# Obscured data exported to GBIF

**URL:** <https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/obscured-data-exported-to-gbif/15517>\
**Category:** General\
**Created:** [August 17, 2020, 12:59am UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/obscured-data-exported-to-gbif/15517 "2020-08-17T00:59:09Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![diego\_amazonia](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/diego_amazonia/32/1921_2.png) [@diego\_amazonia](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/diego_amazonia)\
**Post date:** [August 17, 2020, 12:59am UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/obscured-data-exported-to-gbif/15517/1 "2020-08-17T00:59:10Z")

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I’m planning on exporting data from GBIF to test modelling species distributions; however, how accurate will they be if if the species is vulnerable or endangered, and the locations are obscured?

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**Author:** ![Star3](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/star3/32/73028_2.png) [@Star3](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/Star3)\
**Post date:** [August 17, 2020, 1:47am UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/obscured-data-exported-to-gbif/15517/2 "2020-08-17T01:47:17Z")

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If [this](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/how-confident-can-we-be-that-inaturalist-data-will-be-preserved/3248/8) is correct, obscured locations are fake coordinates.

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**Author:** ![bouteloua](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/bouteloua/32/1180_2.png) [@bouteloua](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/bouteloua)\
**Post date:** [August 17, 2020, 1:51am UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/obscured-data-exported-to-gbif/15517/3 "2020-08-17T01:51:21Z")

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Depends on how fine-grained your modelling is. The obscured observations are represented as a random point in a 0.2x0.2 degree rectangle, which varies in size depending on how far from the equator it is. [https://www.inaturalist.org/pages/geoprivacy](https://www.inaturalist.org/pages/geoprivacy)

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**Author:** ![cthawley](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/cthawley/32/1445_2.png) [@cthawley](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/cthawley)\
**Post date:** [August 17, 2020, 1:51am UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/obscured-data-exported-to-gbif/15517/4 "2020-08-17T01:51:32Z")

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I believe that in some cases the GPS coords just don’t show up on GBIF for obscured data. They will give the uncertainty anyways and list it as around 28 km. I just tested it by pulling some GBIF data for bog turtles and looking at it, but I’d suggest just downloading a sample dataset from GBIF and seeing what it does with the iNat records you’re looking at.

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**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/uploads/inaturalist/original/2X/7/7831452cf7f0d653ff1ffd34176334b7ef1b6a17.png) [@system](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/system)\
**Post date:** [October 16, 2020, 1:51am UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/obscured-data-exported-to-gbif/15517/5 "2020-10-16T01:51:50Z")

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