Asaduz Zaman

Asaduz Zaman is a PhD researcher at Monash University’s Native Bee+ Tech facility within the Faculty of Information Technology. His research focuses on using AI to improve the monitoring of Australian native social and solitary bees, which are significantly under-monitored compared to honeybees. Asad’s work contributes to advancing digital environmental monitoring and addressing biodiversity and food security challenges. He welcomes opportunities for collaboration where his expertise in AI can support ecological monitoring efforts.

Innovation Talk Title: Future-proofing Australian pollinators: AI for monitoring native bees

Abstract:

Social and solitary bees are keystone species crucial for pollinating native vegetation and crops. In Australia, we have over 1600 species of native bees, most of which we know very little about. Therefore, monitoring them properly to understand how these insects respond to climate change is key to managing biodiversity and food security. Our research focuses on using AI and computer vision to monitor native bees.

We have developed a multiple object tracking system to observe bees at hive and nest entrances. Using this approach, we have gained valuable insight into their behaviour and activity patterns. In addition to tracking, we have developed a method to identify individual unmarked bees. Re-identification allows us to monitor native bees non-invasively, providing detailed data on individual insects’ movements and behaviours over days or even weeks.

Protecting our pollinators is crucial for maintaining biodiversity and ensuring that terrestrial ecosystems can be sustained under the changing climate. The methods we demonstrated can potentially inform strategies that make agriculture resilient to the effects of climate change. This research aligns with global efforts to adapt to and mitigate climate challenges, providing practical solutions that benefit both the environment and food security.