Introduction
It is important to note that modern technological advancements in Big Data have shown a range of useful and powerful applicability in many areas, such as humanity’s efforts to save endangered species. Big Data essentially refers to novel ways of analyzing complex sets of large pieces of data to derive a strong statistical power in predicting and monitoring key patterns and trends to implement solutions. Big Data can be a highly effective tool in saving endangered species in environmental governance and spreading ecological awareness.
Discussion
One of the major challenges associated with the endangerment of species is their loss of habitat due to increasing human influence and intrusion deeper into the intricate environments of vulnerable species. Evidence suggests that “environmental Big Data is now a key actor within the networks that constitute and enact environmental governance” (Ascui et al., 2018, p. 905). In other words, due to the sheer scale of data involved in knowing the placement, location, number of species, and quantity of species members, Big Data can transform this unpredictability into predictable environmental governance. In addition, it is stated that “open-source big data analysis can inform effective dissemination of ecological awareness and provides a framework for … investigating behavioral change” (Fernandez-Bellon & Kane, 2019, p. e12678). Thus, it offers a way to raise awareness among the public on the real-time behavior of the endangered species by providing access to their movement and other behavioral metrics.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Big Data can be a highly potent tool in saving endangered species through environmental governance as well as ecological awareness spreading efforts. Environmental governance can benefit from Big Data by changing the unpredictable nature of the movement, location, and numbers of endangered species into a statistically predictably viable one. Ecological awareness can be massively increased as well by engaging the public on a deeper level by providing people with real-time access to key behavioral data points.
References
Ascui, F., Haward, M., & Lovell, H. (2018). Salmon, sensors, and translation: The agency of Big Data in environmental governance. Environment and Planning D: Society and Space, 36(5), 905–925. Web.
Fernandez-Bellon, D., & Kane, A. (2019). Natural history films raise species awareness—A big data approach. Conservation Letters, 13(1), e12678. Web.