Image Credit: Jayden Skelly ©

Map of Life

Rapid Assessments

The MOLRA approach employs a fleet of semi-autonomous UAVs to collect audio, visual, and eDNA samples from a study site without ever needing to step foot in the site itself. Our surveys are supported by the global Map of Life biodiversity data and modeling engine, a suite of machine learning and AI models and innovative eDNA processing methods, and the combined knowledge and experience of a team that has been studying rainforests and biodiversity for decades.

Our Impact

Map of Life (MOL) global biodiversity indicators have been formally adopted by the CBD Global Biodiversity Framework, and MOL's online reporting tools are used by >100,000 visitors annually.
At rainforest sites in Peru, Guyana, and Brazil, nearly 2,000 species have been genetically sequenced, with new unique marker sequences for hundreds.
A MOLRA spin-off facilitated by Yale Ventures to support survey projects with a wide range of partners has received the 2024 Yale Faculty Innovation Award.
Field Surveys
MOLRA's field tech has now been used with local partners to survey over a dozen separate rainforest locations, resulting in >10,000 records of >1000 species identified and mapped over >1,000ha from acoustic, visual, and eDNA.
Policy Impact
MOLRA continent-wide 1km resolution, model-based biodiversity expectations are being used by the Guyanese government and regional NGOs as technical support for Indigenous land title extension requests and for conservation management

The MOLRA Dashboard

Linking all our technologies and data with collaborators and end users is the MOLRA Dashboard, a dedicated online platform for sharing survey results and insights and engaging with identification experts and the local community. The MOLRA dashboard facilitates rapid and collaborative review of our samples and their predicted IDs, culminating in a robust, quality-controlled final species list. Accompanying this species list is a suite of additional biodiversity insights drawn from the Map of Life global databases, including species conservation status and the broader regional and global significance of the study site.

Our Team

Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University Team Lead
Professor of Ecology, Evolution, and Natural Resources at Rutgers University EDNA Team Lead
Senior Conservation Ecologist at the Field Museum of Natural History EXPERT ENGAGEMENT AND IPLC LEAD
Associate Professor of Genetics at the Federal University of Amazonas EDNA Team Lead

Collaborate

We currently offer three levels of project partnership:

MAP OF LIFE ENGINE ONLY
  • Fully remote, no local data collection required
  • Delivers a local biodiversity expectation across terrestrial vertebrates, trees, and soon select invertebrate groups
  • Provides insights including standardized metrics and indicators on conservation status, trends, and global significance of locally occurring species
MOLRA
"IN A BOX"
  • All of the previous, plus:
  • Delivers the audiovisual UAV solution “in-a-box” complete with access to our AI models, expert validation, and the MOLRA Dashboard
  • Requires local on-the-ground technicians for minimal operation
FULL MOLRA INVENTORY
  • All of the previous, plus:
  • We send a small team to assist or lead survey efforts
  • Optional inclusion of the eDNA survey and analysis component

Interested in partnering or collaborating with us? Reach out to our team manager, Alex Killion, at [email protected]