Biodiversity & Ecology
Biodiversity expertise
We deliver critical habitat assessments, ESIA biodiversity baselines and monitoring solutions for endangered or invasive species. Our ecologists have international expertise developing and deploying monitoring projects for mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and plants in terrestrial, freshwater and marine environments. Our in-house subject matter experts cover great apes, carnivores, forest birds and benthic ecosystems, and we partner with international experts to cover any taxa or geography.
We have a proven track record delivering projects that meet international and national standards, including IFC PS6, EBRD PR6 and World Bank ESS6. We deploy the right tools for the project, combining traditional surveys with technologies like camera traps, bioacoustics, eDNA and remote sensing. Our scientists produce high-quality reports that stand up to the closest scrutiny.
Trusted by global organisations
Why clients choose Okala for biodiversity
Approvals, lender reviews and funder reporting all demand evidence that stands up to review. We work alongside your team and can support any stage of a project.
Designed for rigour
We plan around your target taxa, so the data meets the statistical and framework rigour you require.
Fieldwork your way
We lead the fieldwork, or support your local teams on the ground.
Digital-first
Field data is captured on our mobile app and held in NatureCube alongside camera trap, acoustic, eDNA and satellite data.
Reports to your standard
Tailored reporting in the standard and format you need, ready for review.
Services
Critical Habitat Assessments
IFC PS6 critical habitat assessments, and equivalents under EBRD PR6 and World Bank ESS6, to support lender due diligence and project approval.
ESIA Biodiversity Baselines
Baseline surveys and specialist studies for ESIAs that satisfy lenders and national regulators, delivered to budget and on time.
Endangered Species Monitoring
Population surveys, density estimates and long-term monitoring for priority and protected species.
Mammal Surveys
Surveys of large and small mammals using camera traps, transects, sign surveys and eDNA, designed to the standard each project must meet.
Ornithological Surveys
Bird surveys using point counts, transects and bioacoustics, including the surveys required for energy and infrastructure projects.
Bat Surveys
Acoustic and roost surveys to identify the species present and how they use a site, to national guidance and lender requirements.
Invasive Species Detection & Monitoring
Early detection and long-term monitoring of invasive species using field surveys, eDNA and remote sensing, to support management and reporting.
Biodiversity Impact Assessments
Impact assessments applying the mitigation hierarchy, supporting approval and investment decisions.
Biodiversity Action & Management Plans
Plans and monitoring programmes that turn assessment findings into commitments you can track.
Remote Sensing & Habitat Mapping
Satellite imagery and spatial analysis to map habitats and land-use change across whole landscapes, delivered through NatureCube.
Desk Studies
Reviewing and integrating existing data, global datasets and grey literature to inform project design, site selection, survey planning and analyses.
Nature Technology
Host your nature data in one place using our NatureCube platform. Speak to us about custom AI models, sensor development and more.
Publications
Our active scientists have 152 publications on biodiversity monitoring and environmental science across a wide range of subjects in the world's top academic journals including Nature and Science. We have temperate and tropical ecologists covering terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, including subject matter experts in mammal and bird ecology, great ape monitoring, forest elephant monitoring, and more.
Explore our publicationsIncrease in wild animal consumption across Central Africa
Mattia Bessone et al.
Okala: Dr Robin Whytock
Human activities shape global patterns of decomposition rates in rivers
Scott D. Tiegs et al.
Okala: Dr Joe Huddart
Thresholds for adding degraded tropical forest to the conservation estate
Robert M. Ewers et al.
Okala: Dr Jeremy Cusack
NatureCube
Delivered through NatureCube
NatureCube is Okala's platform for managing, analysing and interpreting complex biodiversity datasets, from camera traps and bioacoustics to remote sensing analyses. Data can be exported using recognised data standards. NatureCube is used by 99 organisations in 35 countries and holds more than 1.5 million species observations.
What our clients say
"We had a fantastic experience working with Okala, who supported us with camera trap surveys, including survey design, image processing and data analysis. They were extremely professional and communicative, delivering tagged images and access to their expert dashboard within a short space of time. We look forward to working with them on future projects."
"We have had a great experience working with Okala. The process has been constructive and efficient. We have appreciated the collaborative nature of the work and the level of expertise from the Okala team. It has been great to work with a like-minded team who share our values."
"We greatly appreciated Okala's ability to adapt to the specific demands of the mining industry. Their flexibility and responsiveness enabled the timely delivery of key project components. The dashboard training session was very well received by our client, and the platform itself has proven to be an effective tool for visualizing the results of camera-trap monitoring. We look forward to continuing and expanding our collaboration with Okala."
"This was an ambitious project where we could put AI to the test at very large scales. Okala's data platform allowed us to verify AI outputs and rapidly interact with the data using the intuitive interface."
"Okala's expert gap analysis and guidance have greatly advanced Fura's progress towards reaching our sustainability goals. Their professionalism and insight into biodiversity and carbon management exceeded our expectations."
"Okala delivered cutting edge biodiversity, carbon and social baselines to understand how a 300,000 ha forestry concession in Gabon could be managed for sustainable development."
"Minimising biodiversity impact is an increasing challenge for our sector. Okala provided unrivalled transparency and reporting for our early-stage industrial project in Rwanda."
"Okala delivered high-quality biodiversity baselines in just six months using eDNA, bioacoustics and camera traps. Their work will allow us to calculate the biodiversity value of the forest to inform land-management."
