Monitoring Earth's Biodiversity from Space: Insights from BioSCape

The BioSCape project, funded by NASA and led by UC Merced, University of Buffalo, and University of Cape Town researchers, aimed to monitor Earth's biodiversity from space. Over six weeks in 2024, the team collected data in South Africa's Greater Cape Floristic Region using NASA and South African aircraft equipped with advanced imaging technology. Findings reveal novel methods for monitoring terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, critical for addressing global biodiversity loss. By proving the efficacy of aerial data collection, the project paves the way for potential satellite applications. The data, made freely available, is anticipated to aid global biodiversity conservation. BioSCape's success showcases the impact of multinational collaboration in science and technology.