An online portal bringing together all existing data on Australia’s living species – including images, maps, literature, research, records and taxonomic information – is being launched in September.
Atlas of Living Australia will provide free access to an estimated $1 billion worth of biodiversity resources, which are held in museum, research, university and government department collections around the country.
The site will host a citizen science portal that will enable users to contribute sightings of plants, animals and microorganisms. Users will be able to identify species and map their distribution online, share and exchange information with other users and link molecular data with other information on a species.
The atlas is a partnership between organisations including CSIRO, the Australian Museum, Museum Victoria, the Queensland Museum, the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, Southern Cross University and the University of Adelaide.
Funding for the five-year project is provided under the federal government’s National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy.
