discussion / Latin America Community  / 15 October 2025

Exploring Ocean Biodiversity: A Multimodal Data Project Focused on the Humboldt Current

馃寠 Ongoing Project: Identifying Marine Biodiversity Hotspots Using Multimodal Data

Hello everyone! 馃憢
We鈥檙e currently developing a capstone project as part of the Harvard University Master鈥檚 in Data Science program. Our work integrates acoustic data, environmental DNA (eDNA), and satellite imagery from NASA鈥檚 PACE mission to identify marine biodiversity hotspots across the global ocean.

We鈥檝e prioritized the Humboldt Current region (Peru)鈥攁 highly productive and biodiverse ecosystem of global importance. By combining these different data sources, we aim to enhance our understanding of marine life distribution and support conservation and sustainable management efforts.

We鈥檇 love to connect with researchers, practitioners, and organizations in Latin America working with ocean acoustics, eDNA, or remote sensing to exchange knowledge and explore collaboration opportunities. 馃寧

馃寠 Proyecto en Implementaci贸n: Identificaci贸n de Hotspots de Biodiversidad Marina Usando Datos Multimodales

隆Hola a todos! 馃憢
Actualmente estamos desarrollando un proyecto capstone como parte de la Maestr铆a en Ciencia de Datos de la Universidad de Harvard. Nuestro trabajo integra datos ac煤sticos, ADN ambiental (eDNA) e im谩genes satelitales de la misi贸n PACE de la NASA para identificar zonas de alta biodiversidad marina en los oc茅anos del mundo.

Hemos priorizado la regi贸n de la Corriente de Humboldt (Per煤), un ecosistema altamente productivo y de gran relevancia global por su biodiversidad. Al combinar estas fuentes de datos complementarias, buscamos mejorar la comprensi贸n de la distribuci贸n de la vida marina y apoyar los esfuerzos de conservaci贸n y manejo sostenible.

Nos gustar铆a conectar con investigadores, profesionales y organizaciones en Am茅rica Latina que trabajen con ac煤stica oce谩nica, eDNA o teledetecci贸n, para intercambiar conocimientos y explorar posibles colaboraciones. 馃寧




Hello Jaqueline!!

 

I would like to recommend reaching out to Dr. Santiago Martinez Balvanera, a Mexican researcher currently based at University College London (UCL), who works on advancing machine learning techniques for acoustic biodiversity monitoring.

You can find more information about his background and work here:  

 

Ximena Velez-Zuazo
@xvelezuazo  | She/Her
Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute
Marine biodiversity scientist with experience in molecular ecology, evolution, and conservation. Currently studying marine biodiversity in Peru integrating traditional and emerging technologies. Research Associate with the Smithsonian NZCBI.

Hi Jaqueline, 

Great to learn about this project development, and based in Peru. Our research group is based in Peru, and we integrate diverse technologies to monitor and assess biodiversity, advancing marine sciences and conservation. Our main ongoing and long-term project is on the central coast of Peru (www.bmap.pe). I would be interested in learning more and discussing potential collaboration opportunities. 

Hi Jaqueline, 

It's great to hear about this project. I'm from the eDNA Collaborative at the University of Washington. We'd love to connect with you at some point. We have a growing network of eDNA researchers from around the world and I'd love to learn more about your work. 

Please feel free to reach out to me at [email protected]

Shana Hirsch