Astrophysics meets conservation biology

The long-term goal of this project is to build upon STFC-funded innovations in astronomy to help tackle challenges to developing countries identified in the Global Challenge Theme Areas: "Sustainable Resources" and "Sustainable Growth". Over the last 18 months, we have demonstrated that software developed by astronomers to detect emission and identify objects in thermal (mid-infrared, ~10 micron) wavelength astronomical images is extremely well suited to identifying and characterising animals in aerial thermal video footage. We now seek pump priming funds to support a Postdoctoral Research Assistant (PDRA) to adapt the automated source-finding and identification software pipeline we have developed for different environments. The PDRA will then take this drone + software pipeline system to developing countries and test it in "real world" situations. By demonstrating that this is a cost-effective and efficient way to monitor and manage animal populations over large areas, we aim to show the validity of this approach for tackling some of the major challenges facing developing countries, such as food security, animal health and ecosystem monitoring, protection and conservation. We envisage this pilot project paving the way for future Official Development Assistance-eligible applications (e.g. the Global Challenge Research Fund) to begin systematically tackling the above challenges.

The immediate impact of the project will be helping to ensure the sustainability of the Chitwan National Park mega fauna and ecosystem, and the major source of income that "Conservation Tourism" brings to Nepal. If successful, it should be straightforward to apply the same technique to other National Parks in developing countries around the world with the potential for a similar, immediate and significant impact. The long-term goal is to enable routine, efficient and cost-effective monitoring and management of animal populations over large and inhospitable areas. As well as addressing a key challenge in ecosystem monitoring, protection and conservation, it has the potential to pave the way to address fundamental and currently unmet needs in food security and animal health. These issues are among the top five challenges facing developing countries identified by the World Economic Forum and lie at the heart of the four challenge "theme areas" to low and lower-middle-income countries outlined by the Global Challenge Research Fund (GCRF). As such, we believe this project has the potential to make an impact on some the key challenges facing humanity in the 21st Century.