Anthropocene Magazine · Climate & nature

AI and Satellites to Monitor Amazon Wildlife

A new initiative, Amazon.ia, aims to provide near real-time tracking of wildlife trends across the Amazon rainforest using a network of monitoring sites and advanced technology.

Scientists face challenges in tracking biodiversity loss in the Amazon, as satellite imagery provides a broad view but struggles to capture details below the forest canopy. The Amazon.ia project plans to establish 10 to 30 monitoring sites equipped with wildlife-tracking instruments to feed data into computer models, creating a high-resolution, continuously updated picture of biodiversity.

The project combines new technologies like audio recorders, motion-activated cameras, automated DNA sequencing, and hyperspectral imaging satellites with artificial intelligence. Computer programs can identify species, detect patterns, and estimate conditions in areas beyond direct observation by integrating various data streams with geographical maps.

This initiative seeks to overcome the limitations of current monitoring, which often provides only localized insights. By enabling region-wide pattern recognition, Amazon.ia could help scientists understand broader trends, such as population declines in birds and their food sources, and potentially galvanize political action.

The project requires $100 million over 10 years for equipment, computing, staffing, and training. Approximately $20 million has been raised so far, including $14 million from the Bezos Earth Fund. Five data-collecting sites are confirmed, with plans to add more.

Technical limitations exist, such as acoustic data's difficulty in accurately estimating population sizes. Furthermore, covering the vast 7 million square kilometer Amazon basin comprehensively with a limited number of observation posts presents a significant data gap challenge, even with advanced modeling.

AI-samenvatting op basis van de bron.