OPEN SCIENCE CONSERVATION FUND’s Post

AI can monitor biodiversity through animal sounds: Artificial intelligence (AI) models can detect biodiversity from animal sounds in tropical rainforests, specifically in reforested areas.  #EarthDotCom #EarthSnap #Earth

AI and machine learning can be scary to many, but we must remember that MLMs and big data have massive benefits for many fields that we may not typically consider. For example, data analysis has the capability to revolutionize ecology by helping recognize animal behavioral patterns, predict species distributions, and more, all of which would be challenging with traditional wildlife monitoring techniques. These benefits highlight why fields such as environmental data science are burgeoning. See more here: https://lnkd.in/gVM8HjZf

With all the focus of United Nations Biodiversity Day last week, how important is coding in studying the world around us? Wildlife TV Presenter & former zookeeper, Yussef Rafik, explains how important data collection & processing is in conservation efforts: 'By using computing skills, we can use our collected biodiversity data to create models that show us things like how populations of different species are doing over time,’ Yussef explains. ‘This information can then be used to see which species need our help the most, so it’s very valuable in nature conservation.’ Read more: https://lnkd.in/ddKyngkQ #coding #teachers #computerscience #conservation #biodiveristy

🌍 Leveraging AI and Nature for Conservation Success 🌿 In an innovative step forward, the GAIA Initiative is harnessing the instinctual prowess of white-backed vultures alongside cutting-edge AI to revolutionize wildlife monitoring. By using animal tag data and an AI algorithm, researchers accurately classify vulture behaviors and map carcass locations, providing key insights into environmental shifts like droughts and illegal wildlife killings. Key Achievements: - Detection accuracy: 92% probability in identifying carcass locations. - New-generation tags execute real-time AI analyses on-site, improving data efficiency—essential for remote monitoring. This AI-driven approach is not only pivotal as an ecological early warning system but also instrumental in protecting vulnerable vulture populations. The partnership of GAIA with Leibniz-IZW and Fraunhofer Institute exemplifies how blending animal behavior with AI can propel large-scale, impactful conservation efforts. Discover more about how technology meets nature to drive positive environmental change. 🌱 #WildlifeConservation #AI #InnovationInConservation

Interesting use case based on a real project showing the beauty of strong AI video analytics solution :)

Aicuda Technology Research and Development - Bird Specification Project Taiwan. Aicuda Technology #R&D #Goes #Green. Green is the color in the AICUDA logo and green is in AICUDA’s corporate veins. Aicuda Technology is utilizing Vision AI analytics to enhance bird conservation efforts in Taiwan. The bird identification AI model is instrumental in detecting trends, threats, and the conservation status of bird species in the region. Factors such as climate change, wetland loss, invasive species, urbanization, and poisoning are impacting the distribution of bird species. The data collected plays a crucial role in advocating for habitat conservation, using birds as vital indicators of biodiversity. Aicuda Technology R&D team unveils an innovative AI engine for bird species detection, complete with an Ecology Overview dashboard. The bird Identification GUI offers hot zone statistics, ecology search, and live analysis capabilities. In a significant milestone, Aicuda Technology Bird Identification Analytics was crafted for the Taiwanese Government, with ongoing talks with the South African Government for a parallel project aimed at safeguarding biodiversity. Aicuda Technology has developed a cutting-edge technology for animal ecologist purposes with a unique accuracy feedback system. #Aicuda #Technology #Research #Development #BirdConservation #AI #Taiwan #HabitatConservation

AI is revolutionizing various fields, and its impact on ecology is profound! One compelling example is the use of AI to enhance the effectiveness of Tori Lines or Bird-scaring lines. Tori Lines are an essential on-vessel bycatch mitigation device to reduce seabird interactions with fishing gear which reduces the bird bycatch, thus saving the lives of the birds, some of which are endangered. In our recent publication in Biological Conservation, we use AI to ensure compliance with the behaviours required to operate successful Tori Lines in the fishing vessels, using challenging video footage of the vessels which are obtained from Electronic Monitoring (EM). This advancement not only supports automatic compliance in commercial fishing but also contributes significantly to seabird conservation efforts. Let's continue to embrace and innovate with AI to protect our precious marine biodiversity. I thank all my colleagues from CSIRO and CSIRO's Data61 for their hard work, especially Muhammad Saqib, Carlie Devine, Candice Untiedt, Richard Little, Dadong Wang and Geoff Tuck. I also acknowledge Vivien (Viv) Rolland and Lars Petersson for their support. To read more about the study, use the following link that will take you to the open access publication page. https://lnkd.in/gYHKKPM7 #AI #AIforGood #BiologicalConservation #SustainableFishing #Conservation #Ecology #Seabird #SeabirdConservation #Bycatch #EndangeredSpecies #DeepLearning #Innovation #AustralianFisheriesManagementAuthority

