GBIF icon

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

Occurrence → Get

AI-generated

Overview

This node interacts with the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) API to retrieve detailed biodiversity data. Specifically, for the Occurrence - Get operation, it fetches information about a single occurrence record from GBIF's vast biodiversity database. This is useful when you want to obtain detailed data about a specific observation or specimen occurrence, such as its taxonomy, location, date, and related metadata.

Common scenarios include:

  • Retrieving detailed data on a particular species sighting or specimen.
  • Accessing occurrence records by their unique identifiers for research or reporting.
  • Supplementing datasets with authoritative biodiversity occurrence details.

Example: You have an occurrence key (e.g., 1039520441) and want to get all associated data including any fragment or verbatim sub-records.

Properties

Name Meaning
ID The identifier of the occurrence record. Use the occurrence key (e.g., 1039520441) unless specifying a dataset key, in which case use the occurrenceID format (e.g., urn:uuid:59ceb2e9-00b5-4fb8-a79b-71d644ae106c).
Sub-Resource Optional sub-resource to retrieve additional parts of the occurrence record:
- (empty): main occurrence data
- Fragment: partial data fragment
- Verbatim: original verbatim data as provided by the publisher.
Additional Fields Collection of optional fields:
- Dataset Key: When specified, changes how the ID is interpreted (occurrenceID instead of occurrence key).

Output

The output is a JSON object representing the occurrence record retrieved from GBIF. It includes all standard fields available via the GBIF occurrence API endpoint, such as taxonomic details, geographic coordinates, event dates, and other metadata.

If a sub-resource like "fragment" or "verbatim" is requested, the output will contain that specific subset of data related to the occurrence.

No binary data output is produced by this node.

Dependencies

  • Requires internet access to call the public GBIF API at https://api.gbif.org/v1.
  • No authentication or API keys are required since GBIF provides open access.
  • Uses HTTP GET requests with JSON responses.

Troubleshooting

  • Invalid ID or Dataset Key: If the ID or datasetKey is incorrect or does not exist, the API may return a 404 error or empty response. Verify the identifiers before running.
  • Network Issues: Connectivity problems can cause request failures. Ensure your environment has internet access.
  • Sub-Resource Not Found: Requesting a sub-resource that does not exist for the given occurrence may result in errors or empty results.
  • Rate Limiting: Although GBIF is open, excessive requests might be throttled. Implement retries or delays if needed.

Links and References

This summary covers the logic and usage of the GBIF node's "Occurrence - Get" operation based on static code analysis and provided property definitions.

Discussion