obis.marine.dataset_search
Find marine biodiversity datasets in the OBIS network by species name or geographic area. Returns dataset metadata: title, abstract, record count, citation, and source URL. Useful for discovering primary data sources, citing specific surveys, and understanding data provenance for a species or reg...
This record as markdown: /tools/io-github-whiteknightonhorse-apibase/obis.marine.dataset-search.md
What obis.marine.dataset_search does on Apibase
AI agents call obis.marine.dataset_search to retrieve information from Apibase without modifying anything. It is typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.
| Parameter | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
limit | integer | — | Number of datasets to return (1-50, default 10). |
areaid | integer | — | OBIS area ID to find datasets covering a specific geographic region. |
scientificname | string | — | Scientific name to find datasets containing records for that species (e.g. "Balaenoptera musculus"). |
Parameters from the server's own tool schema.
Why obis.marine.dataset_search is rated Low
Tool queries and retrieves public marine biodiversity dataset metadata with no side effects or modifications.
From the tool's definition Find marine biodiversity datasets, Returns dataset metadata, no auth required
Attacks that exploit this kind of access
The rule that runs obis.marine.dataset_search safely
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway: it sits between your AI agents and Apibase, and checks every tool call against a rule you set before the call runs. Nothing changes on the server itself. For obis.marine.dataset_search, this is the rule to start with:
obis.marine.dataset_search is read-only, so it stays allowed. Everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.
The button opens the PolicyLayer dashboard: create your workspace, connect Apibase, apply this rule, and every obis.marine.dataset_search call is checked against it from then on.
Questions about obis.marine.dataset_search
Find marine biodiversity datasets in the OBIS network by species name or geographic area. Returns dataset metadata: title, abstract, record count, citation, and source URL. Useful for discovering primary data sources, citing specific surveys, and understanding data provenance for a species or region. The OBIS network aggregates 4,200+ datasets from 900+ institutions worldwide. Source: OBIS — free, CC BY 4.0, no auth required. It is categorised as a Read tool in the Apibase MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
obis.marine.dataset_search accepts 3 parameters: limit, areaid, scientificname. The full parameter table on this page comes from the server's own tool schema.
Register the Apibase MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for obis.marine.dataset_search: allow, deny, rate-limit, or require approval. Point your MCP client at the PolicyLayer proxy URL and the rule is enforced on every call, before it reaches Apibase. Nothing to install.
obis.marine.dataset_search is a Read tool with low risk. Read-only tools are generally safe to allow by default.
Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the obis.marine.dataset_search rule in your PolicyLayer policy. For example, setting max: 10 and window: 60 limits the tool to 10 calls per minute. Rate limits are tracked per agent session and reset automatically.
Set action: deny in the PolicyLayer policy for obis.marine.dataset_search. The AI agent will receive a policy violation error and cannot call the tool. You can also include a reason field to explain why the tool is blocked.
obis.marine.dataset_search is provided by the Apibase MCP server (apibase-mcp-client). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
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