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Lemu Nge Delivers On Promise — Biodiversity Signals from Space Now Visible

If you had told us that 4 days, 14 hours, and 10 minutes after entering orbit we would have a flawless, almost perfect image with no anomalies from our satellite Lemu Nge, we would’ve asked you for a bite of your cookie. But no cookie needed to be harmed to achieve this moonshot, as that’s exactly what happened!&nbsp;On August 21, 2024, at 11:39 AM UTC, Lemu Nge captured 5000 lines in the Panchromatic band (250nm-625nm), resulting in a 23x28 km image from a 600 km orbit (the distance from Frutillar to Talca) over vineyards north of Lisbon, Portugal.The 1-band image, displayed in black and white (colorized with AI for entertainment and to simulate surface distinctions), will serve as the basis for future captures using the 32 bands of our hyperspectral camera, capable of distinguishing vegetation, water, infrastructure, and more.<img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/lemu-web-prod/Lemu_Nge_First_Image_Social_4615df0316/Lemu_Nge_First_Image_Social_4615df0316.jpeg" alt="Lemu Nge-First Image-Social.jpeg"><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/lemu-web-prod/Lemuy_Nge_First_Image_Colorized_Social_bc585be37f/Lemuy_Nge_First_Image_Colorized_Social_bc585be37f.jpeg" alt="Lemuy Nge-First Image Colorized-Social.jpeg">This achievement is extraordinary due to its clarity, less than a week after launch. Results like this typically take months or even years of calibration. Now begins the testing phase with the 32 bands: configuring, calibrating, and synchronizing them, along with the ionic propulsion system, to capture key ecosystems of Chile and the Global South for our biological mission.This first image was 20 megapixels, reduced to 10 to ease downloading and increase sharpness. At full capacity, Lemu Nge will be able to capture up to 32 gigapixels of a broad spectral range over 2 million hectares of ecosystems on a single pass. All this from a satellite the size of a shoebox that consumes the equivalent of 4 LED light bulbs.&nbsp;Lemu Nge’s success is due to the collective intelligence of a global team with a common purpose: protecting the future of all living beings. Thanks to everyone who made this possible! Nobody ever achieves anything alone.(SPOILER ALERT: We are continuing with the tests and already have our first RGB image, but it’s not from Chile yet — lots of clouds lately. More updates soon!)

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Our satellite Lemu Nge flawlessly captures its first image from space

