Australia’s marine research system generates vast volumes of high-quality data, held across national institutions and programs. However, these datasets are not always readily usable for applications such as State of the Environment reporting, environmental approvals or economic accounting. This creates inefficiencies and limits timely, informed decision-making.
A project developed as part of the IMOS Data Uplift program and supported by the National Environmental Science Program Marine and Coastal Hub (NESP MaC Project 5.9), is addressing this challenge by developing new tools that transform complex datasets into consistent, accessible, ‘assessment-ready’ products. These data pipelines streamline the path from observation to application, supporting reporting, planning and policy.
This project draws on datasets from multiple repositories, which are harmonised, integrated and quality-controlled before being made publicly accessible through the IMOS AODN. Additional processing, including aggregation and formatting, ensures the data can be readily used in environmental assessment and decision-making contexts.
Importantly, the project does not create new data. Instead, it enhances how existing datasets are organised and delivered, aligning them to common standards, linking them to national systems, and providing them in efficient, cloud-optimised formats.
A key focus of the project was identifying datasets that would deliver the greatest value for environmental decision-making. Through a national workshop with government, research and industry partners, priority datasets were selected based on their relevance and readiness for development within the project timeframe.
“These datasets were chosen because they cover the main areas needed for marine assessment, including habitats, species and pressures. As the datasets are built within the national data infrastructure, they are automatically updated as new data becomes available. This ensures that these products remain relevant for future reporting cycles and ongoing management needs.”
Eduardo Klein-Salas, Project Leader (IMOS)
The final selection of six datasets spans critical components of the marine environment, including habitats, species and human pressures. These include a national seagrass dataset, seabird observations, kelp observations, reef benthic surveys, dugong aerial surveys, and vessel tracking data, together providing a strong foundation for assessment and reporting across Australia’s coasts and oceans.