Geographic Search Tool for Taxonomic Records in the Galápagos Islands

Abstract

The goal of this project was to create a geographic search tool to show where data was collected in the archipelago for the Charles Darwin Research Station, Galapagos, Ecuador. First, I efficiently updated about 28,000 records in the database by assigning coordinates to them using Structured Query Language (SQL) statements. The tool was then created allowing scientists to search the database using taxonomic family, genus, and species. This update and database tool empowers scientists to visualize the distribution of species on the islands, whether the species occupy the ocean, a rocky beach or the rainforest. The tool allows easy access to data as a result of a streamlined downloading process from the database. I used SQL statements along with common web development coding practices to accomplish the project. Currently, this search tool is in use only by scientists with security clearance due to the sensitive nature of the species data associated with Galapagos National Park - UNESCO World Heritage Site. My hope is that this new data access tool will continue to facilitate research for species found nowhere else on earth.