Custom Alert Capabilities in the Atlas of Living Australia (ALA): Enhancing Biodiversity Research and Monitoring

The Atlas of Living Australia (ALA) is a collaborative open infrastructure, bringing together Australian biodiversity data from diverse sources, in a way that is reusable and accessible. Boasting an extensive repository with over 130 million species occurrence records, detailed taxonomy for more than 153,000 species, and a suite of 150 web services, the ALA caters to scientists, policymakers, government entities, industry professionals, and the public, all at no cost. Introducing an enhancement to our platform, hear how the ALA has improved our "Custom Alert Capabilities." This feature transforms how users stay informed about critical biodiversity occurrences and biosecurity data. With this enhancement, users can personalise their email notifications, ensuring they receive timely updates tailored to their preferences. The ALA's alert system supports a wide range of alert types, including spatial layers, new datasets, ALA news, and flagged records via "My Annotations," fostering user engagement and data quality. From biosecurity alerts to species occurrence records, users can set alerts on flexible intervals, guaranteeing that they are always in the know, with region-specific alerts providing immediate localised insights. Emphasising our dedication to the research community, the ALA leverages a strong technological foundation including OpenID Connect, Java Web Tokens (JWT) and cloud platforms to provide scalable and secure notification services. This ensures efficient and reliable data dissemination, with an emphasis on security and interoperability for our users. By facilitating access to vital information in a timely manner, the ALA s "Custom Alert Capabilities" empower research and decision-making, contributing to the advancement of biodiversity management.