diff --git a/characteristic_types.go b/characteristic_types.go
index 43d9684..e40816a 100644
--- a/characteristic_types.go
+++ b/characteristic_types.go
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ func (c *CharacteristicTypes) marshal() ([]byte, error) {
 	return json.Marshal(&CharacteristicTypesJSON{CharacteristicTypes: c})
 }
 
-func (c CharacteristicTypeService) list(val *url.Values) (entity, *appError) {
+func (c CharacteristicTypeService) list(val *url.Values, claims Claims) (entity, *appError) {
 	if val == nil {
 		return nil, ErrMustProvideOptionsJSON
 	}
diff --git a/characteristics.go b/characteristics.go
index 419ea5e..19a39ed 100644
--- a/characteristics.go
+++ b/characteristics.go
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ func (c *Characteristics) marshal() ([]byte, error) {
 	return json.Marshal(&CharacteristicsJSON{Characteristics: c})
 }
 
-func (c CharacteristicService) list(val *url.Values) (entity, *appError) {
+func (c CharacteristicService) list(val *url.Values, claims Claims) (entity, *appError) {
 	if val == nil {
 		return nil, ErrMustProvideOptionsJSON
 	}
diff --git a/entities.go b/entities.go
index 55eeb45..562939f 100644
--- a/entities.go
+++ b/entities.go
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ type getter interface {
 }
 
 type lister interface {
-	list(*url.Values) (entity, *appError)
+	list(*url.Values, Claims) (entity, *appError)
 }
 
 type updater interface {
diff --git a/handlers.go b/handlers.go
index d1cfb12..a01b2bc 100644
--- a/handlers.go
+++ b/handlers.go
@@ -146,7 +146,9 @@ func handleLister(l lister) errorHandler {
 		opt := r.URL.Query()
 		opt.Add("Genus", mux.Vars(r)["genus"])
 
-		es, appErr := l.list(&opt)
+		claims := getClaims(r)
+
+		es, appErr := l.list(&opt, claims)
 		if appErr != nil {
 			return appErr
 		}
diff --git a/helpers.go b/helpers.go
index 1c0d048..a5471f6 100644
--- a/helpers.go
+++ b/helpers.go
@@ -114,3 +114,7 @@ func getClaims(r *http.Request) Claims {
 	}
 	return claims
 }
+
+func canAdd(claims Claims) bool {
+	return claims.Role == "A" || claims.Role == "W"
+}
diff --git a/measurements.go b/measurements.go
index 6b235eb..a454feb 100644
--- a/measurements.go
+++ b/measurements.go
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ func (m *Measurements) marshal() ([]byte, error) {
 	return json.Marshal(&MeasurementsJSON{Measurements: m})
 }
 
-func (m MeasurementService) list(val *url.Values) (entity, *appError) {
+func (m MeasurementService) list(val *url.Values, claims Claims) (entity, *appError) {
 	if val == nil {
 		return nil, ErrMustProvideOptionsJSON
 	}
diff --git a/species.go b/species.go
index 47305bd..da63a0c 100644
--- a/species.go
+++ b/species.go
@@ -50,20 +50,25 @@ type Species struct {
 
 type ManySpecies []*Species
 
-type SpeciesJSON struct {
-	Species *Species `json:"species"`
+type SpeciesMeta struct {
+	CanAdd bool `json:"canAdd"`
 }
 
-type ManySpeciesJSON struct {
-	ManySpecies *ManySpecies `json:"species"`
+type ManySpeciesPayload struct {
+	Species *ManySpecies `json:"species"`
+	Meta    *SpeciesMeta `json:"meta"`
+}
+
+type SpeciesJSON struct {
+	Species *Species `json:"species"`
 }
 
 func (s *Species) marshal() ([]byte, error) {
 	return json.Marshal(&SpeciesJSON{Species: s})
 }
 
-func (s *ManySpecies) marshal() ([]byte, error) {
-	return json.Marshal(&ManySpeciesJSON{ManySpecies: s})
+func (s *ManySpeciesPayload) marshal() ([]byte, error) {
+	return json.Marshal(s)
 }
 
 func (s SpeciesService) unmarshal(b []byte) (entity, error) {
@@ -72,7 +77,7 @@ func (s SpeciesService) unmarshal(b []byte) (entity, error) {
 	return sj.Species, err
 }
 
-func (s SpeciesService) list(val *url.Values) (entity, *appError) {
+func (s SpeciesService) list(val *url.Values, claims Claims) (entity, *appError) {
 	if val == nil {
 		return nil, ErrMustProvideOptionsJSON
 	}
@@ -109,7 +114,10 @@ func (s SpeciesService) list(val *url.Values) (entity, *appError) {
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, newJSONError(err, http.StatusInternalServerError)
 	}
-	return &species, nil
+
+	meta := SpeciesMeta{CanAdd: canAdd(claims)}
+	payload := ManySpeciesPayload{Species: &species, Meta: &meta}
+	return &payload, nil
 }
 
 func (s SpeciesService) get(id int64, genus string) (entity, *appError) {
diff --git a/strains.go b/strains.go
index 7f98cd9..b556bfc 100644
--- a/strains.go
+++ b/strains.go
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ func (s StrainService) unmarshal(b []byte) (entity, error) {
 	return sj.Strain, err
 }
 
-func (s StrainService) list(val *url.Values) (entity, *appError) {
+func (s StrainService) list(val *url.Values, claims Claims) (entity, *appError) {
 	if val == nil {
 		return nil, ErrMustProvideOptionsJSON
 	}
diff --git a/users.go b/users.go
index 814a375..52693ec 100644
--- a/users.go
+++ b/users.go
@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@ func (u *User) validate() error {
 	return nil
 }
 
-func (u UserService) list(val *url.Values) (entity, *appError) {
+func (u UserService) list(val *url.Values, claims Claims) (entity, *appError) {
 	if val == nil {
 		return nil, ErrMustProvideOptionsJSON
 	}