Media Tip Sheet: Artificial Intelligence at #ESA2025

Posted by Public Affairs on July 17, 2025

Featured presentations at the 110^th Annual Meeting of the Ecological Society of America in Baltimore, Maryland

July 17, 2025
For immediate release

Contact: Mayda Nathan, (202) 833-8773 ext. 211, mayda@esa.org

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become an increasingly powerful tool in ecological research. From long-standing applications of machine learning to detect patterns in data to the emerging use of AI tools to automate data collection, ecologists are leveraging AI to tackle complex environmental questions at unprecedented scales.

At the Ecological Society of America’s upcoming Annual Meeting in Baltimore, Maryland (Aug. 10–15), researchers will present a wide range of AI-driven studies. Some focus on developing new tools and techniques, while others showcase AI’s application in the field, from identifying pollinators in images and monitoring bird calls to linking tree rings with climate data, improving forest inventories, tracking disease and predicting wetland biodiversity. These presentations represent just a fraction of the cutting-edge science being shared at a meeting that will bring together thousands of scientists from around the world.

ESA invites staff journalists, freelance journalists, student journalists and press officers to register for free as media attendees up to and throughout the week of the Annual Meeting. For eligibility information, please visit ESA’s press registration credential policy page.

Members of the media will have access to all scientific sessions at the conference and to a press room where they can enjoy refreshments, internet access, a printer and an interview area.

Monday, August 11

1:30PM–3:00PM	Using AI to Bridge Soil, Microbes, Plants, and the Atmosphere Organizers: Michael Ricketts, Argonne National Laboratory; Joshua Minai, Argonne National Laboratory; Pamela Weisenhorn, Argonne National Laboratory; Kathleen Beilsmith, Argonne National Laboratory Special Session – Hilton Holiday 3
1:30PM–3:00PM	Neural Network Approaches for Predicting Dengue Incidence in the Dominican Republic Presenter: Sahil Chindal, Virginia Commonwealth University Contributed Talk – BCC 339
3:30PM–5:00PM	Machine Learning Classification of Camera Trap Imagery Reveals Selective Foraging on Plant Parts with Implications for Plant Reproduction and Landscape Heterogeneity Presenter: Charles Lehnen, University of Southern California Contributed Talk – BCC 342

Tuesday, August 12

8:00AM–9:30AM	Climate conditions governing extreme low- and high-growth states in trees across the western United States Presenter: Kiona Ogle, Northern Arizona University Contributed Talk – BCC 350
8:00AM–9:30AM	Honey bees and native pollinators occupy distinct thermal niches in a spring-blooming crop Presenter: Nicole DesJardins, University of Wisconsin–Madison Contributed Talk – BCC 340
8:00AM–9:30AM	Flowers on film: A machine learning approach to investigating plant-pollinator interactions on Conservation Reserve Program land Presenter: Heather Poyner, Kansas State University Contributed Talk – BCC 340
10:00AM–11:30AM	AI-facilitated scientific discovery from big data and process-based modeling Presenter: Yiqi Luo, Cornell University Contributed Talk – BCC 336
1:30PM–3:00PM	Shaping the Future of Ocean Conservation: Harnessing Genomics, AI, and Remote Sensing to Monitor and Protect Marine Ecosystems Presenter: Shaili Johri, Stanford University Contributed Talk – BCC 342
5:00PM–6:30PM	Assessing the Ecological Impacts of Decreasing Water Levels in Lake Miccosukee, Florida Presenter: Christianah Adegboyega, Florida A&M University Contributed Poster – Exhibit Hall

Wednesday, August 13

8:00AM–9:30AM	Leveraging Artificial Intelligence and Low Cost Open Source Technology for Acoustic Monitoring of Bird Biodiversity Across Socioeconomic Gradients Presenter: Diego Ellis Soto, UC Berkeley Organized Oral Session – Hilton Key 11-12
10:00AM–11:30AM	A custom uncrewed aircraft system and AI model for automated detection of bats in thermal video Presenter: Molly (Riley) Knoedler, Western EcoSystem Technology, Inc. Contributed Talk – BCC 322
10:00AM–11:30AM	Advancements in non-invasive bat surveillance: Integrating thermal imagery and multi-object tracking machine learning models for censusing bats in diverse, human-made roost environments Presenter: Sarah Lagattuta, UC Davis Center for Pandemic Insights Contributed Talk – BCC 322
1:30PM–3:00PM	Application of lidar and machine learning for scalable forest inventory Presenter: Songlin Fei, Purdue University Contributed Talk – BCC 350
5:00PM–6:30PM	Multispectral imagery and machine learning for monitoring biocrusts: Key indicators of dryland health Presenter: Estelle Couradeau, Pennsylvania State University Contributed Poster – Exhibit Hall
5:00PM–6:30PM	Automating northern bobwhite call detection: A deep learning approach for conservation and bioacoustic monitoring Presenter: Yashwanth Reddy Pinnapu Reddy, University of Maryland Contributed Poster – Exhibit Hall
5:00PM–6:30PM	Using Machine Learning for Identifying Bird Communities and Species Richness across a 1000-acre Management Unit in Maryland Presenter: Evan Griffiths, University of Maryland Extension Contributed Poster – Exhibit Hall

Thursday, August 14

10:00AM–11:30AM	Ecological Insights into Wetland Biodiversity: Uncovering Environmental Drivers Through Machine Learning Presenter: Myeongheon Lee, Seoul National University Contributed Talk – BCC 322
1:30PM–3:00PM	Enhancing microclimate models with AI: from bias correction to spatial Interactions Presenter: Ofir Levy, Tel Aviv University Contributed Talk – BCC 344
1:30PM–3:00PM	Evaluating training datasets for Neltuma glandulosa (honey mesquite) detection in rangelands with random forest and remote sensing Presenter: Hailey Schmidt, Texas A&M University Contributed Talk – BCC 344
1:30PM–3:00PM	Canopy inequity persists beyond the urban core but its underlying drivers vary across a large metropolitan region Presenter: Lindsay Darling, Morton Arboretum Contributed Talk – BCC 349

On-site Press Room

Location: Room 330, Baltimore Convention Center, 1 W Pratt Street, Baltimore, MD 21201

Press Room hours:
Sunday, August 10: 12:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Monday, August 11: 7:00 am – 5:00 pm
Tuesday, August 12: 7:00 am – 5:00 pm
Wednesday, August 13: 7:00 am – 5:00 pm
Thursday, August 14: 7:00 am – 5:00 pm

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The Ecological Society of America, founded in 1915, is the world’s largest community of professional ecologists and a trusted source of ecological knowledge, committed to advancing the understanding of life on Earth. The 8,000 member Society publishes six journals and a membership bulletin and broadly shares ecological information through policy, media outreach and education initiatives. The Society’s Annual Meeting attracts 4,000 attendees and features the most recent advances in ecological science. Visit the ESA website at https://www.esa.org

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