NatureIQ
Predict biodiversity outcomes before decisions get made.
NatureIQ is a biodiversity intelligence platform that brings together CSIRO science and DArT’s data capabilities to support better, earlier decisions across land use, development, and conservation.
Why biodiversity intelligence at DArT?
Biodiversity is fundamental to DArT’s mission. It underpins food security, the sustainable use of resources, and the long-term value of genetic technologies. It is becoming an increasingly important factor in decisions relating to land use, development, and the environment.
To support this, DArT is extending its capabilities – to help organisations understand biological systems and to assist them by taking an active role in shaping better outcomes.
Engagement in commercial delivery, and further development of the NatureIQ platform, are logical extensions of DArT’s technology and service portfolio.
A natural progression
From its beginning in 2001 as a biotechnology startup, DArT has built analytical and data management capacity that stretches beyond its genomics portfolio.
While DArT’s early focus was on breeding and agriculture, our services have expanded into the ecological domain, with millions of samples now having been processed as part of thousands of projects. These samples include practically all major pests, as well as a large proportion of Australia’s threatened species.
We have contributed to several Australian Research Council projects in partnership with a number of Australia’s leading academic institutions. DArT is also engaged in a threatened species Initiative with Bioplatforms Australia.
In recognition of the importance of ecosystem-level biodiversity information, we have also expanded our genomics services into metagenomics and eDNA applications. These new services complement and benefit from the species and population-level information stored in DArT’s genomics database.
DArT’s ecological research focus has also expanded into data management – with the Ecologue platform developed as a part of our new OneDArT engagement hub.
Integration of genomics data delivery with data analytics, especially through the dartR package is a key enablement for the ecological research community to collaborate and share data, so that the threat of escalating biodiversity losses can be averted.
As a further development of our capability, the current and future capacities of NatureIQ integrate well with DArT’s expertise and interests. Continuing collaboration with CSIRO, on new features, will ensure that the platform will continue to benefit from the capacities and networks of both organisations.
What NatureIQ enables
Earlier, better-informed decisions
Understand biodiversity implications before locking in key decisions, whether selecting sites, planning land use, or designing interventions.
Reduced risk and uncertainty
Identify potential biodiversity constraints and trade-offs before committing significant time, cost, or capital.
Stronger environmental outcomes
Use scientifically grounded insights to support more consistent, transparent, and defensible decisions across projects and portfolios.
How NatureIQ works
Site-level biodiversity assessment
Quantify the current state of nature using science-backed indicators, derived from CSIRO’s ecological modelling.
Scenario-based simulation
Model the impact of different actions such as land-use change, restoration, or development, before they are implemented.
Site discovery for development and offsets
Identify locations with the lowest biodiversity risk or the greatest potential for biodiversity uplift, and optimise your impact accordingly.
Outcome monitoring
Use time-series analysis to track biodiversity impacts and adjust plans throughout the project lifespan.
Spatial analysis and visualisation
Interact with biodiversity data through map-based interfaces, with the ability to zoom from regional context to site-level detail.
