Technology protects biodiversity: TU Clausthal starts new project!

Technology protects biodiversity: TU Clausthal starts new project!

The Clausthal University of Technology launched the innovative BioIntAkt project on June 12, 2025. This project aims to optimize the recording and analysis of biodiversity in ecosystems through ecoacoustics. The sounds of insects are used as important indicators for monitoring biodiversity.

BioIntAkt is carried out in collaboration with six partners, including the TU Hamburg, the Julius Kühn Institute and the University of Göttingen. The coordination of the project is in the hands of Prof. Andreas Reinhardt at the Institute for Computer Science at Clausthal University of Technology. This collaboration is an essential step in combating the alarming threat to biodiversity in Germany, where almost a third of animal and plant species are threatened.

Goals and challenges of ecoacoustics

As emphasized in the initial announcement, biodiversity plays a crucial role in the balance and sustainability of ecosystems. The causes of the threat are diverse and range from air and water pollution to climate change and the use of insecticides. By detecting changes in biodiversity at an early stage, BioIntAkt is also intended to help support agricultural decisions.

A central element of the project is the use of artificial intelligence (AI). This technology is used to improve species monitoring and reduce the time required. However, a significant problem remains the detection of quiet noises, which are often overshadowed by background noise. In order to address this, innovative methods should be developed, as acoustic biodiversity monitoring has so far been little researched.

The project duration is three years and the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) is funding BioIntAkt with around 2.1 million euros. Of this sum, 380,000 euros are earmarked for the Clausthal University of Technology. The initiative receives funding as part of the FEdA, which includes a total of 39 projects with support of up to 200 million euros.

Ecoacoustics and modern technologies

In addition to this project, research in the field of ecoacoustics shows that each animal has its own acoustic niche, which makes it possible to analyze biodiversity and the health of ecosystems without the need to intervene in nature. Anton Baotic, a leading expert at the Institute for Sound Research at the Austrian Academy of Sciences, studies this methodology. In projects such as the Breitenlee marshalling yard in Vienna, acoustic monitoring is used to investigate the effects of human activities on wildlife.

Modern technologies, including autonomous audio recorders, continuously record animal sounds, forming a valuable acoustic archive. These data can provide important scientific recommendations for the protection of urban habitats.

Overall, the funding of projects like BioIntAkt shows that AI and digitalization offer promising solutions to the challenges in nature conservation. Exciting perspectives are opening up, particularly in the areas of automated species recording and the analysis of biological data.

Funding from the BMBF for projects on the application of AI in biodiversity research is a future-oriented step that can have a decisive impact on the support and development of scientific approaches to preserving biodiversity. Promoting and participating in international exchange on these topics is therefore crucial in order to develop and implement effective protective measures.

For further information on this topic, we refer to the reports from TU Clausthal, the Austrian Academy of Sciences as well as the BMBF research initiative.