Assessing how environmental systems and assets are represented digitally across the planet

Automated biodiversity monitoring has the potential to fill key gaps in biodiversity assessments and improve tracking of conservation effectiveness. However, the majority of current monitoring systems remain unable to provide information at the species level, and those that do often have extensive taxonomic biases. Addressing these biases to improve monitoring will require developing or enhancing “digital assets” - monitoring products created with automated technology. The creation of new digital assets requires innovation spanning disciplines from engineering and manufacturing to data science and conservation. This workshop will facilitate that innovation by convening cross-sector participants to identify key barriers and potential solutions to improving the taxonomic coverage of digital assets. We plan to focus on challenges across taxonomic groups as well as groups underrepresented with automated monitoring (arthropods, marine animals) or with low taxonomic resolution (plants).