Ecocene – NatureTech Enhanced

Ecocene is Revolutionising the Use of Nature Tech in Biodiversity Management for Mining

Ecocene is reshaping how biodiversity is monitored and managed across the mining and energy sectors. As a leading Australian nature tech company, Ecocene works with major operators including BHP, Rio Tinto, Roy Hill, Santos, Woodside and Chevron to deliver data-driven ecological insights that support informed decision-making and stronger environmental outcomes.

Rising Standards in Ecological Performance

Global frameworks, such as the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, are driving a shift in expectations around biodiversity accountability. Mining and energy companies are increasingly embedding ecological monitoring into operational planning and performance reporting.

“Traditional field ecology remains essential,” says Ecocene CEO Julian Kruger. “But the real step-change comes from integrating those skills with advanced nature tech. You can’t manage what you can’t monitor, and technology is helping us monitor more, faster, and with greater precision.”

Integrated Survey Capability

Ecocene’s team of botanists and zoologists combines deep field expertise with advanced technology to expand the scale, accuracy and efficiency of biodiversity surveys. This fusion of expertise and innovation is slashing the cost per unit of data and delivering richer, more comprehensive insights.

Automated Fauna Monitoring

Species monitoring has traditionally relied on manual fieldwork and expert interpretation. Ecocene now deploys automated camera traps enhanced with artificial intelligence to capture and classify thousands of images. Zoologists validate the AI outputs, ensuring accuracy while freeing up time for higher-level ecological analysis.

Passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) is another game-changer. Ecocene has deployed these autonomous sound recorders for decades, but with AI now rapidly processing weeks or months of animal calls, comprehensive species lists are compiled in record time. The latest generation of PAM devices, such as the compact, cost-effective Audiomoth, allows for widespread deployment across vast landscapes, capturing biodiversity data at an unprecedented scale.

Environmental DNA Analysis

Environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis is a recent but powerful addition to Ecocene’s toolkit. By extracting DNA traces left by animals in water or soil, eDNA surveys can detect elusive or difficult-to-sample species (invertebrates and fish) that often evade traditional methods. This approach is revolutionising baseline biodiversity assessments and ongoing monitoring, providing a non-invasive, highly sensitive means to track biodiversity.

Remote Sensing for Vegetation Mapping

Ecocene has long been a pioneer in remote sensing applications for vegetation monitoring – their early use of satellite imagery to track riparian tree species in the Pilbara set a benchmark for the industry. Today, the company is advancing deep learning models to automate plant species detection using drone and aerial imagery. Ongoing R&D into hyperspectral imaging, supported by partnerships with providers such as Pixxel and Maxar, is enabling more detailed mapping of species diversity and ecosystem change.

Ecological Data Intelligence

At the core of Ecocene’s technology offering is Ecoda, a proprietary web-based platform for environmental mapping and analytics. Ecoda integrates field and remote sensing data to track trends in key ecological assets, including remnant vegetation and rehabilitation zones. The platform supports regulatory compliance and internal reporting through clear, actionable outputs.

Ecoda will soon be complemented by Scout, a mobile field data app designed to support structured and flexible surveys and collaboration between scientists, Traditional Owners and community rangers.

Collaborative Innovation Model

Ecocene’s commitment to research and development ensures its clients remain ahead of regulatory requirements and industry best practice. The company’s multidisciplinary team, spanning ecology, geospatial science, data analytics and software engineering, works closely with clients and communities to deliver robust, context-aware solutions.

“Technology is a powerful enabler,” says Kruger, “but people remain at the heart of effective biodiversity management. Only by combining expertise, local knowledge and advanced tools can we deliver the comprehensive, actionable insights our clients need.”

A Nature-Positive Future for Mining

As the mining and energy sectors move toward nature-positive operations, Ecocene is helping define what responsible resource development looks like. Through its integrated approach to biodiversity monitoring and management, the company is enabling clients to go beyond compliance – setting new standards for environmental stewardship and demonstrating that business success and biodiversity protection can, and should, go hand in hand.