Media Tip Sheet: AI in ecology at ESA’s 2026 Annual Meeting
Featured presentations at the 111th Annual Meeting of the Ecological Society of America in Salt Lake City, Utah
June 25, 2026
For Immediate Release
Contact: Mayda Nathan, mayda@esa.org
Artificial intelligence is increasingly becoming part of the ecological toolkit, helping researchers analyze large environmental datasets, uncover patterns in complex systems and develop new approaches to environmental research. As scientists gather for this year’s Ecological Society of America (ESA) Annual Meeting (July 26 –31) in Salt Lake City, Utah, presentations across the program will examine how ecologists are adapting AI technologies for use in the study and stewardship of natural systems.
Featured presentations explore topics ranging from automated wildlife monitoring and biodiversity observation networks to forecasting invasive species spread, assessing disease risk and improving food security monitoring. Scientists will also examine the foundations needed to make these approaches successful, including the development of AI-ready ecological data infrastructure and new methods for integrating ecological expertise with machine learning. As AI capabilities continue to expand, ecologists are exploring both how these tools can accelerate discovery and what is needed to apply them effectively in research and conservation.
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, July 27
| 3:30 PM – 5:00 PM MT | Building an AI-Ready Ecology and Biodiversity Data Infrastructure for Science and Action Presenters: Eric Sokol, National Ecological Observatory Network, Batelle; Max Tarjan, NatureServe; Hilmar Lapp, Neuromatch; Jenny Grabmeier, The Ohio State University; Tanya Berger-Wolf, The Ohio State University; Arnab Nandi, The Ohio State University; Katherine Thibault, National Ecological Observatory Network, Batelle; Michael Elliott; University of Florida; Jenna Kline, The Ohio State University; Alyson East, University of Maine Symposium |
| 3:30 PM – 5:00 PM MT | Camera traps and Computer Vision untangle the impacts of climate and time on the activity of desert ants Presenters: Ofir Levy, Tel Aviv University; Stark Gavin, German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv); Nathan Urinovsky, Tel Aviv University; Omer Ben Zohar, Tel Aviv University; Moni Shahar, Tel Aviv University Contributed Oral Presentation |
| 3:30 PM – 5:00 PM MT | Leveraging YOLO and UAS for Autonomous Wildlife Monitoring Presenters: Kyle J. Paulekas, Idaho State University; Donna J. Delparte, Idaho State University; Julie Heath, Boise State University; Leslie J. Kirby, Idaho State University; Tim Andrews, Boise State University; Gabriel Ory, Idaho State University Contributed Oral Presentation |
Tuesday, July 28
| 8:00 AM – 9:30 AM MT | Collaborative conservation planning with AI decision-support tools Presenter: Cassie Buhler, University of Colorado Boulder; Carl Boettiger, University of California, Berkeley Contributed Oral Presentation |
| 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM MT | AI for Ecology: Accelerating Discoveries, Reducing Uncertainties, and Scaling Solutions Presenters: Cibele Amaral, Earth Lab and ESIIL, CIRES, University of Colorado Boulder; Jennifer Balch, University of Colorado Boulder Special Session |
| 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM MT | Cost-effective spatial management to slow invasive species spread using deep reinforcement learning Presenters: Jean-Nicolas Lang, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem; Adam Lampert, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem Contributed Oral Presentation |
| 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM MT | Automated “photobooths for moths” reveal pesticide impacts on moth abundance and diversity at landscape scales Presenters: Tessa A. Rhinehart, University of Pittsburgh; Michael Bunsen, Mila – Quebec Artificial Intelligence Institute; Betsy Leppo, Western Pennsylvania Conservancy; Lauren M. Chronister, University of Pittsburgh; Jeffery L. Larkin, Indiana University of Pennsylvania; American Bird Conservancy; Justin Kitzes, University of Pittsburgh Contributed Oral Presentation |
| 1:30 PM – 3:00 PM MT | AI can synthesize ecological concepts, but can our students? Presenter: Natasha Woods, Moravian University Inspire Session |
| 5:00 PM – 6:30 PM MT | Food security monitoring: the implication of artificial intelligence Presenters: Ernsuze Declama, Florida A&M University; Anandhi Aavudai, Florida A&M University Poster Presentation |
| 5:00 PM – 6:30 PM MT | A Physics-Informed Neural Controlled Differential Equation Model for Satellite-Based Indoor Wildfire Smoke Prediction Presenters: Yanrui (Kevin) Li, University Of Toronto Poster Presentation |
Wednesday, July 29
| 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM MT | Technological Innovation for Biodiversity Monitoring Networks Across Scales Presenters: Nicole Wonderlin, University of Texas Austin; Joy Richardson, University of Texas Austin; Brendan Allison, University of Texas Austin; Andrea Contina, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley; James Crall, University of Wisconsin–Madison; Lauren Gillespie, University of Michigan/Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Jeffrey Kelley, University of Oklahoma; Justin Kitzes, University of Pittsburgh Organized Oral Session |
| 5:00 PM – 6:30 PM MT | Digitizing and Mapping Historical Bird Elevational Niches in the Sierra Nevada Presenters: Bryan Badway, UC Santa Cruz; Haruna Krumholz, UC Santa Cruz; Reza Goljani Amirkhiz, UC Santa Cruz; Erika Zavaleta, UC Santa Cruz Poster Presentation |
| 5:00 PM – 6:30 PM MT | Can drone imagery be used to define harems in northern elephant seals? Presenters: Gabriella T. Corneille, University of California, Santa Cruz; Zabe Premo, University of California, Santa Cruz; Seri Aldana, University of California, Santa Cruz; Linda Bonilla, University of California, Santa Cruz; Arly Orona, University of California, Santa Cruz; Molly H. McEntee, University of California, Santa Cruz; Allison R. Payne, University of California, Santa Cruz; Patrick W. Robinson, University of California, Santa Cruz; Roxanne S. Beltran, University of California, Santa Cruz Poster Presentation |
Thursday, July 30
| 8:00 AM – 9:30 AM MT | Community dynamics of the North American bird migration system Presenters: Yangkang Chen, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign; Daniel Fink, Cornell Lab of Ornithology; Emily B. Cohen, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science; Jeffrey Buler, University of Delaware; Nur Annis Hidayati, University of Delaware; Benjamin M. Van Doren, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Contributed Oral Presentation |
| 1:30 PM – 3:00 PM MT | Light-blocking effect of clouds on bird behavior varies latitudinally Presenters: Bailey P. McLaughlin, Oklahoma State University; Neil A. Gilbert, Oklahoma State University; Brent Pease, Southern Illinois University Contributed Oral Presentation |
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Learn more about the upcoming ESA Annual Meeting, July 26–31, on the meeting website.
ESA invites press and institutional public information officers to attend for free. To register, please contact ESA Public Affairs Manager Mayda Nathan directly at mayda@esa.org.
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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