ANTENNA Making Technology Work for Monitoring Pollinators

ANTENNA is a transnational project launched under the Biodiversa+ 2022 framework, aiming to advance innovative technologies for pollinator monitoring across Europe and further afield, running from 2024-2027. The project tests the complementarity between traditional pollinator monitoring methods and new technologies including automatic sorting and identification of specimens, (meta)-barcoding, camera traps and drone-based habitat assessments. ANTENNA will ultimately provide a roadmap towards integrating modern technologies in large-scale pollinator monitoring.

Project
summary

Pollinators are in decline, threatening ecosystems, food security, and biodiversity. ANTENNA (MAkiNg Technology work for moNitoring polliNAtors) integrates traditional and modern tools into a robust, scalable European pollinator monitoring network. It advances automated specimen sorting, image recognition, and (meta-)barcoding techniques to improve identification efficiency and taxonomic coverage. The project evaluates tools like the MiniMon (camera traps for citizen scientists), DIOPSIS (insect specific camera trap) and BIODISCOVER 2.0 automatic insect sorter, alongside drones and deep-learning models to assess habitat quality and trends. ANTENNA also aims to develop forecasting systems for early warnings. It supports EU policy through integrative monitoring pipelines, bridging data collection and conservation action, and contributes to initiatives like the European pollinator monitoring scheme, EU Pollinators Initiative, the Green Deal, and the Biodiversity Strategy 2030.

Naturalis is focussed on providing protocols and pipelines for (meta)-barcoding pollinator specimens and generating standardized frameworks for incorporating the diverse data streams involved in pollianor monitoring.

Project
deliverables

Pollinator monitoring: Pollinator abundance and diversity measures from a variety of methodologies.

Comparisons: Critical evaluation of the pros, cons and complementarity of existing methods and new technologies.

Standardization: Protocols for combining and harmonizing diverse data sources to reflect stakeholder needs.

Frameworks: Early-warning indicators and forecasting models, co-produced roadmaps for implementation, and open-access protocols compliant with FAIR data principles.