FRUTILLAR, CHILE (August 17, 2024) - Lemu, a Chilean startup pioneering technology to enhance nature-based solutions, announced today that its Lemu Nge satellite was successfully launched by SpaceX on August 16, 2024, from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, United States.“Satellite imagery is the most efficient way to be able to monitor the 51 billion hectares of our planet, but despite all the satellites in orbit, very few are Earth observation satellites and even fewer have instruments that allow us to effectively distinguish biodiversity from space,” commented Leo Prieto, founder and CEO of Lemu. “After 6 years of work, we are thrilled to have put Lemu Nge in orbit, the first hyperspectral nanosatellite dedicated exclusively to this task. Its unique configuration puts it in a very small group of instruments needed to bridge nature's data gap, increasing the resolution of the data we currently use by more than 20 times.”The launch was an unprecedented technological milestone in the history of Chile, being the first time that a Chilean company placed a satellite into orbit and the first satellite in the world designed exclusively to observe biodiversity in the ecosystems of our planet, thus becoming a tool of the highest value for the study and protection of the natural world.Lemu Nge means “Forest Eye” in Mapudungun, inheriting this name from its main payload and scientific mission, a high-definition hyperspectral camera optimized for the observation of the Earth's ecosystems, allowing to see in detail their composition, trends, and changes over time.After the Launch and Early Operations Phase (LEOP), the initial mission of Lemu Nge will be focused on Chile, due to the large geospatial data gap for this country and the Southern Hemisphere in general.Initial observation areas will include:<ul><li>Characterization of Ramsar category Andean wetlands, from the highlands to Tierra del Fuego. &nbsp;</li><li>Monitoring of underwater macroalgae forests along the Chilean coast. &nbsp;</li><li>Classification of changes in land use. &nbsp;</li><li>Identification of key plant species — especially trees. &nbsp;</li><li>Identification of invasive plant species.</li></ul>The information gathered will help design effective conservation actions and sustainably manage the country's natural functions. Subsequently, the mission will be extended to the Global South and eventually to the entire world.Lemu Nge is a 6U (30x20x10 cm) nanosatellite, about the size of a shoebox. Its high-resolution hyperspectral camera can segment land cover and vegetation biodiversity with more than 20 times the current accuracy. The camera measures 32 spectral bands between 450 and 900 nanometers, making it possible to see details invisible to the human eye. The resolution on the ground is 4.75 m from 500 km altitude (Low Earth Orbit or LEO). The satellite has an advanced liquid metal ion electric propulsion system using non-toxic depressurized materials (FEEP), which allows it to adjust its orbit and de-orbit safely at the end of its mission, disintegrating without leaving space debris. It completes one orbit around the Earth every 90 minutes, resulting in 14 daily orbits (heliosynchronous or SSO).This mission is the result of more than 6 years of collaboration between Earth science, aerospace engineering, and information technology professionals from several countries: Designed by Lemu in Chile, assembled by NanoAvionics in Lithuania, with key components from Simera Sense in South Africa, Enpulsion in Austria, and launched into orbit by SpaceX from the USA.Lemu continues to advance its mission to bring nature online, bridging nature's data gap to help curb the environmental crisis. Its Atlas platform drives nature-based decisions by making nature visible in the value chain of all companies and institutions, facilitating solutions through its network of over 70 verified conservation and restoration projects across 5 continents. Lemu is approaching its goal of financing the conservation of 1% of the Earth's land surface by 2033. &nbsp;

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Lemu Nge: the first satellite dedicated to biodiversity goes into orbit!

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Technology use for climate change: tech solutions that could help 

