Sightings of animals and plants collected as part of systematic surveys are included in species sightings searches.
Access the Species Sightings data collection
User registration is required because we need to identify who is contributing data, and to manage access to sensitive species location information.
Basic access
Species Sightings data can be accessed without a user login and can be used to search for and extract publicly available information. In these searches, records of sensitive species have had their location coordinates modified to hide their true location.
For richer functionality, including the ability to submit species sightings and survey data, you need to apply for a BioNet Atlas login.
Login access for registered users
Registered user access provides additional system functionality, to upload spreadsheets of species sightings and systematic survey data, and use the data analysis function.
- Log in to the BioNet Atlas.
- Register for the BioNet Atlas if you don't have an account.
Sensitive Species Data Licence
This licence gives access to more detailed sensitive threatened species location information than is available to basic and registered users. Conditions apply. Apply for a licence.
Web services access
If you need data in a machine-readable format, try accessing BioNet data through BioNet web services.
This is the primary channel used to deliver data to mobile applications, planning and assessment systems, and data aggregators in other jurisdictions, including the Atlas of Living Australia. Use your BioNet Atlas login to access sensitive species data.
What does a Species Sighting search return?
The Species Sightings search menu allows you to:
- find recorded sightings for a precise geographic area such as a national park, a local government area or an area drawn by you using an interactive map
- display and save a list of species recorded in your chosen area
- display and print the recorded sightings for each species on a map
- query individual mapped records, using the ‘identify’ tool in the map viewer
- download the record set (downloads capped at 200,000 records) as a tab-delimited text file, to use in your GIS
- obtain more information about any threatened species found in your search, using links to the department's Threatened biodiversity website.
The Flora surveys menu allows you to interrogate the detailed plot data held in the Systematic Flora Surveys data collection of the BioNet Atlas database.
Contribute data
Visit Contribute sightings to BioNet Atlas for more information about submitting Species Sightings data.