Advanced Image Recognition Algorithms for Jaguar Monitoring

This building block is centered on the use of Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs), including Siamese and Autoencoder architectures, to detect and identify individual jaguars based on unique features such as rosette patterns and morphology. These algorithms process camera-trap data efficiently, reducing the time required for analysis and providing critical insights for decision-making in conservation.

The purpose of this building block is to enhance the monitoring and understanding of jaguar populations by automating the identification process. The algorithms detect jaguars in camera-trap images and classify individuals, contributing to understanding population size, distribution patterns, and behaviors. This facilitates conservation planning and policy-making by decision-makers. Additionally, the models are scalable and can be adapted to other species and ecosystems, expanding their applicability beyond the Yucatán Peninsula.

Enabling factors:

  • Availability of high-quality camera-trap data for training and validating the algorithms.
  • Technical expertise in AI and machine learning for developing and fine-tuning models.
  • Collaborative partnerships with local institutions for field data collection and algorithm design, development and testing.
  • Access to sufficient computational resources to train and deploy the algorithms effectively.
  • High-quality and diverse datasets are critical for achieving accurate and reliable results.
  • Community and academic involvement, such as the participation of the Dzilam de Bravo community and the Universidad Politécninca de Yucatán, enhances project outcomes by ensuring local capacity and ownership, and technological expertise to design the necessary algorithms.
  • Explainability in AI models (e.g., through Gradient Cam) is essential to build trust and ensure the results are accessible to decision-makers.
Spatial Intelligence for Wildfire Management

This building block provides the essential spatial intelligence for PyroSense, enabling a dynamic understanding of the geographical landscape. Its core purpose is to identify fire risk areas, pinpoint incident locations, and visualize resource deployment. This is crucial for strategic decision-making, allowing proactive resource allocation, and response planning. 

PyroSense utilizes a robust Geographic Information System (GIS) to power this function. The GIS integrates various spatial data layers, including topography, vegetation, infrastructure, etc. Initially, baseline risk maps are created by analyzing factors, guiding the placement of sensors and cameras.

Upon detection of a potential fire by environmental sensors or AI, the system immediately feeds the precise coordinates into the GIS. This real-time location data, combined with meteorological data (local and satellite), enables dynamic risk assessments. The GIS also serves as a central operational dashboard, visualizing the real-time positions of all deployed assets, including drones and first responder teams. This facilitates optimal resource allocation and coordination. This critical information is then communicated via a web application to stakeholders, providing clear visual situational awareness and supporting informed decision-making. 

  • Accurate and Up-to-Date GIS Data: Access to current geospatial data on topography, vegetation,  historical fire activity is essential for reliable risk assessments.
  • A powerful GIS platform is necessary for integrating diverse data layers, performing complex analyses, and running real-time AI.
  • Expertise is needed to interpret GIS data, validate models, and use the platform for strategic planning and incident management.
  • Connectivity with environmental sensors, drone feeds, and meteorological data is crucial for dynamic risk mapping and accurate fire tracking.

The accuracy and utility of geospatial planning are directly proportional to the quality and timeliness of the underlying GIS data. Investing in high-resolution, frequently updated maps and environmental data is paramount. Furthermore, the ability to integrate real-time sensor and drone data into the GIS for dynamic risk assessment proved to be a game-changer, moving beyond static planning to predictive capabilities. 

Initial challenges included the significant effort required to collect and digitize comprehensive baseline GIS data for large, remote areas. Data standardization across different sources (e.g., various government agencies, local surveys) was also a hurdle. Additionally, ensuring the GIS platform could handle the computational load of real-time data fusion and complex fire spread simulations without latency issues was a technical challenge.

  • Before deployment, dedicate substantial resources to acquiring and standardizing all relevant geospatial data. 
  • Choose a GIS platform that can scale with increasing data volumes and computational demands.
  • Ensure that local teams are proficient in using the GIS platform  
Comprehensive Data Ingestion for Fire Detection

This is the comprehensive intake mechanism for all information vital to PyroSense's platform. Its purpose is to gather real-time data, from multiple origins, ensuring the system has the input needed for accurate analysis and effective decision-making. 

PyroSense integrates an agnostic and highly compatible array of data:

  1. Environmental IoT Sensors are strategically deployed, and continuously collect real-time CO2, temp. and humidity data. They are agnostic in type and protocol, compatible with MQTT, LoRa, Sigfox, and NBIoT, ensuring broad integration. For efficiency, they feature long-lasting batteries (up to 10 years), minimising maintenance.  

  2. Fixed cameras and drones capture high-resolution images and live video. Integrated Vision AI processes this visual data in real-time to detect anomalies like smoke or fire. 

  3. PyroSense gathers data from local weather stations and satellites. Combining granular local data with broad satellite coverage provides a comprehensive understanding of current weather.

