EcoCommons: Advancing Global Environmental Modelling with Open-Access Solutions

Understanding and mitigating the impacts of global change on ecosystems requires not only advanced environmental models but also accessible platforms that enable their application across diverse datasets and research needs. For the past 10 years, EcoCommons Australia (https://www.ecocommons.org.au/), a research initiative supported by Australia’s National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy and Australian Research Data Commons, has provided environmental modellers with the tools to tackle challenges across the entire Australian continent. In 2024, building on EcoCommons’ success, the team expanded its services and open-sourced a variety of environmental modelling and technology solutions through a GitHub repository. These solutions include previously advanced algorithms and scalable cloud infrastructure, now simplified into easy-to-use EcoCommons Notebooks that can be deployed on commercial clouds or local machines. EcoCommons technology empowers users to perform species distribution modelling, habitat suitability analyses, and climate change projections, providing a comprehensive toolkit for global environmental research. The platform’s scientific foundations and methodologies have been recognised in the peer-reviewed journal Environmental Modelling and Software (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsoft.2024.106255), affirming its credibility and contributions to the field. This recognition underscores the platform’s robust scientific background and the assumptions underpinning its algorithms and solutions. EcoCommons’ GitHub repository serves as a global hub for interaction, where users from around the world can engage with the notebooks, report issues, and contribute their research to this vibrant community. This collaborative environment fosters innovation and ensures that the platform evolves in response to the needs of its diverse user base. With more than 2,000 users, EcoCommons technology has supported research across Africa, Europe, Latin America, and Oceania. These international collaborations highlight the platform’s versatility and its impact on global environmental research. Moreover, the technology behind EcoCommons is integral to supporting national environmental reporting in Australia, solidifying its value in real-world management and conservation actions. By providing the tools necessary for accurate environmental reporting, EcoCommons plays a crucial role in shaping policy and conservation strategies. In this session, we will discuss the lessons and challenges of building Australia’s largest environmental modelling platform. We will present case studies that demonstrate EcoCommons’ application to large-scale questions both in Australia and globally, and showcase the scalability and reproducibility of EcoCommons Notebooks.