This repository provides access to a collection of ecological model outputs (species distribution and similar models) from Antarctica and the Southern Ocean. It is a project of the SCAR Expert Group on Biodiversity Informatics in conjunction with ADVANCE (Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences) and the Integrated Digital East Antarctica program at the Australian Antarctic Division.
Please note: the inclusion of a layer in this collection is not an endorsement of its quality or suitability for your intended purpose. Users should consult the associated publication for details on the source data and modelling processes. We encourage users to contact the original publication authors to discuss their intended use of these layers.
Model outputs are provided as cloud-optimized geotiffs (COGs), with generally one file per species. The COG will have multiple bands if the original model predictions include uncertainty estimates or multiple model output variables. Each output has been kept on its original coordinate reference system (map projection) and spatial resolution.
The layers in this collection have been re-released under their original license where applicable, or a CC-BY licence otherwise. Please cite when using, and also cite the original data sources used. For example:
Kovacs J (2020) A model of my favourite Southern Ocean species. Journal of Southern Ocean Stuff 123:1-10. Data obtained from the SCAR DistAnt Ecological Model Output Repository, 10.5281/zenodo.10910075
Individual data sources might have varying licence conditions: consult
the licence field for details.
If you have generated some model outputs that would be suitable for this collection, or are aware of some that we haven’t yet included, please open an issue and let us know.
The focus for this repository --- at least initially --- is on circumpolar layers that encompass the whole Southern Ocean or whole Antarctic continent. However, regional outputs that cover smaller domains will be considered, particularly if they relate to a taxon or output variable for which there is no circumpolar output.
The metadata.csv file provides a table of minimal metadata that describes the
layers in the collection. This metadata is intended to be sufficient for
users to find potential layers of interest, and make an initial
evaluation of their high-level characteristics such as taxonomic
details, spatial coverage and resolution, and model output types. Our
metadata is NOT intended to provide a comprehensive description of each
layer: users are referred to the original publication for that level of
detail (see the layer’s reference entry).