Web data services

About

Web data services allow software application and users to access data in distributed environments. They allow data to be shared and re-used in applications, without having to store data locally.

Through the adoption of standards, the NEII provides web data service access to key environmental data including geographic features, environmental observations, and gridded data. NEII conformant data services can be deployed for high-value environmental data by partner agencies to create a virtual network of environmental data.

How to use and access

NEII web data services can be accessed in three ways.

1. Data viewer

In the data viewer, users can select one or more data services using this interactive mapping tool.

The following table provides a list of NEII conformant web data services that have been onboarded, or are in progress for onboarding. The NEII programme is working with partners to increase the number of data services available through the NEII.

Theme	Service name	Provider	Service type*
Air	Australian gridded solar climatology	Bureau of Meteorology	WMS
Land	Australia 250K topographic map	Geoscience Australia.	WMS
Land	Australian geophysical data collection	Geoscience Australia	WMS
Land	Australian world heritage areas	Department of the Environment and Energy	WMS
Land	Collaborative Australian protected areas database	Department of the Environment and Energy	WMS
Land	Directory of important wetlands in Australia (DIWA) spatial database	Department of the Environment and Energy	WMS
Ocean	Marine key ecological features	Department of the Environment and Energy	WMS
Ocean	Marine water quality	eReefs	WMS
Ocean	Reef temperature	eReefs	WMS
Water	AusHydro	Geoscience Australia	WMS
Water	Geofabric	Bureau of Meteorology	WFS
Water	Water observations from space	Geoscience Australia	WMS

* WMS = Web Map Service, WFS = Web Feature Service

2. Metadata catalogue

Users can learn more about individual web data services by searching the metadata catalogue.

3. Programmatic access

NEII web data services can be accessed programmatically using the data service endpoints provided in the metadata catalogue or the data viewer. The NEII programme will shortly release additional material to support users to use the service endpoints in their applications.