BEAGLE is a newly launched research project that aims to transform how Europe monitors biodiversity by closing critical gaps in current systems and turning fragmented data into policy-ready evidence.
“BEAGLE builds on the strong foundations of previous European biodiversity initiatives, bringing together existing data, networks, and technologies to deliver up to one billion species records, over 1,000 sensors, thousands of eDNA samples, Essential Biodiversity Variables, and policy-relevant indicators. Our ambition is to turn these results into practical tools that continue to support biodiversity monitoring, restoration and decision-making long after the project ends.”
- Toke Thomas Høye, BEAGLE coordinator, Aarhus University
Biodiversity is changing rapidly worldwide, driven by numerous threats such as the destruction and fragmentation of key habitats, land use change, climate change, and invasive alien species. To meet the targets of the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 and the Global Biodiversity Framework , countries need large-scale, timely and high-quality data to track the status and trends of species and habitats. This monitoring is essential to prevent further deterioration by 2030 and to target restoration and nature-based solutions where they are most needed.
To address this challenge, BEAGLE, named after Darwin’s ship as a carrier of critical biodiversity information, aims to deliver next-generation biodiversity monitoring across terrestrial, freshwater, and marine ecosystems in the EU and Associated Countries. It does so by first pinpointing which species, habitats, and regions are poorly tracked today. To fill those gaps, the project works with stakeholders to unlock valuable data that have not yet been published. BEAGLE also builds upon existing monitoring networks, which have been developed in previous initiatives, and generates new data through participatory science and technologies, such as camera traps, acoustic recorders, and eDNA.
Artificial intelligence and machine learning workflows process these data, turning them into Essential Biodiversity Variables, indicators, and fine-resolution maps of biodiversity, showing where species and habitats are thriving or declining. These will be published on open portals, making them easier for policymakers to find, understand and use. BEAGLE will also check which policy-relevant indicators are well supported by existing data and which are not, showing where monitoring most needs strengthening in the years ahead.
Coordinated by Aarhus University, the project officially kicked off on 6 October 2026 in Aarhus, Denmark. The meeting brought together 17 partner organisations from 12 EU and Associated Countries.
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BEAGLE (Biodiversity methods for advanced monitoring at large scales) receives funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Programme (ID No 101288886). Views and opinions expressed are, however, those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union and the European Research Executive Agency (REA). The EU and REA cannot be held responsible for them.