We live in an exciting time for ecology.  The ease of access and availability of environmental data has increased exponentially over the past few decades. There are now online databases with ecological data from around the world. These large collaborative datasets can help us advance ecological theory and identify overarching principles that structure ecosystems at a global scale. Below are a few of my favorite open-access databases. You can request data from these websites to test your own questions, or help support these efforts by contributing data!

GBIF - Species occurrence records for tons of plants and animals around the world

iNaturalist - Access or contribute photo observations for any species worldwide

TRY - Global plant trait database

Google Earth Engine - A one stop shop for worldwide satellite imagery AND analysis

Worldclim - free interpolated global climate data for past conditions and future predictions

DRYAD - A digital repository for data published in the peer-reviewed literature

Polar Data Catalogue - diverse datasets from Arctic and Antarctic ecosystems

USANPN - USA national phenology network data