Scientists Look for New Species From Space
Reported by John Roach and written by Patrick Abbott
National Geographic Kids News
September 30, 2005
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Conservation scientists have recruited satellites to help discover and protect unknown species before they disappear.
Satellites can collect information on the vegetation, climate, and terrain of remote and unexplored regions, explained Christopher Raxworthy, an associate curator at the American Museum of Natural History.
Scientists take the information from satellites and compare it with information about where known types of animals live. By examining the data, scientists can predict regions where new species are most likely to be found. The new method could help eliminate some of the guesswork involved with conservation.
To prove the technique works, Raxworthy and other scientists are using satellite information to confirm the location of animals on the island of Madagascar, located off the east coast of Africa. Madagascar is considered a biodiversity hot spot. Great numbers of species call the island home, and they are under constant assault from human activity.
This satellite image shows the southern tip of Madagascar, an African island nation. Images like this one might help scientists pinpoint areas where threatened animals may thrive.
Satellite image courtesy NASA
There are several reasons why the use of satellite technology in conservation is becoming more common. Images from space are cheaper so more groups can use them. Also, scientists can now take GPS (global positioning system) receivers to record precise locations of where they make observations.
Using satellite data, scientists can analyze larger areas "in ways you couldn't with information gained on foot or by driving a car," said Woody Turner, a scientist with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
The use of satellite images may help scientists quickly decide where to look for endangered animals, which could save some very rare species. "Habitat loss in many regions is occurring so fast that some species may be lost before we find them," Raxworthy wrote in an e-mail to National Geographic News.