Biodiversa+ continued its capacity-building webinar series with a new session dedicated to the use and deployment of novel technologies for biodiversity monitoring across Europe. Held on 30 October 2025, the webinar focused on how remote sensing can enhance biodiversity monitoring and data collection across multiple spatial scales, offering an accessible overview of available methods and their practical applications.

One of the featured speakers was Maria J. Santos from the University of Zurich, a representative of OBSGESSION. She introduced the foundations of remote sensing and traced its rapid evolution. From basic vegetation indices to today’s diverse suite of sensors, including optical systems, LiDAR, and SAR. Santos emphasised imaging spectroscopy, highlighting its ability to measure important biodiversity traits, such as species composition, foliar chemistry, detecting invasive species, and supporting a deeper understanding of ecosystem processes. Alongside these opportunities, she noted key challenges, including limited field data, the need for improved uncertainty assessment, and the importance of adopting more causal ecological approaches to better understand biodiversity change. Santos, in her presentation, gave an overview of the EBV production pipeline in the OBSGESSION project.

“We want to produce EBV enabling data cubes […] We want to combine data cubes of in situ observations that include citizen science, to produce data cubes of observations as well as remote sensing products - direct observations from space, airborne, or experimental in situ observations, […] and then derive eventually biodiversity products that will enable the development of these essential biodiversity variables.”

 he second presentation, delivered by Sara Wiman from the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency, shared insights and preliminary findings from the Biodiversa+ Habitat pilot, a transnational initiative comparing remote-sensing techniques across participating European countries.

Following the presentations, participants engaged in an interactive Q&A and discussion session with the speakers. Unlike highly technical seminars, this webinar aimed to provide an accessible entry point into remote-sensing approaches and explore how these tools can be effectively applied to biodiversity monitoring and management.

Watch the full webinar here.