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GBIF

GBIF provides free and open access to biodiversity data

Actions22

  • Collection Actions
  • Dataset Actions
  • Dataset Search Actions
  • Installation Actions
  • Institution Actions
  • Occurrence Actions
  • Occurrence Count Actions
  • Occurrence Search Actions
  • Occurrence Search Catalog Number Actions
  • Occurrence Search Collection Code Actions
  • Occurrence Search Occurrence ID Actions
  • Occurrence Search Recorded By Actions
  • Occurrence Search Record Number Actions
  • Occurrence Search Institution Code Actions
  • Organization Actions
  • Name Parser Actions
  • Network Actions
  • Node Actions
  • Species Actions
  • Species Match Actions
  • Species Search Actions
  • Species Suggest Actions

Institution → Get

AI-generated

Overview

This node integrates with the GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility) API to retrieve biodiversity data. Specifically, for the Institution - Get operation, it fetches detailed information about an institution identified by its ID. Optionally, users can request specific sub-resources related to the institution, such as comments, contacts, identifiers, tags, and more.

This node is beneficial when you want to programmatically access authoritative biodiversity institution data from GBIF, for example:

  • Retrieving metadata about a natural history museum or herbarium.
  • Accessing contact details or identifiers associated with an institution.
  • Fetching additional linked data like occurrence mappings or master source metadata.

Properties

Name Meaning
ID The unique identifier of the institution to retrieve.
Sub-Resource Optional specific related data to fetch for the institution. Options include:
- (empty): No sub-resource, fetch main institution data
- Comment
- Contact
- Contact Person
- Identifier
- Machine Tag
- Master Source Metadata
- Occurrence Mapping
- Tag

Output

The output is a JSON array containing the response from the GBIF API for the requested institution data. The structure depends on whether a sub-resource is specified:

  • If no sub-resource is selected, the output contains the full institution object with all available fields.
  • If a sub-resource is selected, the output contains the corresponding nested data related to that sub-resource.

No binary data is returned by this node.

Example output snippet (simplified):

[
  {
    "key": "12345",
    "title": "Natural History Museum",
    "description": "...",
    "contacts": [...],               // if subResource=contact
    "identifiers": [...],            // if subResource=identifier
    ...
  }
]

Dependencies

  • This node requires internet access to call the public GBIF API at https://api.gbif.org/v1.
  • No authentication or API key is required for this endpoint.
  • No additional n8n credentials or environment variables are needed.

Troubleshooting

  • Empty or invalid ID: If the institution ID is missing or incorrect, the API will return an error or empty result. Ensure the ID is valid.
  • Invalid sub-resource: Selecting a sub-resource not applicable to institutions may cause unexpected results or errors.
  • Network issues: Connectivity problems will prevent the node from reaching the GBIF API.
  • API rate limits: Although GBIF API is public, excessive requests might be throttled; consider adding delays or handling retries.

Common error messages:

  • HTTP 404 Not Found: Institution ID does not exist.
  • HTTP 400 Bad Request: Invalid parameters.
  • Network timeout or DNS errors: Check network connectivity.

Links and References

Discussion