Background/Question/Methods An advance in internet technology has lead to increase of ecological and spatial information distributed over the web. With new Web 2.0 and Web Geographic Information System (WebGIS) applications, the ability of historical data exploration through 2D and 3D applications has increased user access to many data sets from around the world at the user's desktop. The advancement in cyberinfrastructure and GIS technologies has lead to the development of web tools which can be integrated into ecological science applications. With these advances and new technologies, users will have access to historical and near real-time data which will revolutionize the way users integrate these data into their own research. Key challenges for doing ecological science are accessing long-term multidisciplinary data sets and information, data and metadata standards, spatial and multi-scale data models, integrating these data and analyzing it to test for trends, and understanding trust and uncertainty in such analysis. Through the development of three WebGIS applications focusing on the arctic region (ARMAP.org, BAID.utep.edu, and CEON.utep.edu), challenges have been identified in the integration between the ecological and computer sciences.

Results/Conclusions This study discusses the challenges of cyberinfrastructure and GIS uses in Web-based tools for ecological science applications, and addresses: 1) data access through web services, 2) historical and real-time data integration, 3) WebGIS tool development and usability, 4) generational gap of users, 5) and solutions for integrating multidisciplinary data and models. The assessment were conducted through usability surveys to determine functionality of the WebGIS tools, if tool help address user needs, and what users would like to see in future tools. Surveys were distributed to individuals from ecology and computer science as well as users and developers of WebGIS applications. The results from this study improve our understanding of user needs and pave the path for advancing WebGIS tool development for ecological studies as well as improve of data access through web services. In sum, this study improves user needs and enhances the collaboration between the developers of applications and the scientific user community.