21 April 2026
In today’s data-driven research landscape, seamless access to digital platforms and valuable datasets is a necessity for researchers. For Australian researchers working in environmental and ecological sciences, EcoCommons Australia offers a powerful, browser-based platform for modelling, data analysis, and collaboration.
The Australian Access Federation (AAF) makes logging in to EcoCommons easy. Users who are members of Australian universities or major research organisations, along with people in government and industry are able to access EcoCommons, and its wide range of data and tools, with their existing institutional sign-in — while keeping data and information secure.
EcoCommons: Streamlining access to ecological and environmental data
EcoCommons is a collaborative platform that provides researchers with access to climate, biodiversity, and ecological data, along with tools for modelling and analysis.
Launched in 2023, EcoCommons is supported by the Australian Research Data Commons (ARDC) and QCIF Digital Research and now offers services to more than 1,500 users.
By integrating datasets from trusted sources across climate records, species distributions, land use, and more, EcoCommons is designed to accelerate ecological and environmental science. Datasets are available through a single platform, harmonised, and ready for analysis, saving researchers countless hours in data preparation.
In addition to thousands of environmental layers, as well as some marine and freshwater datasets, EcoCommons provides access to four major databases:
- Atlas of Living Australia (ALA): occurrence records of Australian species
- Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF): occurrence records of species worldwide
- TERN EcoPlots: site-based survey data
- Ocean Biodiversity Information System (OBIS): occurrence records of marine species
EcoCommons also offers a suite of modelling and analysis tools, accessible directly through the user’s browser. Researchers can run species distribution models, climate impact assessments, and other ecological simulations using tools such as point-and-click dashboards — all without the need to install and learn new software or manage computational resources.
This cloud-based approach has created a powerful, user-friendly environment that lowers technical barriers, fosters reproducibility, and — through features such as shared workspaces — supports collaboration.
AAF: Making access simple and secure
QCIF Digital Research Chief Executive Officer Sach Jayasinghe said “Our mission is to make ecological modelling accessible to all researchers, regardless of their technical background. AAF plays a critical role in making that vision a reality by simplifying access and enhancing trust.”
As Australia’s trust and identity service for the research and education sector, the AAF enables researchers, students, and educators to access a wide range of digital services.
This federated identity model eliminates the need for multiple accounts and passwords, simplifying access to vital research platforms and tools — like EcoCommons.
As EcoCommons is free to use, anyone affiliated with a research organisation that is part of the AAF is able to login to the platform using their institutional credentials, with no additional accounts or passwords required. This includes all Australian universities, CSIRO, and other major research institutions, along with practitioners in the community, industry and government through the AAF’s Virtual Home.
AAF CEO Heath Marks states, “By partnering with platforms like EcoCommons, AAF helps create an accessible, connected ecosystem where data, tools, and expertise can be used for critical research and advanced, collaborative ecological and environmental analysis and modelling.”
Find out more
- EcoCommons Australia > https://www.ecocommons.org.au/
EcoCommons Australia is a national platform sponsored by the Australian Research Data Commons (ARDC) through the Planet Research Data Commons (DOI: 10.3565/chbq-mr75).
The ARDC, AAF, TERN and ALA are enabled by the Australian Government’s National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS).
