Wraith J1,2
1QCIF Digital Research, Brisbane, Australia, 2Climate Action Beacon, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Australia
Biography:
Dr Jenna Wraith is the Head of Sustainable Futures and Principal Data Scientist at QCIF Digital Research, and an Adjunct Research Fellow within the Climate Action Beacon at Griffith University. A conservation scientist and digital infrastructure specialist, she focuses on bridging the gap between complex environmental data, advanced analytics, and actionable policy.
Jenna leads major national digital capabilities, including EcoCommons Australia for ecological modelling and WildObs for automated wildlife camera-trap analysis. Throughout her career, she has championed the integration of FAIR data principles and cloud-scaled computing to transform raw observations into trusted, reproducible scientific insights.
Holding a PhD in ecological science, Jenna combines her background in biodiversity research with technical leadership to design user-centric platforms. She works closely with research networks, government bodies, and software engineers to deliver the scalable, sustainable digital infrastructure needed to secure a resilient environmental future.
Abstract:
Australia's environmental digital research infrastructure has evolved from fragmented ecological datasets and standalone modelling tools to integrated, cloud-based analytical environments that support reproducible, collaborative and scalable science. EcoCommons provides a case study of this evolution, illustrating the opportunities and challenges of transitioning from project-based software into sustainable national research infrastructure.
Operating a national environmental modelling platform extends well beyond software development. It requires balancing computationally intensive workflows with financial sustainability while integrating diverse environmental datasets into secure, scalable and reproducible analytical pipelines that support researchers, government agencies and environmental practitioners across Australia.
The maturity of this infrastructure has accelerated the translation of ecological modelling into decision-making. Standardised workflows and accessible cloud computing have enabled applications including habitat suitability modelling, species recovery planning, climate adaptation assessments and regional conservation planning, reducing the technical barriers to advanced environmental analytics.
Looking forward, EcoCommons is evolving towards greater interoperability across Australia's environmental digital research infrastructure. By connecting capabilities including WildObs, Open Ecoacoustics, EcoCommons and Marxan through shared data pipelines and analytical workflows, environmental observations can move seamlessly from data collection to modelling and conservation planning, creating an integrated ecosystem that supports faster, evidence-based environmental management.
Using EcoCommons as a case study, this presentation explores the technical, operational and governance lessons learned in building sustainable national digital research infrastructure and considers how increasingly connected environmental platforms can underpin the next generation of biodiversity research and conservation decision-making.
