BIOMA Institute researchers recover more than 1,200 records of endangered species through analysis of environmental assessments in Spain

Environmental Assessments (EA) usually generate a large amount of information on fauna and flora species, but much of this data is not accessible, being relegated exclusively to documents such as Environmental Impact Statements.

A team of researchers from the Biodiversity and Environment Institute BIOMA of the University of Navarra has rescued more than 1,200 primary biodiversity records generated in these environmental assessments in Spain between 2013 and 2023. These data, until now hidden in administrative resolutions, have been transformed into a locatable, accessible, interoperable and reusable (FAIR) set and have been published in the international portal of the Global Biodiversity Information Infrastructure (GBIF). The research has been published in Biodiversity Data Journal with the degree scroll "Mobilizing primary biodiversity records in environmental assessments in Spain" with the participation of researchers Maite Telletxea, Rafael Miranda, Arturo Ariño and David Galicia.

"The fact that existing data remain hidden shows that we are not fully efficient in biodiversity data management and allows a huge amount of information to go to waste that could be used for the conservation of endangered species," explains Maite Telletxea, lead author of the study. 

The researchers reviewed thousands of documents from the Official State bulletin (BOE), identifying 4,630 species records, of which 1,263 correspond to verified field observations. The species included cover 59 taxa that are threatened or protected in Spain, from bats and birds of prey to turtles and amphibians, many of which are listed as vulnerable or endangered.

In the towns of Lazagurría, Mendavia, Oyón, Peralta and Ujué in Navarra, 43 records have been identified belonging to 25 different species, among which 19 are included in the Catalog of Threatened Species of Navarra. Of these, six are in danger of extinction (such as the Bonelli's eagle and the Mediterranean horseshoe bat); two are sensitive to the alteration of their habitat (the cave bat and the Black-bellied Sandgrouse); six are considered vulnerable (including the Egyptian Vulture or Red Kite); and 5 are considered of special interest (such as the Redstart and the Greater Siskin).

To extract these data, the team used advanced automated text mining and review guide techniques, with an accuracy and data retrieval of over 93%. The records were then geo-referenced and adapted to the Darwin Core standard, allowing their integration into international open data infrastructures such as GBIF.

This effort contributes to reducing the Issue of what is known as "darkdata ", valid scientific information that is not shared. "Publishing our data or mobilizing dark data is important because any data may contain valuable information about these species, which will enrich the evidence available for scientific research and environmental management ," says co-author Rafael Miranda.

This research makes it possible to expand the knowledge available on biodiversity in Spain and also serves as an example of how access to public data can generate real benefits for environmental management and wildlife conservation. "The data, as well as the knowledge we acquire, have to be shared," says Maite Telletxea.

reference letter bibliographic

→ Telletxea M, Miranda R, Ariño AH, Galicia D (2025) Mobilizing primary biodiversity records in environmental assessments in Spain. Biodiversity Data Journal 13: e142302.