EcoAssets 2024 update is now available

The 2024 EcoAssets data release has taken place, representing a major update and the third consecutive year of data releases from this ongoing project. The update contains two datasets: Australian Species Occurrences 1900-2023 and Environmental Monitoring and Observations Effort 2010-2023. The Atlas of Living Australia (ALA) intends to continue updating these data on a 12-monthly basis.

About EcoAssets

EcoAssets is the work of three NCRIS national research infrastructures: the Atlas of Living Australia (ALA), the Integrated Marine Observing System (IMOS) and the Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network (TERN). These infrastructures have partnered with the Australian Research Data Commons (ARDC) to deliver an example of best-practice cross-domain data integration.

EcoAssets aggregates data across infrastructures, to provide biodiversity information at a scale and in a format suitable for environmental reporting at state, territory, or national levels. This data aggregation is a treasure trove for understanding variation in species distributions and community composition across different regions, and how these attributes have changed over time. EcoAssets data was used in the 2021 State of the Environment Report to develop new insights into Australia’s environment and biodiversity.

heatmap in light and dark orange of the list of regions down the left, and years across the bottom, from 1900 on the left to 2020 on the right. A few regions stand out as having a very high proportion of threatened species — The proportion of EPBC-listed species (nationally threatened species) in IBRA regions (Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia), where darker equates to a higher proportion.

Updated data

Aggregated Australian species occurrence data from 1900 to 2023 – which includes a suite of facets of most importance for environmental assessments – has been updated.

These occurrence records are aggregated and organised by the ALA and include survey and monitoring data collected and managed by IMOS and TERN. This collection serves as a standardised snapshot of Australian biodiversity occurrence data.

The dataset also includes grouping records that compare the number of occurrence records for different regions, time periods, categories of species, and occurrence data.

Data for Environmental Monitoring and Observations Effort has also been updated.

This collection contains biodiversity survey events from the ALA, marine observations collected by IMOS, and TERN’s site-based monitoring and survey efforts. This dataset shows these efforts by survey topic, region, and time period from 2010 to 2023.

The latest versions are accessible through the CSIRO Data Portal.

TERN and IMOS each collect data on ecological communities and the species they contain, such as vegetation and faunal surveys, data on the movements of fish and other marine animals, and standardised monitoring of reef life.

EcoAssets uses the ALA’s biodiversity data platforms to integrate these rich data sources with thousands of other datasets on Australian biodiversity, including natural history collections, citizen science efforts and ecological research data. All of these sources make assertions that a particular species was detected at a specified time and place. Such data represent our shared knowledge of the composition of biodiversity in time and space.

Some facets of these data are of particular importance for large-scale environmental assessments especially in regard to trends for threatened species and introduced species.

More information

For more information about EcoAssets or the new datasets, please reach out to .

heatmap in blue and purple of the list of regions down the left, and years across the bottom, from 1900 on the left to 2020 on the right. A few regions stand out as having a very high proportion of threatened species, and overall the proportion of threatened species appears to be increasing with time — The proportion of EPBC-listed species (nationally threatened species) in IMCRA regions (Integrated Marine and Coastal Regionalisation of Australia), where darker equates to a higher proportion.