"Uncharted Territories: AI Reveals Monkeys' Avoidance Patterns through Enhanced Audio Monitoring"
Researchers from Imperial College London have used AI-enhanced audio monitoring to study the behavior of Geoffroy's spider monkeys in Costa Rica. The study found that the monkeys are not found in areas with less than 80% forest cover and within one kilometer of a paved main road. The research highlights the importance of identifying thresholds for threatened species and provides valuable information for conservation strategies. The use of passive acoustic monitoring, combined with AI technology, allowed the researchers to analyze 35,805 hours of audio in just eight weeks, significantly speeding up the study process. The findings emphasize the negative impact of forest loss and road construction on monkey habitats and underscore the need for targeted conservation efforts.