&nbsp;The word LiDAR stands for Light Detection and Ranging, that is, using light to determine the range or distance of objects and surfaces.This enables&nbsp;extremely accurate and precise remote sensing up to the millimeter, and because it is actively emitting its own light, this can be done at day or night from the ground, air or even space.LiDAR systems work by sending hundreds of thousands of laser pulses every second, and because we know the speed of light and its refractive index, distance is measured by calculating the time it takes for light to go and return from its target.These laser pulses are usually in the 750 nm to 1500 nm (1.5 µm) wavelenghts and last less than a millisecond, so they are safe and invisible for all lifeforms — bees or cats are sensitive to light on the opposite side of the spectrum, ultraviolet, in the 300 nm to 400 nm range.If you know how a radar or sonar works, you can see lidar is the same principle but using different electromagnetic wavelengths, in this case, short-wave infrared light — that’s why some used to call it “light radar”.By using LiDAR we can create high resolution 3D point clouds that range from small objects to massive surfaces, such as forests and cities.Although LiDAR has been around in some form or another since 1961, development in the last decade has really opened up the possibilities and access to this amazing tool.We are starting to see scanners that are becoming smaller and more efficient, already being integrated into smartphones like Apple’s iPhone 12 Pro, while at the same time capacity and resolution for heavy-duty airborne LiDAR systems has gone up from 6 pts/m2 to over 100 pts/m2 in just a couple of years —&nbsp;a 17x increase!<figure class="image"><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/lemu-web-dev/1_Q_Vw_u_ADM_4_S178n_WT_Ly_D9_Ww_8bf710af47/1_Q_Vw_u_ADM_4_S178n_WT_Ly_D9_Ww_8bf710af47.jpeg" alt="1_QVw-uADM4S178nWTLyD9Ww.jpeg" srcset="https://storage.googleapis.com/lemu-web-dev/thumbnail_1_Q_Vw_u_ADM_4_S178n_WT_Ly_D9_Ww_8bf710af47/thumbnail_1_Q_Vw_u_ADM_4_S178n_WT_Ly_D9_Ww_8bf710af47.jpeg 245w,https://storage.googleapis.com/lemu-web-dev/small_1_Q_Vw_u_ADM_4_S178n_WT_Ly_D9_Ww_8bf710af47/small_1_Q_Vw_u_ADM_4_S178n_WT_Ly_D9_Ww_8bf710af47.jpeg 500w,https://storage.googleapis.com/lemu-web-dev/medium_1_Q_Vw_u_ADM_4_S178n_WT_Ly_D9_Ww_8bf710af47/medium_1_Q_Vw_u_ADM_4_S178n_WT_Ly_D9_Ww_8bf710af47.jpeg 750w," sizes="100vw"><figcaption>A point cloud of 183,183,314 points representing 100 hectares of Oncol Park captured using an aerial LiDAR scanner on an airplane — in this case a Teledyne Optech Galaxy scanner giving us roughly 20 pts/m².&nbsp;(cc by-nc-sa) Odd Industries, Oncol Park Natural Reserve in Chile, February 2021.</figcaption></figure><h2>Bringing nature online</h2>Although there are many applications and use cases in the industrial world, at Odd Industries our focus is on using LiDAR to understand our natural world.With this technology we can identify, measure and calculate things like canopy height, biomass, and leaf area of a forest biome.We can even go under the forest canopy to model the topography of the terrain, and see rivers and ravines of the basin.<figure class="image"><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/lemu-web-dev/1_v_1_P_Nwg_Cx_x_Yd8_O_Pk3_Z5xg_1c3d1ca9f7/1_v_1_P_Nwg_Cx_x_Yd8_O_Pk3_Z5xg_1c3d1ca9f7.jpeg" alt="1_v-1PNwgCx-xYd8OPk3Z5xg.jpeg" srcset="https://storage.googleapis.com/lemu-web-dev/thumbnail_1_v_1_P_Nwg_Cx_x_Yd8_O_Pk3_Z5xg_1c3d1ca9f7/thumbnail_1_v_1_P_Nwg_Cx_x_Yd8_O_Pk3_Z5xg_1c3d1ca9f7.jpeg 245w,https://storage.googleapis.com/lemu-web-dev/small_1_v_1_P_Nwg_Cx_x_Yd8_O_Pk3_Z5xg_1c3d1ca9f7/small_1_v_1_P_Nwg_Cx_x_Yd8_O_Pk3_Z5xg_1c3d1ca9f7.jpeg 500w,https://storage.googleapis.com/lemu-web-dev/medium_1_v_1_P_Nwg_Cx_x_Yd8_O_Pk3_Z5xg_1c3d1ca9f7/medium_1_v_1_P_Nwg_Cx_x_Yd8_O_Pk3_Z5xg_1c3d1ca9f7.jpeg 750w," sizes="100vw"><figcaption>A 1000 meter cross section of a point cloud taken at Oncol Park, you can start to see the forest for the trees — and the topography too!&nbsp;(cc by-nc-sa) Odd Industries, Oncol Park Natural Reserve in Chile, February 2021.</figcaption></figure>When coupled with artificial intelligence and deep learning artificial vision, we obtain detailed censuses of the number of trees and their biomass to help us decipher the amount of carbon captured from one season to the next, or distinguish species, detect patterns, and discover correlations.Mix LiDAR with hyperspectral and satellite imagery, and the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Artificial vision gives us exponential improvement — and now we can do all of this efficiently at massive scale.

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What Is LiDAR And What Does Lemu Use It For