  4. GIS provides foundational spatial information, including maps of terrain, vegetation,  infrastructure, etc. 

  5. Firemen Wearables monitor real-time biometrics. AI enhances data for risk pattern recognition, of fatigue or heat stress. Real-time alerts are sent to nearby teams or control centers, enabling proactive intervention.

  • Reliable Sensor Deployment: Sensors should be strategically placed, well-installed, ensuring continuous data collection and security.
  • Data Stream Integration: Integrating data from various sensors, cameras, drones, and meteorological sources is crucial for situational awareness.
  • Data Quality and Calibration: Ensure all data sources are calibrated and high quality to avoid false alarms.  
  • Secure Data Transmission: A strong communication is vital for secure, low-latency data transfer from remote locations.

The diversity and agnosticism of data sources are critical for comprehensive and resilient fire detection. Relying on a single type of sensor or communication protocol creates vulnerabilities. The ability to integrate data from various IoT sensors, visual feeds (cameras, drones), meteorological data, and even human biometrics provides a robust, multi-layered detection system that significantly reduces false positives and increases detection accuracy.

  • The platform must be software and hardware agnostic.
  • Cybersecurity and intercommunication are crucial.

A significant challenge was ensuring seamless interoperability between different sensor types and communication protocols (e.g., MQTT, LoRa, Sigfox, NBIoT) from various manufacturers. As well as, maintaining connectivity in remote, terrains for all sensor types was also an ongoing effort, despite long battery life.

  • Design your system to be compatible with multiple IoT communication protocols from the outset. 
  • Develop algorithms for data validation and fusion to cross-reference information from disparate sources.
  • Consider hybrid communication solutions (e.g., satellite for remote areas)
Whale-watching tour operators

Whale-watching tour operators

Willingness to participate. 

Love for the Marine Reserve. 

Make the tour operators ve a part of it. 

Technology

SMART Conservation Tool software

Plant Propagation: increased efficiency with improved collecting techniques

Once plants have been collected, they are transferred to our conservation nursery for propagation, or to our seed lab for viability testing and storage. We are seeing increased effectiveness of these methods with freshly collected seeds and cuttings making it quickly to our staff. As many of these individual plants were not previously known, these actions boost the genetic diversity of ex-situ collections, providing a safe place in the face of environmental degradation.

Previously, botanists would need to scale the remote cliff environments where these species occur, making conservation collections difficult and time-consuming to collect and transfer back to nursery staff for propagation. With the Mamba mechanism, collections are quickly collected and transferred to the nursery. 

Fresh cuttings and seeds have a higher success rate in propagation.

 

Drone Collection: Using a drone-based robotic arm to collect inaccessible plants

The Mamba tool allows us to collect plant material via seeds or cuttings from endangered species that we have identified and mapped in the previous building block. This tool has an effective range well over 1000m, making even the most inaccessible areas available for management actions. 

The development of this tool by experienced robotics engineers, expedited the conservation of many species by field staff at the National Tropical Botanical Garden and partners at the Plant Extinction Prevention Program. The Mamba has an interchangeable head system that provides customizable collecting depending on the target species and the type of material necessary for conservation. Many of the components of this mechanism are 3D-printed, which is cost-effective and flexible for speedy development processes. The Mamba is built with readily available drone components which also reduces the cost and building time. The development of this tool was undertaken by P.h.D students, and integrates state of the art hardware and software solutions specifically designed for this application.

When undertaking a project of this type, it is critical to have the proper pairing of experienced field staff with professional robotics engineers, as both parties provide crucial information to guide both development and effective conservation considerations. It is worth noting that the development process was iterative, leaving space for testing and revising the design, and ultimately allowing for deployment of a well-functioning and highly useful tool. 

Drone Survey: location, mapping, and inventory of remote plant populations

Drone tools have been instrumental as a first step in the assessment of cliff floras. Using drones to get unique viewpoints of these environments, we can now map the distribution and abundance of critically endangered endemic cliff species and expedite their conservation. Field surveys have been conducted in Hawaii, the Republic of Palau, and Madeira (Portugal) with extremely positive results.

As drone technology has improved and progressed, this survey methodology has become accessible to a range of conservation practitioners. High-resolution camera sensors allow the identification of a range of plants, from large trees to small herbaceous organisms. Drone pilots can now expect to conduct up to 45 minutes of survey time in a single flight due to increased battery capacity. Usability improvements from software refinements make drones safe and effecient for beginners to use, increasing the uptake of this technology by conservation practitioners.  Most importantly, as drones have become more widely available, the associated costs have been reduced, making them an amazing tool for a range of applications  

Drone are effective tools for the location and inventory of critically endangered species, especially in difficult-to-access environments like cliffs or tree canopies.  Assessment of cliff habitats will be critical to species conservation in these areas, as baseline knowledge of where species occur can guide conservation actions, and help prioritize landscape protection.

