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Enhancing Migratory Bird Surveys

Submitted by atripp on

The FWS is using airborne remote sensing technologies to enhance migratory bird surveys to 1) enhance safety of aircrews conducting surveys by allowing flight at higher altitudes, 2) improve the quality of population and habitat data collected by minimizing and quantifying error rates, and 3) increase bird survey efficiency and utility by creating consistent automated processes. The FWS is partnering with the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), U.S.

Walruses Are Visible in Satellite Imagery When They Rest on Shore in Large Numbers

Submitted by atripp on

During late summer and autumn, Pacific walruses are resting on shore north of the Bering Strait more often and in larger numbers in both the United States and Russia.  Historically, walruses rested primarily on floating sea ice over their offshore foraging grounds in this region, but climate warming has reduced availability of sea ice.  With greater numbers of walruses gathering on shore, USGS scientists and collabor

High-resolution Mapping of Energy Infrastructure and Impacts on Mule Deer Movement

Submitted by atripp on

Mule deer are known to avoid human disturbances, including energy infrastructure and development. By combining remote sensing data, GIS modeling, and information on energy expenditure of mule deer, researchers developed a spatiotemporal model to map the minimum energy expenditure required for mule deer to traverse a landscape with increasing levels of oil and gas development on the northern Colorado Plateau.

Measuring Snow Depth from Uncrewed Aircraft Systems Lidar

Submitted by atripp on

Approximately 2 billion people are expected to experience diminished water supplies because of seasonal snowpack decline this century.  Over the last 50 years, particularly in some regions of the western U.S., declines in annual snowpack levels have contributed to reduced streamflow levels, a trend supported by both models and in situ observations (USGS,