Colombian master's student Esteban Marentes Herrera wins 2025 Graduate Researchers Award

Esteban is the tenth student from the Latin America and the Caribbean region to win the annual GBIF award

Esteban- GRA 2025
Photograph of Esteban Marentes Herrera, 2025 Graduate Researcher's Award winner in the master's student category

Master's student Esteban Marentes Herrera from Pontificia Universidad Javeriana Cali in Colombia has been named one of two winners of the sixteenth edition of the GBIF Graduate Researchers Award. Along with fellow award winner Kumdet Panshak Solomon, PhD student from Nigeria, this annual programme recognizes excellence in student innovation, research and discovery for work which relies on GBIF-mediated data.

"Because the total number of Coleoptera species in Antioquia is still unknown, it’s difficult to assess how much biodiversity data is missing in GBIF," said Esteban Marentes Herrera. "I used GBIF occurrence records, along with public environmental variables and checklists from Coleoptera de Colombia to train a neural network that estimates the number of species, which was then reviewed by experts to improve accuracy. I hope this work highlights the uncertainties surrounding under-sampled, megadiverse groups like beetles, and the importance of expert validation when applying artificial intelligence to biodiversity research."

Esteban’s research focuses on using machine learning models to predict beetle species diversity across Colombia’s Antioquia province. Despite Colombia being a megadiverse country, current species estimates—particularly for arthropods—are underrepresented in data records. His model integrates occurrence data and curated checklists from GBIF with habitat and environmental variables from public repositories to provide a more comprehensive estimate of beetle diversity in the region.

"Esteban's methodology, combining Coleoptera and plant data from curated taxonomic sources, to develop advanced machine learning tools showcases the power of interdisciplinary research," said Camila Plata Corredor, Editor, Catalogue of Life. "One of the most compelling outcomes of his study is the estimate of up to 14,991 beetle species potentially present in Colombia, compared with just over 3,000 species currently represented in GBIF."

Through an extensive literature review and the use of statistical measures, Esteban determined that deep neural networks were the best-fitting models for predicting beetle diversity. His approach has the potential to be applied across other Colombian provinces and arthropod taxa, improving both data representation and public awareness of invertebrate conservation.

"Esteban has demonstrated a high level of academic performance and commitment
throughout his applied work," said Mario Julián Mora Cardona, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana Cali. "His research is a strong example of interdisciplinary work that aligns with the GBIF Strategic Framework."

The 2025 Graduate Researchers Award winners were selected by an independent jury assembled by the GBIF Science Committee. Esteban's nomination was supported by the GBIF Colombian delegation led by SiB Colombia. He is the tenth student from the Latin America and the Caribbean region to receive the the award, which comes with a €5,000 prize, also awarded to Kumdet Panshak Solomon of Nigeria.

About the Award

The GBIF Graduate Researchers Award (formerly Young Researchers Award) is an annual scholarship programme that promotes and encourages innovation in biodiversity-related research using data shared through the GBIF network. Since its inception in in 2010, the programme has recognized outstanding achievements in original biodiversity research by more than two dozen master’s and PhD students around the world. Explore the stories of previous award winners.

About Pontificia Universidad Javeriana Cali

Pontificia Universidad Javeriana Cali is a private university offering undergraduate and postgraduate programs across various disciplines. The institution emphasizes research, academic rigor and community engagement. It contributes to regional development through education, scientific research and professional training.

About SiB Colombia

Sistema de Información sobre Biodiversidad de Colombia (SiB Colombia) is the national node for GBIF Colombia. It was established in early 2000 with the coordination of the Humboldt Institute to facilitate free and open access to biodiversity data. SiB Colombia coordinates a network of more than a hundred organizations (including universities, biological collections, research institutes, environmental authorities, NGOs and citizen science initiatives) that work together to ensure that biodiversity data is openly accessible to support research and decision-making.

2025 Graduate Researchers Award jury

Name Organization Country
Enrique Martínez-Meyer Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México Mexico
Soledad Ceccarelli CONICET, Universidad Nacional de la Plata Argentina
A. Townsend Peterson Biodiversity Institute, University of Kansas USA
Lara Ferrero Gómez Center for Research, Institutional Relations and Advanced Training (CIRIFA), University Jean-Piaget Praia Cape Verde