We’re Flying Blind

Our monitoring systems leave us blind in 80% of the world. Satellites lack ground truth, and field studies are too costly, slow, and invasive. Advances in AI, robotics, and edge computing now make it possible to deploy autonomous systems into ultra-remote habitats, delivering the real-time, high-resolution data needed to protect ecosystems and inform global decisions. Silent Returns sits at this convergence—transforming urgency into opportunity.

Escalating Global Threats Demand Ground-Truth Data

• Extreme Weather Events – Intensifying storms, floods, droughts, and wildfires disrupt communities and ecosystems.
• Biodiversity Loss & Ecosystem Collapse – Species extinction and habitat destruction destabilize natural systems and economies
• Critical Changes to Earth Systems – Ocean currents, atmospheric patterns, and polar ice are shifting in unpredictable ways.
• Natural Resource Shortages – Scarcity of water, arable land, and fisheries threatens global food and energy security
• Misinformation & Disinformation – False or incomplete narratives distort decision-making, amplifying risk and delaying action

Meanwhile, scientific understanding is bottlenecked because data gathering isn't scalable...

• Limited space on expeditions
• Expense of human-based field science in remote places
• Lack of real-time data
• High Costs and Privileged Access
• Limited Scope of human-based methods of gathering data

Leading to...

• Data gaps in behavior, movement and habitat changes
• Inability to find and monitor species