School of Scientific Computing & Informatics · Geoinformatics
Biodiversity & Ecological Informatics
Ecology and conservation now depend on large biodiversity datasets. This course teaches how to clean occurrence records, model where species live, and analyse environmental DNA, with free tools and open data.
Course overview
Biodiversity & Ecological Informatics covers the main biodiversity data sources (GBIF occurrences, environmental layers, eDNA metabarcoding, camera traps and acoustic monitoring) and their characteristic biases.
You build species distribution models, project them under environmental change, analyse an eDNA dataset from reads to species lists, and prepare conservation-oriented maps and summaries.
Learning outcomes
By the end of the course you will be able to:
- Retrieve, clean and document biodiversity occurrence data
- Build and evaluate species distribution models
- Analyse eDNA metabarcoding data into taxonomic profiles
- Summarise monitoring data from camera traps and acoustics
- Produce conservation maps with stated uncertainty
Skills you will practise
Eligibility and prerequisites
Who can apply
- Students and graduates in any science, engineering, pharmacy, medicine, agriculture, geography or computing programme (B.Sc., B.Tech., B.E., BCA, M.Sc., M.Tech., MCA, PhD)
- Researchers, faculty and working professionals in research, healthcare, biotech, pharma or IT who want to apply computing to science
- Final-year students may apply before their results are declared
Prerequisites
- R basics
- Undergraduate ecology
Best suited to
- Ecology, zoology, botany and environmental-science students
- Conservation practitioners
- Researchers using eDNA or monitoring data
Module-wise syllabus
6 modules. Each pairs instructor-led sessions with a hands-on lab on public data.
Topics
- GBIF and data standards
- Sampling bias
- Cleaning occurrences
Topics
- Climate and land-cover rasters
- Resolution and extent
- Collinearity
Topics
- MaxEnt and GLMs
- Evaluation and spatial cross-validation
- Projection
Topics
- Marker choice
- ASVs with DADA2
- Reference databases and assignment
Topics
- Camera-trap and acoustic data
- Occupancy concepts
- Conservation maps
Topics
- Data
- Models
- Recommendations
Practical sessions and projects
Capstone project
Assess a taxon
Use occurrence, environmental and eDNA data to assess where a group of species lives and what that means for conservation.
Assessed on the correctness of the analysis, the quality of the code and the reasoning in the write-up. A pass is required for the certificate.
- Biodiversity data
Download and clean occurrence records for a group of Western Ghats species.
- Environmental layers
Prepare environmental layers and select uncorrelated predictors.
- Species distribution models
Model a species’ distribution and project it under a future climate scenario.
- eDNA metabarcoding
Process an eDNA dataset from reads to a species table.
- Monitoring and conservation
Combine model outputs into a conservation priority map.
- Project: a biodiversity assessment
Assess the distribution or diversity of a taxon and make evidence-based conservation recommendations.
Software, tools and datasets
Software and tools
All software is free and open source or free for academic use. Recommended computer: 8 GB RAM, 30 GB free disk, Linux, macOS or Windows with WSL2.
Datasets
- GBIF occurrence records: Distribution modelling.gbif.org (CC0/CC-BY)
- WorldClim climate layers: Environmental predictors.worldclim.org
- Public eDNA studies: Metabarcoding practical.ENA / SRA
Core reading
- Elith J, Leathwick JR (2009). Species distribution models: ecological explanation and prediction across space and time. Annual Review of Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics 40:677–697.
- Callahan BJ et al. (2016). DADA2: high-resolution sample inference from Illumina amplicon data. Nature Methods 13:581–583.
Duration, format and fees
- Next cohort
- Dates are sent with your admission offer
- Timetable
- Three evening or weekend sessions a week (IST), plus a lab clinic; intensive and weekend-only schedules on request
- Payment
- Secure online payment link with your admission offer (UPI, cards, net banking). Instalments on request for fees above ₹15,000.
- Refunds
- See the refund and cancellation policy.
Instructor
The instructor for each cohort is named in your admission offer and on this page when the cohort is announced. Vedicgen instructors are selected for hands-on research or industry experience in the subject they teach, and every course is reviewed by a second subject expert.
Questions about who teaches a cohort? [email protected]
Certificate
Learners who complete the course and pass its capstone receive a Vedicgen certificate of completion for Biodiversity & Ecological Informatics, issued by Vivofold, stating the guided hours and skills assessed. Each certificate has a unique ID and QR code that anyone can check.
Apply for Biodiversity & Ecological Informatics
Apply
Send the form below. It takes about five minutes.
Review
An adviser confirms your fit and format within two working days.
Offer
You receive dates, timetable and a secure payment link.
Onboard
Set-up guide, pre-reading and joining links.
Frequently asked questions
In the live cohort, modules are taught in instructor-led sessions with a weekly lab clinic where you work on real public data with help at hand; every session is recorded. The self-paced format uses the same lessons, labs and datasets with mentor review of your capstone. Both formats end with an assessed project reviewed for the code and the science.
A laptop with at least 8 GB of RAM and about 30 GB of free disk space, running Linux, macOS, or Windows with WSL2. Installation instructions are sent before the first session, and lab clinics help with any set-up problems.
Yes. Learners who complete the course and pass its assessment receive a Vedicgen certificate of completion, issued by Vivofold. Every certificate carries a unique ID and a QR code that anyone, including an employer or admissions office, can check on the certificate verification page.
Apply with the form on this page. Live and in-person cohorts run through the year; the dates, timetable and joining details of the next cohort are sent with your admission offer and listed on this page once announced. Self-paced enrolment opens as soon as your application is accepted.
Yes. No course runs longer than four weeks, and the length is customisable: choose the standard schedule, an intensive one- to two-week schedule, weekends only, or a custom timetable. Pick your preference on the application form; colleges and teams can book their own dates.
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