UKCEH (UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology) has announced a three-year partnership with the Aberdeen Group Charitable Trust to tackle the worldwide decline in insect biodiversity through Project INSPIRE.
Insects play a vital role in our ecosystems, pollinating crops, as food for birds and mammals and as early warning indicators of climate change impacts. However, we lack critical data on the level and speed of the decline in insect populations across the globe; closing this knowledge gap is an urgent priority.
Building on the success of a previous partnership through Project AMBER which pioneered AI-assisted biodiversity monitoring, this project which will generate vital data for conservation, climate resilience, and public engagement. The project will have a global footprint, with initial focus on the UK, Costa Rica and Singapore as these countries already have sites with automated monitoring of insect systems. By partnering with local networks and NGOs, INSPIRE will ensure inclusive participation and create tangible benefits for local communities.
The partnership will involve two major areas of work:
- Insect sensor platforms: deploying global AI-assisted camera systems with local communities, to monitor nocturnal insects.
- Citizen science: building global capacity in citizen science technologies (‘people as sensors’) for insects, with volunteers across the world submitting biodiversity data specific to their communities.
Professor David Roy, Principal Scientist, UKCEH, said:
“This partnership represents a transformative step in global biodiversity monitoring for insects. Closing the knowledge gap for ‘the little things that run the world’ remains an urgent priority for research and conservation. By combining technology with community engagement, we can generate the insights needed to protect ecosystems and inspire action.”
Aberdeen Group Charitable Trust has committed £1 million to UKCEH for Project INSPIRE (Insect Sensor Platforms for Inclusive Research and Engagement).