We are fortunate to live in a time when science and technology allow us to do the most amazing things imaginable. We are fortunate, also, to live on a planet with an extraordinary wealth of life forms — life that does not exist anywhere else in the universe (that we know of).We are, therefore, in the right place and at the right time to realize how lucky we are.We cannot waste these incredible tools and we cannot waste this extraordinary nature.Today we can use these incredibly sophisticated instruments that we have in our hands, take advantage of the collective intelligence enabled by hyperconnectivity, the innumerable sources of auditable and open data, the overwhelming research and scientific literature, the robust remote sensing mechanisms (such as satellite, hyperspectral or LiDAR imagery), to visibilize and help us value our natural world.That is why today with&nbsp;<a href="https://odd.co/">Odd Industries</a>&nbsp;we are announcing&nbsp;<a href="https://le.mu/">Lemu</a>, an atlas of the biosphere that uses the most advanced technology at our disposal to bring nature online, with the objective of helping reverse the environmental crisis.Lemu is a collection of countless geospatial data sources about nature, including satellite data, open data and collaborative citizen science data to identify, measure and understand the value that ecosystems generate every day.It is an overwhelming challenge and we can only achieve it by working together, which is why we are gathering the largest possible network of institutions or individuals from the public, private, academic, NGO or civil society, who are working for our planet.We want the conservation or restoration of ecosystems to stop being considered a philanthropic or charitable act and turn it into the best possible investment for the future of Earth.Lemu will open to the public in early 2023. For now, I invite you to sign up on our waiting list.

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Lemu says Hello

<ul><li>Lemu&nbsp;is an atlas of the biosphere that uses countless geospatial data sources and ethical-AI to help understand the value of the nature-based solutions our ecosystems generate each day.</li><li>Lemu Nge&nbsp;is the name of Lemu’s spacecraft and high-resolution hyperspectral imager that will be launched in 2023, focused on land cover and biodiversity observation.</li></ul>&nbsp;GLASGOW, SCOTLAND — Lemu, the world’s only atlas of the biosphere that aims to revert our environmental crises by making conservation and ecosystem restoration the best investment possible, today announced the launch of Lemu Nge in early 2023, a hyperspectral nano-satellite dedicated to biodiversity observation, in the context of the COP 26 UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, Scotland.<blockquote>“Our ‘Space to Soil’ strategy starts with satellites, the only efficient way to measure all 51 billion hectares of Earth’s surface,” said Leo Prieto, founder and CEO of Lemu.</blockquote><blockquote>“From the very beginning it became obvious that in order to accelerate the development of our artificial vision models for Earth observation, we needed to have our own sensor in orbit. It had to be small — no bigger than a shoebox — in order to minimize the energy and emissions needed to get it into orbit, but at the same time it had to be more powerful than what was currently at our disposal, with flexibility for experimentation into the future. Today we are proud to announce, here at COP 26 in Glasgow, that Lemu Nge is finally being manufactured with a programmed launch date for early 2023.”</blockquote>Lemu Nge means “Forest Eye” in the mapudungun language, inheriting its name from the main payload, a high-resolution hyperspectral imager optimized for Earth observation. Its 32 bands in the 450 to 900nm spectral range and a ground sampling distance (GSD) resolution of 4.75m, will allow Lemu to segment land cover and vegetation biodiversity in unusual detail using artificial vision. This will be critical in helping reduce the deforestation and degradation of ecosystems, and increase the success of reforestation and restoration efforts, improving Lemu’s ability to precisely measure carbon sequestration and other nature-based solutions.<blockquote>“We value immensely the data provided by NASA and ESA’s satellites, and we don’t expect Lemu Nge to replace the variety and volume of geospatial data sources we are using today, something that must only continue to grow as data diversity helps us reduce bias.” says Sangeetha Narayan, co-founder and Chief Product Officer of Lemu.“But for some of our most critical measurements, this satellite will provide us with more than 20x the resolution that is currently at our disposal. And just as we can access data others are sharing, we will also be making our data available to others in the nature conservation community.”</blockquote>Lemu Nge will have a software-defined Sun-synchronous orbit (SSO), allowing it to achieve revisit rates from 1 to 7 days, thanks to its liquid metal ion thruster. This same propulsion system will also allow Lemu to safely deorbit the satellite when its mission completes, leaving no space debris behind and disintegrating the spacecraft into stardust.Lemu Nge is a 6U (6L) nano-satellite that will be designed and manufactured by NanoAvionics in Lithuania, with an imager supplied by Simera from South Africa, and launch provided by Space X on a reusable Falcon 9 rocket in the USA.<img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/lemu-web-dev/2_Jkxze_Jy7w_Vxrfxh4s_Y7b_A_ad9af94220/2_Jkxze_Jy7w_Vxrfxh4s_Y7b_A_ad9af94220.jpeg" alt="2JkxzeJy7wVxrfxh4sY7bA.jpeg" srcset="https://storage.googleapis.com/lemu-web-dev/thumbnail_2_Jkxze_Jy7w_Vxrfxh4s_Y7b_A_ad9af94220/thumbnail_2_Jkxze_Jy7w_Vxrfxh4s_Y7b_A_ad9af94220.jpeg 234w,https://storage.googleapis.com/lemu-web-dev/small_2_Jkxze_Jy7w_Vxrfxh4s_Y7b_A_ad9af94220/small_2_Jkxze_Jy7w_Vxrfxh4s_Y7b_A_ad9af94220.jpeg 500w,https://storage.googleapis.com/lemu-web-dev/medium_2_Jkxze_Jy7w_Vxrfxh4s_Y7b_A_ad9af94220/medium_2_Jkxze_Jy7w_Vxrfxh4s_Y7b_A_ad9af94220.jpeg 750w," sizes="100vw"><h2>About Lemu</h2>Lemu is an atlas of the biosphere that uses the most advanced technologies available to make conservation the best investment possible. Following a “Space to Soil” strategy that includes satellites and eDNA,&nbsp;Lemu uses ethical-AI to identify, measure and understand the value of our ecosystems’ nature-based solutions. Early invitations coming in late 2022.

