What’s living where? Those are the basic pieces of data that biologists and conservationists are hoping to collect and load into the Map of Biodiversity Importance, a dynamic new map unveiled this week at the Esri User Conference. And when mixed with other pieces of geospatial data and stirred with machine learning tech, the map will help conservationists predict the fates of thousands of endangered species.

The Map of Biodiversity Importance, or MOBI, is the result of the collective effort Esri, The Nature Conservancy, Microsoft, and NatureServe. The map, which was introduced onstage Monday at Esri UC but will make its public debut this fall, combines 2,600 detailed species habitat maps that have been collected over the past 50 years into a single searchable database that can be used by scientists and conservationists alike.

Source: datanami.com
Author: Alex Woodie