Background
In response to the needs of scientists and natural resource managers - including within USGS, NOAA, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) - NASA launched a five-year study to explore how space-based technologies can transform global wildlife tracking. The Internet of Animals (IoA) aims to improve tracking accuracy, reduce latency and cost, and expand capabilities to monitor smaller species and a larger number of individuals.
The initiative focuses on:
- Assessing the needs of U.S. agency scientists, conservationists, and land managers who rely on animal movement data for research and decision-making
- Designing a next-generation spaceborne observing system to meet those needs
- Developing methods to integrate animal movement data with remotely sensed habitat and biodiversity variables to support science and informed management