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Lemu announces satellite dedicated to biodiversity observation at COP 26 in Glasgow

When we talk about sustainability, almost always the first thing we think about is reducing greenhouse gas emissions and reversing the climate crisis. But sustainability is not only relative to our emissions, it is also key that we focus on the ecological balance of nature and for that it is important to know and value the Earth’s biomes.<h2>But, what exactly is a biome?</h2>“Biome” is an ecological term created in the 20th century from the Greek root βιο (life) and the Greek suffix -ma (grouping).Biomes are the fundamental pillar for the balance of nature, since they correspond to certain areas or zones that, due to their geographical characteristics, share a climate, flora and fauna. Biome is a broader term than habitat; any biome can comprise a variety of habitats.In other words,&nbsp;it is a set of ecosystems where all the living beings that inhabit there are closely related to each other and to their environment. It is the climate, one of the geographical characteristics, that determines how many types of biomes exist in the world.We can find many classifications for biomes, among the most widely accepted criteria are Holdridge, Whittaker, Walter, Bailey and the WWF System, quantifying&nbsp;33 different types of biomes&nbsp;(14 terrestrial, 12 freshwater and 7 marine).At the same time, there is the most recognized and studied classification of all, which groups biomes in&nbsp;terrestrial&nbsp;(jungles, forests, grasslands, savannas, taiga, steppe, deserts and tundra) and&nbsp;marine&nbsp;(estuaries, streams, lagoons, lakes, coral reefs, oceans, seas and mangroves). In both cases, there are also&nbsp;anthropogenic&nbsp;classifications, or man-made biomes, such as settlements, villages, farmlands, grasslands, wooded and wild areas.Although it seems like a simple explanation, it is important to have this background in order to understand the importance of these biomes to the ecological balance between the different species that inhabit and co-inhabit them.<img src="https://i0.wp.com/miro.medium.com/max/875/1*MBV7hgDr1HCJSQsC_ac_Ew.jpeg?w=640&amp;ssl=1" alt="Mountain bear in a forest" loading="eager">Taiga is one type of biome that supports biodiversity<h2>Why are they so important? What is the value they deliver?</h2>When we speak of ecological balance, we refer to the incredible capacity that biomes have to satisfy and conserve the basic needs of life on the planet.&nbsp;Biomes allow the development of biological diversity, providing vital resources for subsistence such as oxygen, carbon and raw materials such as food or other products&nbsp;— a set of benefits called “ecosystem services”.It is everyone’s responsibility then, to provide care and maintenance of Biomes, ensuring a natural conservation of their characteristics and effectively educating the population on actions or measures that helps to accomplish this mission.In addition,&nbsp;technology has an increasingly leading role in helping the great challenges nature is facing, so it is key to apply it for conservation and to involve these and future generations in the urgency of their care.<img src="https://i0.wp.com/miro.medium.com/max/875/1*-zM8q3RZnwCmwHIOj6nflA.jpeg?w=640&amp;ssl=1" alt="Tropical forest landscape" loading="eager">At Odd Industries we are working to take advantage of the most advanced technology that exists today to develop tools that allow us to be able to measure the value of the ecosystem services of our biomes and help to reverse the environmental crisis that we are going through, but that’s something we’ll share more about very soon.

