed a program to catalog the organisms around Walden Pond, which led to a state-wide program known as biodiversity Days.

A bioblitz has the dual aims of establishing the degree of biodiversity in an area and popularising science. Botanists, mycologists and entomologists all play a role. Some BioBlitzes are an annual event.

Scientists establish a base at a point close to the area and provide expertise in identifying organisms found by the public as well as doing their own inspection of the area.

A full BioBlitz must take place over a full 24-hour period as different organisms are likely to be found at different times of day. Schools may organise BioBlitzes over a shorter period of time, but the results will less accurately show the variety of species in the area.

The First Annual Blogger BioBlitz is planned for the week of 21 - 29 April 2007. Participants pledge to conduct individual Bioblitzes and the results will be compiled and mapped. So, unlike traditional BioBlitzes the surveys are not likely to be deep across many taxonomic groups. However, they will serve to raise awareness about biological diversity and will provide a broad snapshot of spring diversity in many locations. See [1]

BioBlitzes by country

Australia

• The Woodland Watch Project (part of the World Wildlife Fund has an annual BioBlitz in wheatbelt areas of Western Australia. See [2]

Canada

• The Canadian Biodiversity Institute has held annual BioBlitzes since 1998. See [3]
• There has been one Bioblitz in Victoria, British Columbia (in April 2007), and will be another one October 6-7, 2007. See [4] and [5]
• Victoria's Beacon Hill Blitz held October 6-7, 2007 (Thanksgiving Weekend) was successful as an exercise in giving thanks -- for biodiversity in our region -- and was despite a certain amount of rain and wind, very enjoyable. Victoria Bioblitz Project's next project is an "arborblitz". An arborblitz modifies the bioblitz concept by focusing on individual trees, asking participants to draw, photograph, and write about "significant" ones in the area, with the purpose of protecting them from removal but also of studying them as gateways to biodiversity, trees being homes of insects, birds, mammals, fungi and other epiphytes. See more arborblitz detail at [6]

New Zealand

Dr Peter Buchanan, the organiser of the 2004 and 2005 Auckland BioBlitzes

• Landcare Research held BioBlitzes in Auckland in 2004 and 2005, and in Christchurch in 2005. See [7].

The first Marine Bioblitz occurred on the Wellington South Coast over a month, since a marine Bioblitz is trickier weatherwise than a terrestrial one. After enjoying looking for ferns at Otari Wilton's Bush, see [8], Celia Wade-Brown suggested a Marine Bioblitz which was taken on enthusiastically by a range of organisations, and led by Forest and Bird. See [9].

United States of America

• Colorado: The National Wildlife Federation has been providing a toolset based on the eNature.com species data in the Denver/Boulder metropolitan area since 2004. Results are online. See [10].
• Connecticut: The Center for Conservation and Biodiversity and Connecticut State Museum of Natural History have held seven BioBlitz events since 1999. See [11]. Results from the 2007 BioBlitz are online.[12] The current record for a single Connecticut BioBlitz was set in 2001 at Tarrywhile Park in Danbury, Connecticut, where 2519 species were recorded in the 24 hour period [13][14].
• District of Columbia: A BioBlitz at the Kenilworth Park and Aquatic Gardens in Washington, D.C. in 1996 found approximately 1000 species. See [15]
• Washington, DC 2007: The National Geographic Society held a BioBlitz in Rock Creek Park on May 18-19. The event was later on a segment of the TV series Wild Chronicles which airs on PBS. Participants included J. Michael Fay , Sylvia Earle, and Boyd Matson. See [16] and [17]
• Illinois: The Field Museum of Natural History and other organisations held a BioBlitz in Chicago in 2002. See [18].
• Missouri: Several organisations collaborated on a BioBlitz at Forest Park in St Louis in 2004 and 2006. A St. Louis BioBlitz is scheduled for 2008. See [19].
• Vermont: The Vermont Institute of Natural Science held a BioBlitz in 2004 at Hartford. See [20]
• New York: A BioBlitz at Central Park found more than 800 species in 2003. See [21]
• Massachusetts: 2006 collaboration between the Boston Museum of Science and the Cape Cod Museum of Natural History. The first bioblitz in a series sponsored by the E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation. The first bioblitz to utilize CyberTracker and NatureMapping technologies for data collection.
• New Hampshire: Squam Lakes. 2008. The Squam Lakes Natural Science Center in collaboration with Squam Lakes Association and Squam Lakes Conservation Society in cooperation with the Holderness Conservation Commission, the US Forest Service Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest, UNH Cooperative Extension, Plymouth State University, NH Fish and Game Department, and Ecosystem Management Consultants. See [22]
• New York: Central Park. 2006. In collaboration with the E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation, the Explorer's Club, the American Museum of Natural History and the Boston Museum of Science. This is the first bioblitz in history to incorporate the collection and analysis of Microorganisms.
• North Carolina: The North Carolina Botanical Garden in collaboration with the Morehead Planetarium sponsor an annual bioblitz in September on garden owned property.
• Maryland/DC/Virginia, 2006: The Nature Conservancy sponsored a Potomac Gorge BioBlitz where more than 130 field biologists and experienced naturalists volunteered their expertise in an effort to see how many species they could find. During a 30-hour survey period from Saturday, June 24, through Sunday, June 25 their surveys revealed more than 1,000 species. See[23]
• Maryland, 2007: Jug Bay Bioblitz sponsored by the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission’s (M-NCPPC) Patuxent River Park Staff and Park Rangers. There will be another bioblitz in May of 2008.
• Oklahoma: The Oklahoma Biological Survey hosted an annual BioBlitz at different locations around Oklahoma in the years 2001-2008. Their 2009 Bioblitz will be held at Robbers Cave State Park on September 18-19.
• Santa Barbara, California, 2007: The Santa Barbara Botanic Garden organised a BioBlitz of its natural spaces in May 2007.
• Washington: BioBlitzes conducted using NatureTracker software on PDAs for conservation planning. See [24]
• Rhode Island: Rhode Island Natural History Survey has conducted annual Bioblitzes in the state since 2000. See [25].

At a BioBlitz in New York City's Central Park in 2003 the following numbers of species in each group were found: 393 plants, 78 moths, 14 fungi, 10 spiders, 9 dragonflies, 2 tardigrades, 102 other invertebrates, 7 mammals, 3 turtles, 46 birds and 2 frogs.

Portugal

Faro will be the first city in Portugal hosting a Bioblitz (17/18 October 2008). Check www.bioblitzportugal.com for more information and join us!

Spain

In Formentera (Balearic Islands), during the Posidonia Festival 2008, it's organized a Bioblitz.

See also

• Australian Bird Count (ABC)
• Breeding Bird Survey
• Christmas Bird Count (CBC) (in the Western Hemisphere)
• Seabird Colony Register (SCR)
• The EBCC Atlas of European Breeding Birds
• Tucson Bird Count (TBC) (in Arizona in the US)