It's not all about mammals! 😉 While our flagship software, #TrapperAI, primarily focuses on mammal classification, we’re also collaborating with other taxa. 🦋 🐞 Jakub Bubnicki, was invited and spent a few days in Norway at a writing retreat for the "#InsectAI - Using Image-based AI for Insect Monitoring & Conservation," COST Action project where discussions centered around integrating new computer vision methods with traditional insect monitoring data. Jakub helped on drafting a new Insect Data Exchange Format, similar to #CamtrapDP. This is the way how can we support this great initiative, we appreciate an invitation! The #InsectAI COST Action aims to revolutionize insect monitoring and conservation on both national and continental scales. With insect populations in rapid decline worldwide, understanding these trends and their causes is essential. The goal is to create efficient, standardized insect monitoring systems, providing up-to-date indicators to support conservation efforts. With the EU Biodiversity Strategy 2030 and the upcoming Nature Restoration Law, the project will directly contribute to EU policy implementation. 🌎 🦗 #InsectAI #Conservation #Biodiversity #AI #CamtrapDP

When it comes to saving species, “innovative technologies hold the potential to provide faster and more cost-effective solutions to understand wildlife populations dynamics,” says Dr Elise Furlan, a Senior Research Fellow with the EcoDNA team at UC. The team – recognised as the National eDNA Reference Centre – works with environmental DNA (eDNA), which is shed by an organism via genetic material like skin cells, faeces, etc. It’s a detection method with low environmental impacts and costs, but high levels of accuracy, effectiveness and accessibility – and it’s transforming biosecurity and conservation services and practices worldwide. Elise is developing eDNA methods to determine the genetic make-up of a population from an environmental water sample. “I’m working on redfin blue eye (Scaturiginichthys vermeilipinnis), one of Australia’s smallest and most endangered fish, because it provides the ideal study species as well as providing the potential for this technique to offer a real-world impact on its conservation,” she says. “I am hopeful that this innovative eDNA research will prove successful, enabling application of this technique to benefit the conservation of not only redfin blue eye, but multiple species around the globe. “As species face increasing threats worldwide, it’s crucial to adapt and evolve our conservation approach.” Elise’s is echoing this year’s National Science Week theme, “Species Survival – More Than Just Sustainability”, which highlights the importance of science and innovation in ensuring that species can survive and thrive in an ever-changing world. “Developing scalable methods for broadscale monitoring can reduce the cost of per population or per species assessments, increasing our capacity to monitor more extensively,” Elise says. “The rapid advancement and decreasing costs of genetic technology make this a particularly promising approach.” #UniCBR #nationalscienceweek

📰 Great article published on MIT Technology Review by Matthew Ponsford on how tracking animal movements may save the planet   🦇 The article explores the history of the ICARUS project - including some first hand background stories - and the innovative concept of the "Internet of Animals," a global initiative aimed at tracking the movements of wildlife to enhance not only our understanding of ecosystems and aid in conservation efforts, but potentially saving the planet as a whole.   🛰 This groundbreaking approach leverages advanced satellite technology and miniaturized tracking devices to monitor various species in real-time, providing invaluable data on animal behaviors, migration patterns, and environmental impacts.   🚀 TALOS, a key contributor to this endeavor, is currently developing the payload for the next satellite, underscoring its commitment to the ICARUS project. This collaboration marks a significant milestone in wildlife research, offering promising prospects for biodiversity preservation, environmental sustainability and many more.   👉 For an in-depth exploration of this topic, please read the MIT Technology Review:   https://lnkd.in/dzn_9ip8 Max Planck Society #ClimateAction #siot #NewSpace #WildlifeConservation #TechnologyforConservation #Startups #ConservationInnovation