Gender integration in conservation

This gender integration initiative embeds gender analysis into every aspect of conservation project planning, implementation, and evaluation. It ensures that women’s roles, needs, and aspirations, particularly in natural resource management and ecosystem restoration, are recognized and addressed. A key component is providing targeted training in sustainable practices that boost household food security and foster environmental stewardship.

Women are empowered to assume leadership roles as community leaders, educators, and advocates for sustainable resource management. This enhances their participation in decision-making, particularly where resource management impacts their livelihoods and local ecosystems. Facilitating their engagement in governance structures ensures that conservation strategies are inclusive and equitable.

Women also play a critical role in reducing human-wildlife conflicts, especially with jaguars in the Cerrado. By sharing knowledge of sustainable land-use practices, they help design conflict-mitigation strategies, such as “jaguar-proof” livestock enclosures or diversified livelihood approaches that reduce pressure on habitats. Integrating women’s perspectives into restoration efforts enhances biodiversity recovery and promotes social equity, making this approach transferable to conservation initiatives elsewhere.

Support from gender-focused organizations and collaborations with local women’s groups enhances participation, providing insights into the challenges and opportunities women face in conservation. These partnerships enable knowledge exchange, skill-building workshops, and the sharing of best practices, ensuring women’s voices are elevated and respected in conservation dialogues.

Institutional commitment to gender integration is pivotal. Agencies must prioritize gender equity through policies mandating the inclusion of gender considerations in conservation planning and implementation. This commitment can be demonstrated through allocating resources for gender training and establishing gender-focused programs.

A key lesson learned is that women possess unique knowledge and skills critical to managing and sustaining local ecosystems. For example, women frequently play primary roles in managing household resources, and their traditional ecological knowledge informs effective conservation and habitat restoration strategies. Empowering women enhances environmental outcomes and community resilience.

When women are equipped with tools, training, and leadership opportunities, they become essential agents of change, driving positive environmental and social transformations. This empowerment often leads to improved health, education, and economic conditions.

Involving women in conservation highlights their potential to mediate and reduce human-wildlife conflict, enabling coexistence between communities and jaguars, crucial for long-term conservation success. Integrating gender considerations into conservation strategies creates a community of practice embracing diverse perspectives. This approach fosters ownership and agency within communities, improving the effectiveness and longevity of conservation efforts, and motivating both women and men to protect and sustain their natural resources.

Collaborative land management planning

The collaborative land management planning initiative creates comprehensive plans to conserve jaguar habitats while considering the livelihoods of local communities. It emphasizes participatory processes that actively involve all stakeholders: local community members, government agencies, NGOs, and wildlife conservation experts. Interactive workshops encourage participants to share insights on land use, conservation priorities, and resource management. These workshops serve both as platforms for gathering input and promoting awareness of jaguar conservation’s critical role within the broader ecosystem.

A key component is the inclusion of biodiversity assessments to systematically evaluate ecosystem health, focusing on jaguar populations and their habitats. Socio-economic factors -such as agricultural practices, local economic dependencies, and cultural values - are also considered to ensure plans are both ecologically and socially sustainable. A multi-stakeholder committee is established to ensure the effectiveness and longevity of these strategies. This committee fosters ongoing dialogue and provides mechanisms for adapting plans as environmental and social conditions evolve. This participatory, adaptive approach ensures a harmonious coexistence between jaguar habitats and sustainable economic activities, and is transferable to other regions facing similar land-use challenges.

Successful facilitation relies on several enabling factors. First, skilled moderators are essential to guide stakeholder workshops, ensuring equitable participation and synthesizing diverse viewpoints into actionable strategies. Access to accurate, comprehensive data on current land use is also crucial to underpin informed decision-making and identify areas for conservation action.

Legal frameworks supporting community land rights are fundamental for empowering local stakeholders to engage meaningfully in planning. These frameworks legitimize community claims and enable their active participation in conservation initiatives. Neutral mediators can be instrumental in resolving conflicts and fostering collaborative environments, especially where agricultural and conservation interests intersect. Together, these factors build trust, promote transparency, and forge strong partnerships among communities, governments, and conservation organizations—essential elements for the sustainable management of jaguar habitats.

Stakeholders from diverse backgrounds contribute valuable knowledge about local ecological conditions, cultural values, and land-use practices, leading to more robust and adaptable management strategies. This inclusivity strengthens relationships between communities and governance structures, fostering greater buy-in and ownership of conservation initiatives.

A key lesson is that land management plans must be dynamic rather than static. Regularly revisiting and adapting these plans in response to ecological shifts -such as changes in jaguar populations, land use, or climate - is essential to ensure relevance and effectiveness. Flexibility enables timely responses to emerging challenges, enhancing conservation outcomes.

Finally, we learned that building strong, trust-based relationships among stakeholders fosters a collective commitment to preserving natural resources. This ensures that jaguar conservation remains a central priority in land management planning and provides a model that can be replicated in other landscapes facing similar conservation and development pressures.