BioSCape Awarded a NASA Group Achievement Award

Award Justification

The Biodiversity Survey of the Cape (BioSCape) is NASA’s first biodiversity-focused airborne and field campaign, conducted in South Africa’s Greater Cape Floristic Region. BioSCape captured ecosystem structure, function, and composition data using four NASA instruments on two aircraft, with over 150 scientists from more than 40 institutions, including government agencies, universities, and NGOs. BioSCape achieved precise, near-simultaneous observations, ositioning NASA’s Earth Science Division to advance biodiversity monitoring globally.

BioSCape’s collaboration across NASA centers (ARC, GSFC, JPL, JSC, and LaRC) generated a novel dataset supporting current and future satellite missions like SBG, EMIT, PACE, ECOSTRESS, and GEDI. The campaign’s partnerships with South African agencies, including CapeNature, South African National Parks (SANParks), the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI), and the South African Environmental Observation Network (SAEON), ensured the data would support both U.S. and South African conservation goals, advancing ecosystem management and aligning with global biodiversity frameworks.

Despite complex logistics, BioSCape adhered to schedule and budget, completing 16 research flights with the G-V and 22 with the G-III. Years of preparation and relationship-building with the U.S. State Department and South African agencies enabled seamless collaboration, helping BioSCape navigate geopolitical challenges without delays or budget impacts. The team leveraged funding from UNESCO and the South African National Research Foundation, alongside flights coordinated by SAEON to collect additional high-resolution imagery and LiDAR data. At the same time, contingency plans ensured continuity despite a potential U.S. government shutdown.

BioSCape contributed to global biodiversity monitoring, aligning with NASA’s Earth Science to Action objectives and South Africa’s conservation priorities. Its data and methods strengthen the scientific basis for biodiversity assessment, aiding government, university, and NGO members. South African organizations like SANBI, CapeNature, and SANParks are leaders in conservation efforts across Africa, and BioSCape’s outputs support these efforts, setting a model for other Southern African countries to follow. Post-campaign feedback showed 100% of surveyed science team members agreed BioSCape advanced scientific knowledge and was well-executed. Survey comments highlighted the “exceptional” coordination and communication by BioSCape leadership and the “important” networking facilitated among South African and international participants.

BioSCape introduced innovative data collection methods and a collaborative model for international research. BioSCape project was the first to integrate four remote sensors AVIRIS-NG, PRISM, HyTES, and LVIS on two NASA aircraft, creating a unique dataset valuable for upcoming missions like SBG. Additionally, BioSCape followed the Nagoya Protocol for international benefit-sharing and promoted “No Parachute Science” for equitable partnerships. Documenting these methods as lessons learned makes BioSCape a model for future campaigns prioritizing ethical and collaborative approaches. Two future NASA terrestrial ecology campaigns have already used BioSCape as a model in their scoping proposals. BioSCape also engaged the public through NASA’s SpaceApps hackathon, fostering a global community of biodiversity enthusiasts who developed applications for BioSCape data.

In summary, BioSCape successfully met NASA’s objectives by delivering high-quality data, fostering international partnerships, and practicing responsible collaboration. Through strong project management, engagement, and innovative data collection, BioSCape has created a valuable model for future international campaigns, advancing NASA’s efforts to address global biodiversity challenges from space. The campaign was supported by the NASA Earth Science Division and Woody Turner of the Biological Diversity Program at NASA Headquarters, led by Adam Wilson (University at Buffalo), Erin Hestir (UC Merced), and Jasper Slingsby (University of Cape Town), and managed by the Earth Science Project Office at NASA Ames Research Center.