SPRAT – Species Profile and Threats Database

A database of threatened species, with their distributions.

Description

SPRAT - Species Profile and Threats Database is designed to provide information about species and ecological communities listed under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. It provides information on what the species looks like, its population and distribution, habitat, movements, feeding, reproduction and taxonomic comments. The information has been compiled by summarising information from a range of sources and contributors. At this stage profiles are not available for all species and ecological communities, but will be regularly added to the database.1

This database references collections data of over 25 million georeferenced specimens and observations. In-house tools have been developed for data cleaning and validating.2

Modelling is done with BIOCLIM and NVIS – National Vegetation Information System.

Function

• Visualisation tools
  • Maps
• Analysis tools
  • Simple – distribution
• User interface
  • Personal use
  • Visual presentation (online) and raw data is available from the desktop version

Why use this tool?

To determine the conservation status and likely distribution of threatened species in Australia

Who will use this tool?

• Data users
  • Expert
  • Interest groups
  • General public

How will the tool be used?

• Online and desktop version
• Online is a searchable database
• Desktop version is much more sophisticated allowing species modelling
• Uses common names, scientific names, and wildcards
• User input is required

Where in the data chain could this tool be used?

• User’s machine

When could this tool be used?

• As a post process, after data is with the user

Availability

• SPRAT online: http://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/sprat/public/sprat.pl
• Contact: Jeff Tranter Jeff.Tranter@environment.gov.au Australian Department of Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts
• Licence: Contact Australian Department of Environment for access to this tool

Comments

• Restricted to those species that are endangered under the EPBC act.
• The Australian Department of Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts are open to the concept of the ALA making use of some of their software tools.