What’s New with VertNet?
We can see it in your face. It’s that “What the H-E-double-hockey-sticks is going on here!?” look.
Well, a lot has changed and almost all of it was necessary to keep the VertNet portal and our community support services alive.
There is a lot here, so you can use that handy table of contents over on the right side to jump to the section you need.
Why the changes?
The VertNet portal and our community support services have been a voluntary labor of love since 2016 when our NSF support (NSF DBI) ended back in 2016. Since then, we’ve done as much as we can to keep this ship afloat during our personal time and at our own personal expense. We have not given up on VertNet - quite the opposite. These changes are necessary to allow us to provide you with a reliable portal and online resources into the future.
Let’s face it, over the last many years, digital entropy has been winning when it comes to the VertNet portal. We’ve had to address the disappearance of third-party software providers, increasing costs to perform processing, changes to Google services (e.g., mapping), and a wide-range of social-political issues from lost passwords to the unpredictability of available time and energy to address things when they go sideways. The result has been a slow decline in the reliability and effectiveness of the current portal and our ability to update the data index, fix problems and pay for unexpected or new required services. Recent failures in the portal that prevent users from receiving downloads is only one of the most current ailments.
What have we done?
A data portal that won’t deliver downloads to its users isn’t much of a portal, so we decided to build a new one, rather than shut it all down. We want to continue to serve the community and provide access to high-quality vertebrate data, but we need to be realistic about what we can maintain. Thus, we’ve decided to develop a spiffy, new portal and web site using GBIF’s hosted portal program. And now you’re looking at it.
What’s Different?
So many things are different. Really, almost everything.
We know that change can be hard, especially when you have become familiar with a specific, time-worn process to get things done. We know many of you have continued to use VertNet for some very specific reasons and we are grateful for your loyalty and support for well over a decade. Regrettably (in this case) things must change so that they can remain the same.
Here is what you can expect in the new data portal:
A stable, functional portal!
Now that we’re sharing GBIF’s infrastructure, the portal will be maintained by a professional crew of amazing IT experts, many with intriguing accents. When stuff doesn’t work, you can let us know and we can actually get things fixed.
Happy Data Users: 1, Frustration: 0
More records
Yep, an increase in the number of vertebrate records - now ~25 million from 137 data publishers and growing (probably even more now that you are reading this). That’s several million more records than were available just last week. Plus, we’re working to add as many publishers of vertebrate data to GBIF as possible.
Up-to-date data on demand
The portal now pulls data directly from the GBIF data index. That means that whenever data are updated in GBIF they will also be updated in VertNet automatically and simultaneously. Gone are the days when VertNet, GBIF, iDigBio and other portals were all working with different versions of the data (well, at least for VertNet and GBIF).
Images and media
Yes! You can now search through more than 2 million images and other digital media resources. Or, if you want, you can just browse through the gallery for your own personal amusement.
Map searches
It actually works! The map has been the VertNet portal’s achilles heel for a long time, but no more! Check it out.
Better Search
Not only do you get media and a map, you also have the ability to search an expanded number of fields. Yes, it’ll take a little getting used to, but we know you can do it. Once you do, you’ll get more of the data you need and less of the data you don’t, and fast, too.
DOIs
DOIs for every download and recorded history of both downloads and queries. We’re piggy-backing on GBIF’s services to allow you to maintain your own personal search history as well as a DOI that is assigned to each and every download you request. Of course, you’ll need to get yourself a login for GBIF, but that’s free and easy (see the portal FAQ LINK). Now you don’t have any more excuses for not citing your data sources in your papers, presentations and other data products.
Sustainability
With this new infrastructure we can maintain this portal and the VertNet website without having to pay for expensive Google and AMS services. Maintenance will be provided by GBIF, and the data will always be current. For us, that means we can focus on community support and other projects that are guaranteed to be more fun than portal maintenance (just ask iDigBio, for real, they know we’re telling truth about fun and maintenance). Sustainability: 100, Eye-rolling: 0
What’s gone away (for now)?
The old, simple VertNet interface
Yeah, this one hurts us, too. We really loved that easy-to-use search bar, but we had to make a choice; keep the search bar and let the rest of the portal fall to pieces OR drop the search field (for now) and give a functional, stable, sustainable portal with more records, media and images, a map, expanded search options and DOIs to you. Which would you choose? Perhaps one day we’ll have the resources to integrate it into the new portal. In the meantime, we’ll all just have to suffer through all of those other benefits and advantages.
Update: As of early September, 2025, we managed to bring back the simple search bar. It now lives on the VertNet home page. It will take some time for it to have the same features of the original search bar, but it’s a great way to start your search. New features, and some of the old, will be added over time.
Trait search
Another sad loss for us. The good news is that GBIF is interested in adding this feature to their services, but that’s going to take some time to rise on their priority list. We’ll keep pestering them about this one because we know you use it and because we know it’s useful. Don’t forget you can access even more data about traits in other spots, such as the FuTRES portal.
What remains the same?
Amid all of this change, there are several things that will remain the same.
Community support
We have no intention of leaving you in the lurch. If you have any questions or issues with the new portal or the new web site, just let us know. You can always reach out to Dave with your questions and he will answer them as soon as he is able to dislodge himself from whatever heavy object has been put upon him (or maybe he’s just a chump and will help you because he doesn’t know any better).
Data publishing
If you are using, or planning to use, the VertNet IPT - that resource remains unchanged in any way and publishing to VertNet, GBIF and iDigBio continues without issue. Just let us know if you have questions and we’ll help you out. Just remember, data publishing is one of our volunteer efforts, so if you have some available funds to support publishing we would be ever so grateful.
Joe Cook
Yeah, this guy is still everywhere and VertNet will continue to harass him relentlessly, all out of love, of course.
What’s next?
That was A LOT. So we’ll leave you with this: If you have questions, let Dave know. If you need help with the new portal, let Dave know.
Until then, we hope you find the new portal a useful tool that will provide the data you and your colleagues need to answer the most important questions about biodiversity and life on this beautiful blue rock of ours. Now, go find yourself some data.