DOI: 10.26197/e3n7-ys83
title: Aggregated Data: Environmental Monitoring and Observations Effort

description: Aggregated metadata on environmental monitoring and observating activities from three Australian national research infrastructures (NRIs): biodiversity survey events from the Atlas of Living Australia (ALA, https://ala.org.au/), marine observations collected by the Integrated Marine Observing System (IMOS, https://imos.org.au/) and site-based monitoring and survey efforts by the Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network (TERN, https://tern.org.au/). This dataset provides a summary breakdown of these efforts by survey topic, region, time period from 2010 to the present.<br/>
Survey topics are mapped to an EcoAssets Earth Science Features vocabulary based on the Earth Science keywords from the Global Change Master Directory (GCMD, https://gcmd.earthdata.nasa.gov/KeywordViewer/) vocabulary, modified to use taxonomic concepts URIs from the Australian National Species List (ANSL, https://biodiversity.org.au/nsl/) in place of the GCMD Earth Science > Biological Classification vocabulary. ANSL categories map more readily to biodiversity survey categories, since GCMD depends on a top-level division between vertebrates and invertebrates rather than offering an animal category. The EcoAssets Earth Science Features vocabulary, including alternative keywords used in ALA, IMOS or TERN datasets, can be downloaded from https://doi.org/10.26197/w2a2-6s86.<br/>This dataset was created by the following pipeline:<br/>i. Metadata records were collected from the TERN linked data portal (https://linkeddata.tern.org.au/) for all TERN monitoring sites and survey activities. Feature terms follow the TERN Feature Type vocabulary (http://linked.data.gov.au/def/tern-cv/68af3d25-c801-4089-afff-cf701e2bd61d, mapped to the EcoAssets Earth Science Features vocabulary as discussed above) and reflect the features measured at the site. For features that have been measured continuously at the site, metadata records were created for each relevant year since commission of the site. For other sites and features, metadata records were generated only for years in which the site was visited. TERN metadata records are associated with site coordinates.<br/>ii. Metadata records were harvested for datasets registered in the Australian Ocean Data Network (AODN, https://portal.aodn.org.au/) portal maintained by IMOS. Records were accessed in iso19115-3.2018 format over OAI-PMH. Feature terms follow the GCMD keywords used in these metadata records. Metadata records were created for each year overlapping the data collection period for each dataset. In some cases, datasets were associated with site coordinates. Where the datasets were associated with a bounding box, records were created for each IMCRA region intersecting the bounding box.<br/>iii. Metadata records were created for each biodiversity sample event published to the ALA and associated with a Darwin Core event ID and a named sampling protocol (see https://dwc.tdwg.org/terms/#event). Events were excluded if the set of sampled taxa included species from multiple kingdoms OR if the sampling protocol was associated with fewer than 50 samples OR if no sample included more than one species. The remaining samples were mapped to feature terms based on the taxonomic scope of all species recorded for the associated protocol (one of Animals, Arthropods, Crustaceans, Copepods, Ants, Corals, Molluscs, Vertebrates, Birds, Fish, Mammals, Reptiles, Amphibia, Bacteria, Chromista, Protists, Plants, Fungi). Year and coordinates were taken from the associate sample event.<br/>iv.Metadata records from all sources were combined and include the following values. The feature facet values are offered as a convenience for grouping records without using the hierarchical structure of the EcoAssets Earth Science Features vocabulary:<br/>1. Source National Research Institute (NRI - one of ALA, IMOS, TERN)<br/>2. Dataset name (site name for TERN)<br/>3. Dataset URI (site URI for TERN)<br/>4. Original keyword from NRI (feature type for TERN, GCMD keyword for IMOS, taxon for ALA)<br/>5. Decimal latitude (where appropriate)<br/>6. Decimal longitude (where appropriate)<br/>7. Year<br/>8. State or Territory<br/>9. IBRA7 terrestrial region<br/>10. IMCRA 4.0 mesoscale marine bioregion<br/>11. Feature ID from EcoAssets Earth Science Features vocabulary<br/>12. Feature name associated with feature ID<br/>13. Feature facet 1 - high-level facet based on feature ID - a top-level GCMD Earth Science category (6 terms)<br/>14. Feature facet 2 - intermediate-level facet based on feature ID - second-level GCMD/ANSL category (29 terms)<br/>15. Feature facet 3 - lower-level facet with more fine-grained taxonomic structure based on feature ID - typically a third-level GCMD/ANSL category (36 terms)<br/>This dataset serves as a standardised snapshot of Australian earth science observation and monitoring effort data from which level-of-effort indicators and trends can be derived.<br/>These data are versioned at 12-month intervals. Previous versions will be linked below under Previous Version. The latest version can always be accessed at https://ecoassets.org.au/data/aggregated-data-environmental-monitoring-and-observations-effort/.<br/>Citation - Please cite these data as follows:<br/>EcoAssets (2023), Aggregated Data: Environmental Monitoring and Observations Effort (1.0.2023-03-23) [Data set], EcoAssets partnership (Atlas of Living Australia, Integrated Marine Observing System, Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network, Australian Research Data Commons), DOI: https://doi.org/10.26197/e3n7-ys83