News & Insights

Eco-Innovation: Enhancing Ecology Data with AI

At E2M, we adopt innovative technologies to aid with our ecological assessments and monitoring programs. Our integration of best of breed technologies and ideas allows us to better gather and analyse ecological data for our clients. The industry is moving well beyond the era of grainy snapshots and hand-written notes and data. We now use advanced technologies to capture compelling, concrete evidence that accurately collects and analyses ecological data with precision and efficiency. 

Innovation is one of our  7 core tenets, ensuring we stay at the forefront of harnessing new technologies within our industry. This commitment ensures our services are effective, affordable and efficient for our clients. 

Keep reading to learn more about how our team is using the latest in AI, bioacoustics, and motion detection technologies to enhance our services. 

Our Technology-Driven Ecology 

Every team member at E2M cares deeply about the environment and finding ways to achieve balanced environmental outcomes for our projects. We use a range of technologies in our ecological assessments and monitoring programs to help us collect essential data to accurately measure ecological values and demonstrate how our clients are making a positive impact. 

Let’s take a look at some of the main devices and systems we use in projects to strengthen our focus on technology-driven ecology. 

Motion Detection Cameras 

Motion detection cameras have gone through a lot of exciting advancements in recent times. We use these cameras to collect images to assist with identifying the presence, location, population size, and/or behaviours of fauna species within the locations we monitor, for projects such as baseline ecology surveys, offset area suitability assessments and long-term monitoring programs. 

Our motion detection cameras are strategically placed in key feeding, breeding and drinking habitat and sources to optimise results. Thanks to these cameras, we can gain valuable insights on species diversity or the effectiveness of strategies aimed at preserving biodiversity and sustaining ecosystems. 

Bioacoustics 

Bioacoustics are one of the most interesting technological advancements adding value to our client’s projects. These are specialist recording devices that we place around survey areas to capture any calls from resident fauna. 

The benefit of these devices is their longevity and accuracy. For some of our projects, we have been using bioacoustics for years – providing us with hundreds of hours of high-quality audio data without the need for one of our team members to be onsite. 

Machine Learning Technology 

Once we collect the hours and hours of data from bioacoustics, the only question that remains is: how do we process it? Manually going through all the audio could take years of manpower, which is why we have developed AI machine learning technology to isolate the critical data with efficiency and accuracy. 

Our team of experienced ecologists have helped develop and train our own AI tool, designed specifically for the purpose of analysing the audio data collected by our bioacoustics devices. It sifts through thousands of hours of data to pinpoint the exact sounds that prove a target species is within the area we are monitoring – this builds a body of evidence for our clients to demonstrate that projects are meeting the required goals and targets. 

Watch the video below to learn more about how we have harnessed both bioacoustics and machine learning technology on a recent project.

Why Ecology Driven Technology Matters 

How does this technology help our clients in the oil and gas, mining, infrastructure and renewable energies industries? We are able to capture and process far greater volumes of data, far more efficiently This means significant time and resource savings for our clients. These technologies also allow us to better demonstrate how our clients are meeting survey guidelines or complying with approval conditions.   

Contact E2M 

Read more about how our technology-driven ecology services have helped us undertake a five-year research program on the black-throated finch in the Galilee Basin. 

If you want to know more about how we use technology to make our ecological consulting services more cost-effective and efficient, contact us today. 

It starts with us understanding your commercial reality