SARANAC LAKE — Adirondack Research has been awarded a Microsoft AI for Earth grant to help further efforts in surveying for and preventing the spread of invasive species in the Adirondacks.

This grant will provide Adirondack Research with access to Microsoft Azure cloud computing services, which will help accelerate work on early detection and monitoring for invasive species, collecting data and creating maps. Adirondack Research uses iMapInvasives, the state’s primary geospatial database of invasive species, and will be connecting occurrence data with models of species distributions to better understand where invasive species are likely to occur.

Ezra Schwartzberg, founder and president of Adirondack Research, said he will use these new tools to help him grow his business by advancing its ability to detect invasive species. The company currently contracts with the Adirondack Park Invasive Plant Program, a partnership program hosted by The Nature Conservancy and sponsored by the state Department of Environmental Conservation through the Environmental Protection Fund. Adirondack Research also collaborates with NASA to solve invasive species challenges.

Adirondack Research recently joined 30 other grantees from around the world at the AI for Earth Summit at Microsoft’s headquarters in Redmond, Washington, where they were able get inspiration from colleagues doing similar work.

“It was amazing to learn about how other researchers use cloud computing to tackle some of the planet’s most difficult challenges, including climate change, fresh-water availability and ecosystem health,” Schwartzberg said in a press release.

AI for Earth is a $50 million, five-year program that brings the full advantage of Microsoft technology to those working to solve global environmental challenges in the key focus areas of climate, agriculture, water and biodiversity.