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The importance of biomes and the ecological balance of nature

<ul><li>Lemu&nbsp;is a biosphere atlas that uses geospatial data sources and ethical AI to help understand the value of the nature-based solutions that our ecosystems generate every day.</li><li>Lemu&nbsp;is the name of the mobile app for Android and iOS, available from January 11, 2022 via private beta for invite-only users.</li></ul>Lemu, an atlas of the biosphere that aims to reverse environmental crises by making conservation and ecosystem restoration the best investment possible, today announces the launch of its mobile app for iOS and Android.Three months after announcing the manufacturing of their nanosatellite “Lemu Nge” or “Eye of the Forest” at COP 26 in Glasgow, the startup decides to take a step further towards the ethical use of technology and data, facing the challenge of catalyzing thousands of individual and collective efforts into concrete actions to preserve our planet by safeguarding and restoring the environment.To this end, they are developing&nbsp;a mobile app that aims to help tackle and reverse environmental crises by bringing the natural world online. Inspired by nature and driven by science, Lemu’s app will focus on forest ecosystems, as they are home to 80% of terrestrial biodiversity, purify the air, and reduce desertification, implying a critical solution to at least 3 of the environmental crises: biodiversity, climate, and water crisis, which are deteriorating at an alarming rate.Although the application and its impact are projected on a global scale, for now it focuses on Chile’s forest ecosystems, as it is one of the few “forest positive” countries in the world, where the forest area is growing rather than shrinking, and where some of the few remaining primary forests in the world are concentrated, with large populations of individual trees exceeding 3,000 and even 4,000 years old.According to Leo Prieto, CEO and founder of Lemu, “This makes Chile an ideal natural laboratory to develop and optimize tools,” such as the Lemu application. “After forests and wetlands, grasslands and other biomes will follow, until we finally reach marine ecosystems, critically important but also the most difficult of all. Eventually we will apply our technology to all biomes,” he says.The first release of the mobile app for iOS and Android will take place this January 11, 2022, with invitation-only access being shared in user batches to those who have registered on the early access list.<img src="https://i0.wp.com/miro.medium.com/max/875/1*Rsijf_6GPIopSO69Eq8BIA.jpeg?w=640&amp;ssl=1" alt="Lemu APP exploration" loading="eager">Will have numerous data sources to collect and provide accurate information on ecosystems, their species and related conservation projects.<h2>What users will find in Lemu</h2>The application will be available in English, and will consist of two sections in its first stage of launch: atlas and explore. Through these, users will be able to find information on biodiversity and geo-referenced conservation projects related to each ecosystem.Based on a layered model, each ecosystem in the atlas will be divided into hexagons, as these allow for better tessellation of the surfaces. “Just at the touch of a button you can visualize the map with information related to, for example, carbon storage, biodiversity, land use types, among other variables” says Karol Henríquez, Product Manager at Lemu.In addition, it will have numerous data sources to collect and provide accurate information on ecosystems, their species and related conservation projects. As Karol Henríquez explains,<blockquote>“Much of the data we use for modeling comes from sources such as Aries or Google Earth Engine, but we also have our own sources that help us to better understand specific projects, so we have also been working with LiDAR measurements and environmental DNA analysis. We will even have our own satellite to continue enriching the information displayed in the app.”</blockquote>While the application will be enabled only for the first registered users in its early access, it is expected to be released to the general public in mid-2022, with more tools such as a personal profile and social network-like features to connect and interact with other enthusiasts, investors, and stewards.<h2>About Lemu</h2>Lemu is an atlas of the biosphere that uses the most advanced technologies available to make conservation the best possible investment. Following a “Space to Soil” strategy that includes everything from satellites to environmental DNA, Lemu uses ethical AI to identify, measure, and understand the value of nature-based solutions to ecosystems.Its app for iOS and Android will be available starting January 2022 for those users with an invitation and will open to the general public in mid-2022. Visit&nbsp;<a href="http://le.mu/">le.mu</a>&nbsp;for more information.<img src="https://i0.wp.com/miro.medium.com/max/875/1*K7a_ojNzzlprXUjCkwxkXA.jpeg?w=640&amp;ssl=1" alt="Lemu an APP to help nature restoration and conservation" loading="eager">While the application will be enabled only for the first registered users in its early access, it is expected to be released to the general public in mid-2022.

