correspondence Taxonomy, at the click of a mouse Informatics and taxonomy are working together to achieve more than either could alone.

Sir — We welcome your Opinion article taxonomic capacity and making taxonomic global database. FishBase (www.fishbase. “Genomics and taxonomy for all” (Nature information available to help implement org) and AlgaeBase (www.algaebase.org) 417, 573; 2002) and H. C. J. Godfray’s the convention. A programme of work for are experimenting with web-based creative ideas for modernizing taxonomic the GTI was formally adopted at the Hague facilities for users to offer images, data on practices in his Commentary “Challenges in April, providing political endorsement new species and so on. At present none of for taxonomy” (Nature 417, 17–19; 2002; and a framework for national, regional and these publishes the original diagnoses of see also News Feature pages 362–363). global projects to develop the knowledge new species, but the infrastructure that Taxonomy provides the reference system base. Funding comes from various sources, could provide this facility is already in for all biology, so organizing, updating and including the Global Environment Facility. place. GBIF is similarly planning a digital streamlining the process of bringing Third, the Global Biodiversity library of biodiversity literature and a taxonomic information onto every desktop Information Facility (GBIF; www.gbif.org) ‘Species Bank’, to include the collaborative, at the click of a mouse are urgent priorities. aims to develop an interoperable network online community-building features The first substantial steps in this direction of biodiversity databases and information proposed by Godfray. are already being taken, as mentioned by technology tools for users to explore the All these activities are in tune with Godfray, and there is more to follow. world’s vast quantities of biodiversity Godfray’s proposals and your Opinion First, Species 2000 (www.sp2000.org) information for economic, environmental article. The Catalogue of Life and the GBIF and the Integrated Taxonomic and social uses. GBIF is developing are each funded at about US$3 million a Information System (www.itis.usda.gov), standards for interoperability, digitizing year and we should see real progress over two major players in creating an electronic biodiversity data, helping to complete the the next three years. Several projects under global framework for taxonomy, joined Catalogue of Life, and improving global the aegis of the GTI have been funded, forces last year in the Catalogue of Life taxonomic and biodiversity informatics although substantial further resources will consortium and are now making rapid capacity. GBIF is also developing a portal be needed for all three initiatives. But the progress with a catalogue of all known to provide specialized search engines for excellent news is that interest in taxonomy organisms. They have invited other accessing digitized, georeferenced is reawakening, and the taxonomic and organizations to join them in constructing specimen data from the world’s herbaria, informatics communities are working a complete and freely available web-based museums and other natural history together to accomplish much more than synonymic index of species and associated collections. In this it is working closely either could achieve separately. data. The 2002 Catalogue of Life now lists with the Catalogue of Life consortium, Frank A. Bisby*, Junko Shimura†, 260,000 species (860,000 names, including GTI and other taxonomic organizations. Michael Ruggiero‡, James Edwards§, synonyms and common names) on Fourth, we endorse Godfray’s Christoph Haeuser|| CD-ROM and on the Web. This programme suggestion that species descriptions, *Species 2000 Secretariat, Reading, UK is community-wide — the sources of this images and a platform for publication and †Species 2000 Asia-Oceania Secretariat and GTI knowledge are the participating taxonomic debate should be provided on the web. National Focal Point of Japan, Tsukuba, Japan database programmes embedded in the These online community-building ‡ITIS Secretariat, Washington DC, USA taxonomic profession and supported by features are not yet generally available §GBIF Secretariat, Copenhagen, Denmark systematics institutions, projects and for the Catalogue of Life, but individual ||Chairman of the GBIF Governing Board and GTI individuals around the world. contributing systems within Species 2000 National Focal Point for Germany, Stuttgart, Germany Second, the Global Taxonomy Initiative are already experimenting in this area. Address for correspondence: F.A.B., Centre for Plant (GTI) of the Convention on Biological ILDIS LegumeWeb (www.ildis.org) has the Diversity and Systematics, School of Plant Sciences, Diversity (see decision VI/8 of COP 6 at first ‘community taxonomy’ created and University of Reading, Reading RG6 6AS, UK www.biodiv.org/decisions) is building maintained by worldwide contributors to a [email protected]

Strong case for neutrons the draft subcommittee report presented experiments with neutrons will play a to the Wissenschaftsrat, most of the leading role across the sciences for the Sir — On 18 July you reported (Nature 418, committee judged the scientific case for foreseeable future. 262; 2002) a review of major facilities and the ESS to be very strong. The research “The Wissenschaftsrat’s statement on an assessment of the European Spallation opportunities for many fields of applied the cost of neutrons relative to other Source (ESS) by Germany’s science council, and fundamental science, such as solid techniques is not based on input from us the Wissenschaftsrat. As your report says: state physics/chemistry, particle physics, and we do not believe it would be “The council endorsed an assessment of biology and engineering, were seen as supported by a comprehensive analysis.” the ESS by a subcommittee … that the novel and outstanding. Critical remarks by B. Keimer demand for neutrons does not justify the some members were confined to the area Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research, estimated 1.4-billion-euro (US$1.4-billion) of polymer physics/chemistry. 70569 Stuttgart, Germany total investment in an advanced neutron “Further, contrary to the summary of Other signatories to this letter: source.”This assessment reflected neither our deliberations in the Wissenschaftsrat’s H. Dosch Max Planck Institute for Metals Research, the consensus view of the subcommittee report, we do not see reason for concern Stuttgart, Germany nor the opinion of most members. As about the timeliness of the scientific D. Dubbers University of Heidelberg, Germany members of this subcommittee, we have programme. We agree with the Japanese H. Fuess Technical University of Darmstadt, Germany written to the chair of the Wissenschaftsrat and US research communities, who have T. Mason Spallation Neutron Source, USA with our concerns, paraphrased below. successfully sought long-term funding for E. Sackmann Technical University of Munich, Germany “Contrary to the impression given by high-intensity spallation sources, that P. Withers University of Manchester, UK

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