The Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) is an international network and data infrastructure funded by governments, providing free, open access to biodiversity data for anyone, anywhere. Its purpose is to make information about all forms of life on Earth more accessible and useful. Through its online platform, users can explore species occurrence records, taxa, datasets, publishers and related resources, drawing on contributions from thousands of publishing institutions.

GBIF supports scientists, researchers, educators, policymakers and conservation practitioners by making biodiversity information available for research, monitoring and evidence-based decisions. Its data contributes to peer-reviewed research on topics including climate change, invasive alien species, human health and threatened-species assessments. Beyond data discovery and access, GBIF offers tools, documentation, API resources, a community forum and technical support.

It also provides hosted portals for national, institutional, regional and thematic communities, and leads or supports programmes that strengthen data mobilization and capacity-building. Through these services and collaborations, GBIF connects biodiversity data with the people and decisions that can advance science and conservation worldwide