Center for Ecosystem Forecasting
Our Mission
We are an interdisciplinary research center that creates innovative forecasts of future environmental dynamics, providing actionable insights for decision-making.
We are an action-oriented research center: we collect and analyze environmental data; build and share ecological models and software; create and assess a range of forecasting methods; translate and communicate forecasts for decision support; and partner and engage with forecast users. We strive to advance the discipline of ecosystem forecasting globally by leading cutting-edge forecasting research, education, and community engagement.
- Ecology + Data + Models = Insights
- Ecology + Data + Models = Insights
- Ecology + Data + Models = Insights
News & Updates
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Dean’s Discovery Fund supports collaborative research , articleDesigned to spark innovative, interdisciplinary work, the fund in the College of Natural Resources and Environment supports early stage research that positions teams for larger external funding opportunities while advancing university priorities.
Date: Mar 24, 2026 - -
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Cayelan Carey, Amy Pruden named Virginia Outstanding Faculty , articleThe award is considered the commonwealth’s highest honor for faculty at public and private colleges and universities. Carey and Pruden were two of 12 recipients honored at a ceremony in Richmond.
Date: Mar 04, 2026 - -
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Innovation & Impact Summit highlights global collaboration to meet pace of change , articleThe Times Higher Education Innovation & Impact Summit at Virginia Tech’s Academic Building One convened more than 200 delegates from 61 universities across 28 countries alongside industry leaders and federal agencies.
Date: Nov 21, 2025 -
Our Impact
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'Curious Conversations' podcast: Cayelan Carey talks about ecosystem forecasting , articleCarey's ecosystem forecasting provides near real-time predictions about water quality in lakes and reservoirs. Believed to be the first of its kind, the system is collecting data from 15 lakes and reservoirs spanning three continents and providing each with a daily, 30-day forecast.
Date: Apr 28, 2026 - -
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Global water forecastingAt Virginia Tech, researchers are using real-time sensors, machine learning, and global partnerships to give water managers 30-day forecasts that help safeguard drinking water and ecosystems.
Date: Mar 10, 2026 - -
Video ItemResearchers deploy water quality forecasting system around the globe , video
Researchers at the Center for Ecosystem Forecasting have developed a system that can predict the quality of drinking water in lakes and reservoirs. By combining advanced sensor technologies, data analysis, AI, machine learning, and cyberinfrastructure, ecosystem forecasting tools have the potential to revolutionize environmental policy and security. This technology has now been applied to help manage lakes and reservoirs in countries around the world.
Date: Sep 12, 2025 -
Why This Work Matters
We can no longer use historical baselines to predict tomorrow’s environmental conditions.
The environment is changing dramatically, and quickly.
We develop tools to predict future environmental conditions, in the way the National Weather Service currently forecasts weather. The environmental variables we focus on provide critical services for society and bolster our understanding of natural resource management.