# obis.marine.occurrence_search

Search 100M+ marine species occurrence records in the Ocean Biodiversity Information System (OBIS). Filter by scientific name, WoRMS AphiaID, geographic coordinates with radius, or year range. Each record includes GPS coordinates, observation year, depth, sea-surface temperature, dataset source, and full taxonomic classification (kingdom→species). Covers all ocean environments: pelagic, benthic, coastal, deep-sea. Source: OBIS — free, CC BY 4.0, no auth required.

Agent View of the PolicyLayer registry record for `obis.marine.occurrence_search`. HTML page: https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-whiteknightonhorse-apibase/obis.marine.occurrence-search

## Facts

- Tool: `obis.marine.occurrence_search`
- Server: Apibase (`apibase-mcp-client`) — https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-whiteknightonhorse-apibase.md
- Install: `npx -y apibase-mcp-client`
- Homepage: https://github.com/whiteknightonhorse/APIbase
- Risk category: Read (Low risk)
- Registry record: grade F, identity unverified
- Server auth posture: open
- Server rate-limited: no
- Parameters: 8
- Recommended policy verdict: Allowed

## Parameters

| Parameter | Type | Required | Description |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `lat` | number | no | Center latitude for geographic search (decimal degrees, -90 to 90). Requires lon and radius. |
| `lon` | number | no | Center longitude for geographic search (decimal degrees, -180 to 180). Requires lat and radius. |
| `limit` | integer | no | Number of occurrence records to return (1-100, default 10). |
| `radius` | number | no | Search radius in kilometers around the lat/lon center point. Requires lat and lon. |
| `maxyear` | integer | no | Latest observation year to include (e.g. 2024). Pairs with minyear. |
| `minyear` | integer | no | Earliest observation year to include (e.g. 2000). Pairs with maxyear. |
| `taxonid` | integer | no | WoRMS AphiaID (numeric taxon identifier). Use instead of or alongside scientificname for precise lookups. |
| `scientificname` | string | no | Scientific name of the marine species to search (e.g. "Abra alba", "Gadus morhua", "Thunnus thynnus"). Supports partial matching. |

Parameters from the server's own tool schema.

## Example call (MCP tools/call, JSON-RPC 2.0)

```json
{
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "id": 1,
  "method": "tools/call",
  "params": {
    "name": "obis.marine.occurrence_search",
    "arguments": {}
  }
}
```

## Why obis.marine.occurrence_search is rated Low

Tool retrieves biodiversity observation data with no side effects, modifications, or access to sensitive systems.

From the tool's own definition: "Search 100M+ marine species occurrence records. Filter by scientific name, geographic coordinates, year range."

## Use case

AI agents call obis.marine.occurrence_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.

## Recommended policy (PolicyLayer)

Verdict: **Allowed**. Enforced by the PolicyLayer MCP gateway (https://policylayer.com/mcp-gateway) before a call reaches Apibase:

```json
{
  "version": "1",
  "default": "deny",
  "tools": {
    "obis.marine.occurrence_search": {}
  }
}
```

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## For agents

This record is a snapshot. Live verdicts and the full registry:

- Check every server in your MCP config at once: `npx -y policylayer stack`
- Vet a server before you add it: install the mcp-precheck skill — `npx skills add https://policylayer.com` (skill text: https://policylayer.com/skill.md)
- Query the registry over MCP: endpoint `https://api.policylayer.com/mcp` — tools `check_mcp_server`, `check_mcp_stack`, `check_tool`, `search_registry`, `get_change_events`

---

Source: the PolicyLayer MCP registry — one continuously verified record per MCP server. Full record: https://policylayer.com/registry?q=io-github-whiteknightonhorse-apibase · API: https://policylayer.com/registry/api · Policy library: https://policylayer.com/policies/io-github-whiteknightonhorse-apibase