The Brazilian Government launches the Victoria Regia Floating Laboratory and real-time monitoring in the Mamirauá Reserve

Brazil inaugurated the Vitória-Regia Satellite Laboratory and the Providence Project in the Mamirauá Sustainable Development Reserve, located in the Amazon. The reserve is now the 1st conservation unit in the world to have its biodiversity fully monitored in an automated manner.

The real time automated monitoring of biodiversity in the Mamirauá Reserve by the Brazilian Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation is part of the Providence Project, an international cooperation project funded by the Government of Brazil and the Moore Foundation.

The Mamirauá Reserve covers over 1.1 million acres and is located in the region along the Solimões River basin, in the state of Amazonas. Biodiversity will be monitored by a network of hidden cameras and microphones, automating the investigation of fauna and identification of species.

The system was installed in terrestrial video and audio modules and is capable of identifying several species, including birds, mammals and reptiles. Identification is performed visually and aurally. The system will be powered entirely by solar energy.

This equipment will record, recognize, understand and classify species through 20 autonomous modules that perform analysis and send the information to a satellite in real time. The idea is to publicize this data and bring people closer to the biodiversity of the Amazon.

Providence will be the Big Brother of Brazilian biodiversity and will allow researchers to have quick answers about what is currently happening. It will also allow for scientific research, training of human resources, and support research activities in different areas.