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Lemu launches app that allows exploration of the biosphere

<h1>Discovering Biodiversity Without Disturbance</h1>Environmental DNA, or eDNA, is the genetic material that organisms release into the environment. Environmental DNA is collected from various environmental samples such as soil, water, snow or even air, rather than taken directly from an individual organism.In short, eDNA is an accurate, sensitive and non-invasive biodiversity data collection method used to identify what types of organisms are or have recently been present in selected ecosystem samples, as well as to monitor and assess invasive species that may be altering or affecting natural ecosystems.As technology advances, the applications of environmental DNA in the study and protection of nature are also evolving. It is now possible to obtain even three times as many species as would be detected with traditional methods.Nerd fact: eDNA is a method that has even been used to confirm or demystify peculiar cases, such as the mysterious and legendary Loch Ness Monster, whose analysis of more than 250 water samples from around, in the center and in the depths of the loch, showed that it was not a “monster” but a considerable number of eels.Our <a href="https://bit.ly/3KFDf03">Data team</a> conducted a pilot test of eDNA samples from Parque Oncol, located in Valdivia, Chile, together with the team of Ecogen, a startup that develops technology-based research using environmental DNA to generate monitoring and evaluation plans of natural resources, in order to understand, preserve and restore a part of Chile’s biodiversity.Here’s what we’ve found. How do you get eDNA?Easy pie. The sample is extracted with a syringe that subtracts information from the water or soil. Then the DNA is subtracted and “washed” with isopropanol and ethanol so that it becomes visible.Briefly, these steps are followed:<ul><li>Environmental sample collector</li><li>DNA extraction</li><li>DNA amplification using universal partitioners and gene library generation</li><li>Massive high-throughput sequencing</li><li>Bioinformatics analysis</li><li>Species listing and obtaining amplification sequence variants</li><li>Ecological Analysis</li></ul>Environmental DNA has the potential to open up exciting and creative ways to learn about and help protect the wildlife around us. Here we tell you more about the pilot test we conducted at Parque Oncol and what we discovered in the samples.<h1>Parque Oncol: Why is it important to have information about its biodiversity?</h1>Parque Oncol is a protected wilderness area of 754 hectares located 28 km from Valdivia, Chile, and is an ancient area of high biological value due to its function as an interglacial climatic refuge -since it did not freeze, some of the species that remained here populated the rest of the territory-. This was our site of choice for our pilot test for 3 main reasons: 3 reasons why we took eDNA samples at Parque Oncol<ul><li>Oncol is part of the Valdivian Rainforest. A unique, one-of-its-kind ecosystem. It’s an evergreen and mixed rainforest, somehow similar to a tropical forest, but located in a temperate region.</li><li>Oncol is home to 3 different types of forests: 1) Tepu or Tepual forest 2) Tepa-Tineo-Mañío Forest. 3) Renovales de Canelo (young forest)</li><li>In Oncol there are more than 28 species of ferns, 9 species of amphibians and a diversity of birds, such as the Rayadito, Picaflor, Carpintero Grande, among many others. It is also the habitat of endemic mammals such as the recently discovered opossum, the puma, the pudú and the fox.</li></ul>With regard to climate change and possible biological invasions, having a good baseline makes it possible to monitor what is happening in the park and to understand what elements are pressuring the ecosystem, in order to take action through public and private policies according to the results obtained. Thanks to that we can understand, protect, and even restore native biodiversity in the area.