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INVEMAR launches the Colombia Register of Marine Species to enhance knowledge of the country's marine biodiversity
Added on 2026-06-24 08:51:05 by Dekeyzer, Stefanie
The new CoRMS platform will bring together and update validated scientific information on marine species found in the Colombian Caribbean and Pacific, facilitating research, conservation, and environmental decision-making.The José Benito Vives de Andréis Institute for Marine and Coastal Research (INVEMAR), as part of the celebrations marking its 31 years as part of Colombia's National Environmental System (SINA), officially launched the Colombian Register of Marine Species (CoRMS), a digital tool designed to support strategies aimed at strengthening, consolidating, and democratising access to knowledge about Colombia's marine biodiversity.
CoRMS has been established as a regional sub-register of the World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS). It will compile and update distribution records for species found in both the Caribbean and the Pacific regions of Colombia, based on peer-reviewed scientific literature and taxonomic sources validated by specialists.
The importance of this tool lies in the fact that Colombia has around 928,600 square kilometres of marine territory, equivalent to 45 per cent of its national area – an expanse that is home to ecosystems of great ecological significance and high biological diversity, recognised as among the highest on the continent, in one of the world's most megadiverse countries. Therefore, having organised and publicly accessible information is essential for the sustainable management of natural resources.
The development of the platform is the result of an international partnership between INVEMAR and the Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ) in Belgium, the organisation responsible for providing the technological infrastructure. This collaboration will also enable greater integration of Colombian data into global scientific networks dedicated to the study of marine biodiversity.
During the launch, the directors-general of INVEMAR, Francisco Arias Isaza, and VLIZ, Jan Mees, highlighted the importance of the initiative in consolidating scientific knowledge about Colombia's oceans and making it available to society; view the presentation here.
In its initial phase, CoRMS incorporates around 1,900 marine taxa recorded for Colombia, with an emphasis on marine invertebrates. The immediate goal is to reach approximately 5,000 documented species by the end of the year, progressively incorporating new taxonomic groups, distribution records, images, and contributions from national specialists.
CoRMS is set to become a reliable source of information for professionals and interested members of the public, as well as a key tool for strengthening the understanding and protection of one of the country's greatest natural treasures: its marine biodiversity.
The website is freely accessible at https://www.marinespecies.org/corms
CoRMS has been established as a regional sub-register of the World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS). It will compile and update distribution records for species found in both the Caribbean and the Pacific regions of Colombia, based on peer-reviewed scientific literature and taxonomic sources validated by specialists.
The importance of this tool lies in the fact that Colombia has around 928,600 square kilometres of marine territory, equivalent to 45 per cent of its national area – an expanse that is home to ecosystems of great ecological significance and high biological diversity, recognised as among the highest on the continent, in one of the world's most megadiverse countries. Therefore, having organised and publicly accessible information is essential for the sustainable management of natural resources.
The development of the platform is the result of an international partnership between INVEMAR and the Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ) in Belgium, the organisation responsible for providing the technological infrastructure. This collaboration will also enable greater integration of Colombian data into global scientific networks dedicated to the study of marine biodiversity.
During the launch, the directors-general of INVEMAR, Francisco Arias Isaza, and VLIZ, Jan Mees, highlighted the importance of the initiative in consolidating scientific knowledge about Colombia's oceans and making it available to society; view the presentation here.
In its initial phase, CoRMS incorporates around 1,900 marine taxa recorded for Colombia, with an emphasis on marine invertebrates. The immediate goal is to reach approximately 5,000 documented species by the end of the year, progressively incorporating new taxonomic groups, distribution records, images, and contributions from national specialists.
CoRMS is set to become a reliable source of information for professionals and interested members of the public, as well as a key tool for strengthening the understanding and protection of one of the country's greatest natural treasures: its marine biodiversity.
The website is freely accessible at https://www.marinespecies.org/corms
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