Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Rocky Mountain CESU

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The US Geological Survey, Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center (NOROCK), is offering a funding opportunity to test the feasibility of using WorldView3 (WV3) satellite data for assisting surveys of ducks, geese, swans, and cranes. The U.S. FWS, Canadian Wildlife Service, and various states and provinces collaborate through the Central Flyway Committee (as well as other Flyways across the continent) to monitor waterfowl populations using different techniques throughout the year. Of particular importance has been aerial surveys of birds staging during migration in the Southern Provinces and Northern States because of the regularity of their movements and sizeable percentage of populations that can be surveyed. If the utilization of WV3 proves viable, the approach will reduce the risk to biologists who are visually conducting the surveys, reduce the cost of such surveys, and potentially increase both the accuracy and precision of the surveys. Remotely sensed data will not replace aerial surveys, but will compliment them. The project also will provide an opportunity to explore the use of cloud computing resources to partially automate data acquisition, processing, analysis, and archiving.

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