<h1>Lemu &amp; Ecogen: eDNA results in Parque Oncol</h1>Through an exploratory analysis of remote environments within the park, close to camera traps for more representativeness, 0.25 mg of the selected samples were studied, being also the first time we tested this method in a conservation area.The results indicated the presence of 732 species, including fungi, invertebrates, amphibians, fish, birds, and mammals: 727 native species and 5 introduced species, (Fish: Oncorhynchus mykiss (Rainbow trout), Salmon trutta (Trout), Cyprinus carpio (Common carp). Mammals Bos taurus (Cow), Ovis aries (Sheep), Sus scrofa (Pig) and Rattus norvegicus (Norway rat).The overall species distribution was as follows:<ul><li>597 fungal species: The most prominent were ascomycota, basidiobolomycota, basidiomycota, chytridiomycota and mortierellomycota.</li><li>105 invertebrate species: The most prominent were Annelida, Arthropoda, Tardigrada, and Nematoda.</li><li>11 species of amphibians: Among them were Alsodes gargola, Eupsophus emiliopugini and batrachyla leptopus.</li><li>8 species of fish: Among them were Salmo trutta, brachygalaxias bullocki and oncorhynchus mykiss.</li><li>4 species of birds: Among them were Thraupidae and Passeriformes.</li><li>7 species of mammals: Among them were Pudu puda, Leopardus guigna and Bos taurus.</li></ul>The groups with the highest diversity were fungi in soil samples, while amphibians were found in water samples.As for amphibians, 4 species that had never been recorded before in Parque Oncol were found: 2 of them qualify as wide distribution, which means that their habitat extends over a wider territory than previously stipulated.The genetic results of the amphibians are still preliminary and must continue to be analyzed, since the taxonomic definition of the genus Alsodes (to which 3 of the 4 species found belong) is complex. Nevertheless, these are some data worth highlighting:<ul><li>Alsodes gargola, is a species described for Argentina mainly, but in 2012 they determined that 2 specimens collected near Futaleufú corresponded to A.garlola, so this record may be among the first for the species in Chile.</li><li>Alsodes tumultosus (La Parva spiny-breasted toad), known only from its type locality, La Parva. Our analysis represents an enormous extent of its distribution.</li><li>Alsodes verrucosus (Warty spiny-breasted toad). The only records in Chile correspond to the Type that Philippi in 1902, in the province of Cautín, and later in Wellington Island (in 1988) a specimen that is lost. The species is described for Argentina.</li><li>Eupsophus emiliopugini (*Green-eyed leaf-frog). Its distribution extends from Puyehue in the province of Osorno, to the province of Aysén. Therefore, this record would be an extension of its distribution to the north.</li></ul>The results show that the park offers a rich reservoir of diversity in fungi, invertebrates and amphibians, fish, birds and mammals. These results are striking and call for more intensive field surveys both for genetic sampling and for finding live specimens.Despite the good news regarding native species, we had the unfortunate surprise of having found many invasive fish species. It is not only worrying because they have been introduced by humans, but also because of their adaptability and high efficiency as predators, which is killing the smaller native species.Likewise, the presence of amphibians — whose distribution had not been contemplated in that area, surprises us and urges us to continue investigating the habitat and the relationship of these species with their environment.<h1>Conclusions</h1>Thanks to eDNA we can go deeper into the ecosystems and continue exploring biodiversity in order to understand and preserve it.Undoubtedly, what the human eye perceives falls short of what the DNA sampling is able to capture, which is s pleasant surprise.EDNA is a non-invasive method that allows us to better understand our ecosystems and even discover relationships between the environment and species, which are always changing and constantly evolving. Given its importance in conservation and environmental restoration, we will continue to invest time and resources and will give more advances of the next eDNA tests.<a href="https://bit.ly/3KFDf03">Let’s not waste nature’s unique potential. Let’s take care of it as the treasure it is.</a>If you want to know more details about our eDNA sampling pilot, feel free to send an email to <a href="mailto:hello@le.mu">hello@le.mu</a> and we will be glad to answer your questions.