Greg Asner is an ecologist who uses remote sensing to explore and preserve biodiversity on earth. He is currently mapping land biodiversity and the health of the world's coral reefs from the sea, air and satellites. To do so, he flies on a "super plane" equipped with 3-D mapping tools and accesses 300-plus satellites in collaboration with Planet Inc. Under a new Global Deal for Nature, Asner is part of an international effort to finish this map and preserve biodiversity by 2030.

Overall, his research spans the areas of spatial ecology and biodiversity, terrestrial carbon cycle, animal-habitat interactions, and climate change. He develops scientific approaches and technologies for investigation and conservation assessments of large ecoregions.

Asner is the director of ASU's Center for Global Discovery and Conservation Science. He is a recipient of multiple scientific and sustainability awards and is a member of the National Academy of Sciences.