Eyes in Orbit Pinpoint Species’ Habitat Loss After Disasters

Stronger storms, more frequent wildfires, and longer droughts are devastating endangered species’ habitats across the country, according to conservationists who have begun measuring their precise impacts.

Their findings are both more detailed and more alarming than previously known, drawing on a combination of Google Earth satellite data and purpose-built algorithms.

The software, developed by Defenders of Wildlife, not only lets analysts measure how much habitat has been destroyed but also pinpoints exactly where lands have been damaged.

For example, the group recently found that a single storm—Hurricane Michael, which battered the Florida panhandle last October—wiped out 17 percent ...