Alice Morrell

Project title: Seismic Sensing and AI: A New Tool for Non-Invasive Wildlife Monitoring

PI: Beth Mortimer

Animal movements reveal how species find resources, avoid predators, and respond to environmental change, yet studying them in the wild is challenging. GPS collars provide valuable data but are invasive, expensive, and limited to a few individuals, while camera traps have a narrow field of view and spatial constraints.

So is there another option for tracking wildlife? When animals move, they generate ground vibrations which can be detected by seismic sensors. Typically used for studying earthquakes, these sensors offer a covert, non-invasive, and potentially real-time method of detecting subtle animal movements.

Using data collected in the Kenyan savanna, Alice’s fellowship will redefine wildlife monitoring by developing AI methods that allow researchers and practitioners to detect and localise animal seismic signals. The project will provide fresh insights into movement ecology and deliver scalable tools for conservation.