Open-Source, Low-Cost Tools for Environmental and Behavioral Monitoring

Synopsis Unprecedented changes to the natural world necessitate high volumes of data to characterize environmental changes and understand the behavioral and physiological responses of animals in these changing environments. Recent technological advances in electronics, material science, cameras, and artificial intelligence offer multiple platforms to collect extremely detailed environmental and behavioral data. However, the broader adoption of these emerging technologies is limited by many factors. Open-source technologies can provide a path forward to unlocking the potential of these new technologies for conservation science. This special issue of Integrative and Comparative Biology aims to highlight current trends and the novel application of open-source tools. The papers in this issue demonstrate the diversity of emerging tools and how these tools can be applied to address many different research needs. Together, these studies illustrate the scope and breadth of tools available and elucidate how open-source approaches can increase the accessibility of these tools. As habitats, ecosystems, and environmental conditions continue to change, data collection is a priority so researchers and conservation practitioners can assess how species and communities are impacted. Through this special issue, a path towards an accessible modern data collection landscape is called for – increased institutional and governmental support to develop open-source platforms and increased collaborations among ecologists and engineers can help to produce more accessible, useful, affordable, and high-quality monitoring tools.