Description

In the light of ongoing pollinator declines and their exceptional relevance for human food security, economy, and the functioning of ecosystems, the EU Pollinators Initiative (revised in 2023) has defined ‘establishing a comprehensive monitoring system’ as its first action. A European-wide Pollinator Monitoring Scheme (EU PoMS) is currently piloted (SPRING project), which will represent a stronghold of transnational pollinator monitoring, though several major gaps remain. Modern technologies, such as robotics, computer vision, and molecular methods, can complement such approaches to help overcome key monitoring gaps by increasing taxonomic and geographic coverage, speed, accuracy, content and efficiency of identification, and temporal resolution. However, technology readiness differs among available tools and further research is needed to design, advance and adapt technology towards integrated transnational pollinator monitoring – together with context-specific guidance on how to best combine approaches based on their synergistic value and cost- efficiency. Also, integrated information from different monitoring approaches (‘traditional’ and novel) need to inform near real-time early warning systems to allow for adaptive monitoring, conservation, and restoration interventions.

The overarching goal of ANTENNA is to fill key monitoring gaps through advancing innovative technologies that will underpin and complement EU-wide pollinator monitoring schemes, and to provide tested transnational pipelines from monitoring activities to curated datasets and enhanced indicators that support pollinator-relevant policy and end-users.

Funding

BiodivERsA
February 2024 to February 2027

Principal Investigators

• Oliver Schweiger

Official website

https://pollinators-antenna.eu/