diff --git a/src/schema/datamodel/bertron_schema_pydantic.py b/src/schema/datamodel/bertron_schema_pydantic.py
index 403bb49..9c9b7de 100644
--- a/src/schema/datamodel/bertron_schema_pydantic.py
+++ b/src/schema/datamodel/bertron_schema_pydantic.py
@@ -256,7 +256,7 @@ class Entity(ConfiguredBaseModel):
          'tree_root': True})
 
     ber_data_source: BERSourceType = Field(default=..., description="""The BER member from whence the entity originated.""", json_schema_extra = { "linkml_meta": {'alias': 'ber_data_source', 'domain_of': ['Entity']} })
-    coordinates: Coordinates = Field(default=..., description="""The geographic coordinates associated with an entity. For entities with a bounding box, the centroid is used as the geographic reference.""", json_schema_extra = { "linkml_meta": {'alias': 'coordinates', 'domain_of': ['Entity']} })
+    coordinates: Optional[Coordinates] = Field(default=None, description="""The geographic coordinates associated with an entity. For entities with a bounding box, the centroid is used as the geographic reference.""", json_schema_extra = { "linkml_meta": {'alias': 'coordinates', 'domain_of': ['Entity']} })
     entity_type: list[EntityType] = Field(default=..., description="""What kind of entity is this -- e.g. sequence data; a soil core; a well; field site; sample; etc.""", json_schema_extra = { "linkml_meta": {'alias': 'entity_type', 'domain_of': ['Entity']} })
     description: Optional[str] = Field(default=None, description="""Textual description of the entity.""", json_schema_extra = { "linkml_meta": {'alias': 'description',
          'domain_of': ['Entity', 'DataCollection'],
diff --git a/src/schema/jsonschema/bertron_schema.json b/src/schema/jsonschema/bertron_schema.json
index 3adb427..ffa5831 100644
--- a/src/schema/jsonschema/bertron_schema.json
+++ b/src/schema/jsonschema/bertron_schema.json
@@ -151,7 +151,14 @@
                     "description": "The BER member from whence the entity originated."
                 },
                 "coordinates": {
-                    "$ref": "#/$defs/Coordinates",
+                    "anyOf": [
+                        {
+                            "$ref": "#/$defs/Coordinates"
+                        },
+                        {
+                            "type": "null"
+                        }
+                    ],
                     "description": "The geographic coordinates associated with an entity. For entities with a bounding box, the centroid is used as the geographic reference."
                 },
                 "description": {
@@ -217,7 +224,6 @@
             },
             "required": [
                 "ber_data_source",
-                "coordinates",
                 "entity_type",
                 "uri"
             ],
@@ -432,7 +438,14 @@
             "description": "The BER member from whence the entity originated."
         },
         "coordinates": {
-            "$ref": "#/$defs/Coordinates",
+            "anyOf": [
+                {
+                    "$ref": "#/$defs/Coordinates"
+                },
+                {
+                    "type": "null"
+                }
+            ],
             "description": "The geographic coordinates associated with an entity. For entities with a bounding box, the centroid is used as the geographic reference."
         },
         "description": {
@@ -498,7 +511,6 @@
     },
     "required": [
         "ber_data_source",
-        "coordinates",
         "entity_type",
         "uri"
     ],