4 Ways the NEON Project Will Help Us Better Understand Our Planet

The National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) project, funded by the National Science Foundation and operated by Battelle, aims to help scientists understand and forecast interactions between life and the environment.

As construction of the project ramps up, many scientists and researchers are looking forward to the data that will be generated to help us better understand our planet, including changes in climate, land use and invasive species. 

Here’s why the NEON project is so unique and a first-of-its-kind effort.

1. The Massive Scale

The NEON project is under construction in 20 ecologically distinct domains across the U.S. – from Alaska to Puerto Rico. There will be a total of 81 different field sites. 

2. The Length of the Study

Data collection is already underway and will continue providing land, water and atmospheric climate information for 30 years. 

3. The Innovative Approach

A complicated, high-tech digital infrastructure will compile data from all 81 sites and share it in one place for the entire scientific community. 

4. The Accessibility of Data

The data being captured will be easily available for anyone to review throughout the life of the project. Data is already coming in from the sites that have been completed and can be found on the NEON Data Portal. Battelle scientists working on the NEON project are developing the processes needed to provide the collected data to the scientific community.