Executive Summary

Earth is undergoing a mass extinction of biological diversity due to human-driven dismantling and disruption of natural ecosystems. Economically isolated countries, with high natural capital and greater development needs, suffer the most from a lack of up-to-date data on land use, reef use, biodiversity, carbon storage, and other critical environmental decision-making factors. The MacArthur Foundation’s prior investments resulted in Imaging Spectroscopy, a biodiversity and landscape monitoring technology, used on piloted aircraft in multiple developing countries. The technology has empowered organizations and clearly benefited ecosystems and communities.

The Global Biodiversity Observatory project will expand Imaging Spectroscopy to all countries across the globe by placing miniaturized Imaging Spectrometers on Earth-orbiting satellites. Connected through artificial intelligence, this network will drive a new, internationally accessible decision-support system, empowering a rapid reversal of biodiversity loss. Our initiative also will provide cost-effective data solutions through our global partners to maximize the benefits of decision making and improve public knowledge.

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Accomplishments

GBO now sees a much stronger need for a coastal-land-ocean monitoring program, a critical gap among all NGO/government agencies of the world. We now own and operate the Coral Atlas, which maps and monitors the world's coral reefs in unprecedented detail. We need to add 100 km of inland lands worldwide, including "wet" ecosystems like mangroves and seagrass beds, and non-coral reefs such as rock and algal reefs.