WoRMS (World Register of Marine Species)

Business Profile

Core Value Proposition

WoRMS (World Register of Marine Species) provides an authoritative, comprehensive, and continuously updated catalogue of marine species names, including synonyms, governed by taxonomic editors and backed by the Aphia platform.

Target Customer

Researchers, taxonomists, data managers, editors and institutions in marine science (universities, museums, research institutes); policy makers and industry users via integrated data services and LifeWatch/OBIS connections

Key Differentiator

Editorial governance model with taxonomic editors and a dedicated Data Management Team, a single robust infrastructure (Aphia) that links taxonomy with distribution, traits and literature, LSID-based identifiers, and strong integrations with LifeWatch, OBIS and other global databases; context-based architecture enabling multiple portals from one entry

Implementation Timeline

Updates and data additions occur daily; no specific implementation timeline is stated. Value is available immediately upon access to WoRMS/Aphia and related services.

Pain Points

1Keeping marine taxonomic names up to date across literature and datasets
2Managing synonyms and historical naming changes in a centralized, authoritative resource
3Integrating taxonomic data with biogeographic, literature and trait information from multiple sources

Key Features

1Authoritative list of marine species names with synonyms and vernacular names
2Aphia platform: MS SQL database with online editing, 400+ fields across 80+ related tables, and modular data (taxonomy, distribution, traits, literature, etc.)
3LSIDs (Life Science Identifiers) for stable linking of names and data
4Web services and LifeWatch integration for data access and interoperability
5Context-based data organization: Global, Regional, and Thematic Species Databases (GSD, RSD, TSD) within Aphia
6Editable by taxonomic editors with a governance structure (Steering Committee, Editorial Board, DMT)

Target Customer Industries

Decision Makers

1Chair (WoRMS Steering Committee)
2Vice-chair (WoRMS Steering Committee)
3Editor (Taxonomic Editor / Editorial Board member)
4Editorial Board member
5Data Management Team (DMT) member
6Datamanager

Client Results

1Accepted marine species: 248,713 (98% checked)
2Marine species names, including synonyms: 518,419
3Species with image: 53,397 (81% checked)
4 WoRMS editors: 346
5Registered institutional users: 425
6Webhits: 142,629,626 (In 2024)

Competitive Advantages

1Authoritative, expert-controlled taxonomy rather than automated crowd-sourcing
2Integrated infrastructure (Aphia) linking taxonomy with distribution, literature, traits, and images
3Stable identifiers (LSIDs) enabling reliable cross-database linking
4Open data access with web services and LifeWatch/backbone integrations (OBIS, EurOBIS, GenBank links on species pages)
5Flexible ‘contexts’ allowing a single entry to serve multiple portals (global, regional, thematic)

Key Benefits

1Authoritative, curated taxonomy with synonym and literature context

2Centralized, high-quality data with daily updates and governance

3Interoperability through LSIDs, web services, and integration with LifeWatch/OBIS

4Multiple portals from a single entry via contextual databases (GSD/RSD/TSD)

5Support for data quality control and taxon-matching workflows

Case Studies & Success Stories

NELOS divers use WoRMS in digital dive log: a step toward citizen science

Case #1

The Flemish diving federation NELOS vzw integrated WoRMS into its internal DIVES platform—a Digital Verification System used to log tens of thousands of dives each year.

Rotifer World Catalog now available through the Aphia platform

Case #2

The Rotifer World Catalog found a new home in Aphia, with a dedicated portal and marine representatives displayed through WoRMS.

Additional Product Information

Product Description

WoRMS is an authoritative, continuously updated catalogue of marine species names (via the Aphia platform) that combines validated taxonomy, distribution, literature, and traits data, with editorial governance and interoperability through web services and LifeWatch integration.

Target Market

Academic and research institutions, museums, editors and taxonomists, life sciences and biodiversity data networks, and organizations integrating marine species data (e.g., LifeWatch/OBIS collaborations).

Unique Value Proposition

A globally coordinated, editor-led taxonomy backbone for marine life, backed by a robust data platform (Aphia) that enables consistent naming, depth of metadata, cross-database linking, and wide interoperability across major biodiversity infrastructures.

Technical Requirements

{"Aphia platform (MS SQL database) with online editing environment","Taxonomic editors and data management teams to maintain content","Web services for programmatic access","Context-based portals (Global/Regional/Thematic) for content delivery","Links to external databases (e.g., GenBank, OBIS, EurOBIS) via shared data structures"}

Pricing Model

Not specified

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