The Shift to a Bird's-Eye View
By Elizabeth M. P. Madin, Catherine M. Foley
Remote sensing technologies allow researchers to track small changes on a large scale and enable studies of far-flung places from the comfort and safety of home.
This Article From Issue
September-October 2021
Volume 109, Number 5
Page 288
There was a period in my life when my job title might as well have been professional fish watcher. Every day, I (Madin) would wake up, head out to a coral reef, and watch fish. Endless numbers of fish. Traveling halfway across the world to the remote Line Islands archipelago in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, I would spend days and weeks floating in the clear waters above the reef, recording details such as the exact number of bites a tiny fish takes. Imagine counting how many times a chicken pecks at the ground; it was a bit like that.
QUICK TAKE
- Satellite images and other remote sensing technologies can provide information about global shifts and tiny phenomena—both the proverbial forest and the trees.
- These methods enable researchers to virtually visit regions that would otherwise be inaccessible, either because of the difficulty of travel or because of potential danger.
- During the COVID-19 pandemic, remote sensing and monitoring technologies allowed researchers to continue their work while maintaining a safe social distance.
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