DiSSCo UK Year 0 Science Review

The DiSSCo UK Year 0 Science Review provides a snapshot of how digitised UK natural science collections are already being used, cited and translated into impact. Ahead of the formal launch of the ten-year DiSSCo UK programme, it brings together high-level citation metrics with selected research examples to demonstrate how specimen data are underpinning contemporary science across disciplines. The studies highlighted illustrate the diversity of current use cases. Digitised specimens are being used to model species’ responses to climate change, identify future biodiversity and carbon risks, and assess vulnerability in globally significant ecosystems. The metrics presented here are drawn primarily from dataset citation tracking via the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). This is supplemented where possible with UK Earth science examples that sit outside existing biodiversity data infrastructures. This Year 0 Review establishes a baseline. It shows what is already being achieved with partial digital coverage and provides a reference point against which the impact of DiSSCo UK can be tracked over time.