Recently, the USGS invited developers, information scientists, biologists/ecologists, and scientific data visualization specialists to create applications for selected USGS datasets, presenting them in innovative and informative new ways – see App-lifying USGS Earth Science Data. The winner for Best Overall App is “TaxaViewer” by the rOpenSci group based out of California.
about the app – TaxaViewer is a Web interface to a mashup of data from the USGS-sponsored Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS), the Phylotastic taxonomic Name service, the Global Invasive Species Database, Phylomatic, and the Global Biodiversity Information Facility. TaxaViewer allows the user to view species-specific taxonomic data, invasive status, phylogenetic relationships, and species occurrence records.
The Challenge was open for submissions from January 9, 2013, to April 1, 2013. Utilizing the Challege.gov platform, the general public chose the winner of the Popular Choice App award.