A decade of open biodiversity data in the Azores: closing knowledge gaps and building a foundation for long-term monitoring

Abstract

Ten years of dedicated biodiversity research and coordinated open-data publication have built an extensive, reusable knowledge base for the Azores. We synthesize this collective achievement through the AZORES BIOTA and BioMonI-Plot collections, evaluating its contribution to addressing the Wallacean and Prestonian shortfalls and identifying priorities for future research and monitoring. Focusing on the nine islands of this North Atlantic archipelago, we review publications issued between 2016 and May 2026, encompassing terrestrial and marine organisms across six kingdoms. We combine curated publication and dataset metadata with Darwin Core occurrenceID-linked species and subspecies records to assess spatial, taxonomic, temporal and methodological coverage, species accumulation by colonization status, and island species–area relationships. Across 91 publications, the collections document 931 animal, 1,185 plant and 742 fungal species and subspecies, alongside taxa from three additional kingdoms, and identify 598 additions to the Azorean Biodiversity Portal reference list. This sustained effort has substantially expanded accessible knowledge of species distributions, contributing to reducing the Wallacean shortfall. Arthropod abundance datasets and repeated standardized surveys also alleviate the Prestonian shortfall by enabling assessments of population and community change. Together, these resources establish valuable baselines for biodiversity assessment, invasion surveillance and conservation planning. The synthesis also reveals uneven coverage among islands, taxa and habitats, with spatial differences in research effort complicating interpretation of species–area relationships. The Azorean experience demonstrates the substantial scientific value of sustained regional expertise, collaboration and standardized open-data publication for understanding island biodiversity. By consolidating achievements and making remaining gaps explicit, this synthesis provides a foundation for targeted investment in underrepresented biota, spatially balanced surveys and sustained abundance monitoring, strengthening the evidence base for future biodiversity research and conservation.