In response to the escalating issues of climate change and biodiversity loss, Conservation X Labs, in collaboration with the Yale Biotech Club (YBC), organized the 2024 YBC Datathon. This event united data-driven minds across Yale to explore and analyze extensive datasets to devise actionable strategies addressing these twin crises. The theme for the datathon was "Combating the twin crises of climate change and biodiversity loss: using data to drive change," prompting participants to delve into data spanning biodiversity, climate trends, and human interventions.
Twin Crises: Climate Change and Biodiversity Loss
Our planet faces urgent challenges with climate change and biodiversity loss, both of which are intertwined and impact global ecosystems, species, and communities. The Datathon provided a vital platform for participants to investigate these issues deeply, using data analysis to uncover new insights and drive societal change.
Goals: Driving Action Through Data
The ultimate goal of the Datathon was to empower participants to use these datasets to propose innovative, data-driven solutions to the extinction crisis. By integrating diverse data—from ecological records to public opinions—teams developed comprehensive strategies that addressed environmental challenges in interconnected ways.
Thematic Areas and Datasets for Analysis
The Datathon focused on three critical areas using comprehensive datasets:
Biodiversity in U.S. National Parks: Participants accessed detailed records of flora and fauna from sources like Kaggle and the National Park Service, analyzing ecological health and species movements over time. Additional data from the IUCN Red List and the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) helped further analyze biodiversity trends.
Climate Trends and Impacts: Participants leveraged detailed climate data from NOAA, including temperature and precipitation records, to study local and regional climate trends and their effects on different habitats and species.
Public Opinion on Climate Issues: Using the Yale Climate Opinion Maps, participants examined how public perceptions of climate change vary and how these perceptions might influence conservation and climate action.
The “Reimagining Keystone Species team receiving their “Reinventing Conservation” Award.
The Solutions
The event culminated in a 36-hour challenge where teams from various Yale schools presented their solutions, competing for a total prize pool of $1,500. Highlights included:
EcoPath Solutions: A team from the Yale School of the Environment devised EcoPath, a tool that identifies potential migration corridors to address habitat loss and fragmentation due to climate change. It integrates robust data analysis to aid land managers in enhancing connectivity and habitat quality.
Protection Shortfall Index: This index ranks national parks by conservation needs based on a series of calculations that consider species abundance, risk, and public attitudes towards climate change, aiming to optimize conservation efforts where they are most needed.
Reimagining Keystone Species: This project highlighted the importance of keystone species in ecosystems, particularly their roles in carbon sequestration. The team proposed using advanced data analytics and ecological modeling to optimize rewilding efforts focused on these critical species.
Other Finalist Solutions
Other notable projects included analyses on the impacts of climate change on endangered species, the relationship between pesticide use and bird populations, and the development of a novel biodiversity measurement called the "Corgi Index" for assessing the ecological health of national parks.
