Organization of Fish & Wildlife Information ManagersWeb Mapping Made Easy with Google Fusion Tables David O’Donnell, Texas Parks and Wildlife 10:55 AM U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s

Organization of Fish & Wildlife Information Managers

2012 Annual Conference and Business Meeting

October 15-18, 2012 Holiday Inn - Lady Bird Lake, Austin, Texas


2012 CONFERENCE AGENDA “Facilitating a Network of Fish & Wildlife Information Managers

by Leveraging Emerging IT Technologies”

CONFERENCE SCHEDULE ATCONFERENCE SCHEDULE ATCONFERENCE SCHEDULE AT---AAA---GLANCE:GLANCE:GLANCE:

SUN, Oct 14SUN, Oct 14SUN, Oct 14 07:00 PM — 09:00 PM OFWIM ExComm Meeting (Executive Boardroom) MON, Oct 15MON, Oct 15MON, Oct 15 08:30 AM — 12:00 PM Field Trip to Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge 12:00 PM— 01:00 PM LUNCH 01:00 PM — 03:00 PM Field Trip to Balcones Canyonlands cont. 07:00 PM — 09:00 PM Registration/Presentation Loading (TBA) TUE, Oct 16TUE, Oct 16TUE, Oct 16 07:30 AM Registration (outside Lantana B-C) - 1/2 day 08:15 AM —09:15 AM Welcome & Opening Session 09:30 AM — 11:40 PM Conference Session I 11:40 PM — 01:30 PM LUNCH - Student/Mentor 01:30 PM — 05:00 PM Conference Session II 05:30 PM — 07:00 PM “Hacker’s Ball” - Poster and Technical Demonstrations WED, Oct 17WED, Oct 17WED, Oct 17 08:15 AM —11:45 AM Conference Session III 12:00 PM — 02:00 PM LUNCH - Business Meeting/Lunch (provided) 02:00 PM — 03:20 PM Conference Session IV 03:35 PM — 04:45 PM Evolution of OFWIM Web Presence 05:30 PM — 07:30 PM Banquet / Celebration THU, Oct 18THU, Oct 18THU, Oct 18 08:00 AM —09:00 AM BREAKFAST (provided) 09:00 AM —11:00 AM Conference Session V 11:15 AM — 01:15 PM LUNCH - (on your own) 01:15 PM — 04:30 PM Mobile Technology and Citizen Science Workshops 04:30 PM — 05:00 PM Closing Remarks

View Conference Proceedings Including Abstracts @ http://www.ofwim.org/docs/2012/2012Proceedings.pdf

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http://www.ofwim.org/docs/2012/2012Proceedings.pdf

MONDAYMONDAYMONDAY———OCTOBER 15, 2012OCTOBER 15, 2012OCTOBER 15, 2012

Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge Site VisitBalcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge Site VisitBalcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge Site Visit

08:30 AM Depart Hotel

09:30 AM Guided tour of Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge

12:00 PM LUNCH

01:00 PM Continue tour

03:00 PM Return to Hotel

07:00 PM Conference Registration/Presentation Loading - until 9:00 pm

TUESDAY MORNINGTUESDAY MORNINGTUESDAY MORNING———OCTOBER 16, 2012OCTOBER 16, 2012OCTOBER 16, 2012

Welcome & Opening Session*Welcome & Opening Session*Welcome & Opening Session* 07:30 AM Conference Registration - all day

08:15 AM OFWIM Welcome Don Katnik, President

08:30 AM Conference Introduction Danny Lewis, President-Elect

08:45 AM Welcome to Texas John Herron, The Nature Conservancy

09:15 AM Raffle / Break (15 min)

* All conference events will be held in the Lantana B* All conference events will be held in the Lantana B* All conference events will be held in the Lantana B---C Room unless otherwise notedC Room unless otherwise notedC Room unless otherwise noted




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TUESDAY MORNINGTUESDAY MORNINGTUESDAY MORNING———OCTOBER 16, 2012, Cont.OCTOBER 16, 2012, Cont.OCTOBER 16, 2012, Cont.

Conference Session IConference Session IConference Session I Moderator: Moderator: Moderator: Jim Husband, Virginia Department of Game and Inland FisheriesJim Husband, Virginia Department of Game and Inland FisheriesJim Husband, Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries

09:30 AM Fishes of Texas Project - A highly normalized and comprehensive data resource for management, research and citizen science Dean Hendrickson, University of Texas at Austin, Texas Natural History Collection

09:50 AM Biotics 5 - Countdown to Launch Rob Solomon, NatureServe

10:10 AM The Multistate Aquatic Resources Information System: New Design and Applied Uses Jeff Smith, COMSO Inc.


Moderator: Moderator: Moderator: Keith Hurley, Nebraska Game and Parks CommissionKeith Hurley, Nebraska Game and Parks CommissionKeith Hurley, Nebraska Game and Parks Commission

10:40 AM Texas Wildlife Information Management Services (TWIMS) Stephen Lange, Texas Parks and Wildlife

11:00 AM Biodiversity Information Serving Our Nation (BISON): The national unified resource for discovery, linkage, and re-use of organismal occurrence data Annie Simpson*, Derek Masaki, and Gerald Guala, U.S. Geological Survey, Core Science Systems, Eco-Science Synthesis Branch

11:20 AM Development and Management of New York Protected Areas Database (NYPAD), New York State’s conservation lands and open space database Brent Kinal, New York Natural Heritage Program

11:40 AM Student Professional LUNCH (1 hour 50 minutes)




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TUESDAY AFTERNOONTUESDAY AFTERNOONTUESDAY AFTERNOON———OCTOBER 16, 2012OCTOBER 16, 2012OCTOBER 16, 2012

Conference Session IIConference Session IIConference Session II Moderator: Moderator: Moderator: Jian Huang, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State UniversityJian Huang, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State UniversityJian Huang, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

01:30 PM Implementing Data Quality Assurance and Control Procedures at the Time of Data Capture Steve Rentmeester*, Jason Fiengold, Matt Deniston, and Jeff Lewis, Sitka Technology Group

01:50 PM Science and the Real World Jon Purvis, Texas Parks and Wildlife

02:10 PM Database Integrity: Looking for Change Don Katnik, Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife

02:30 PM Raffle/Break (15 min)

Moderator: Moderator: Moderator: Susan Lanier, Tennessee Wildlife Resources AgencySusan Lanier, Tennessee Wildlife Resources AgencySusan Lanier, Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency

02:45 PM You Don’t Have to Be a Programmer Anymore: Applying Business Intelligence Tools in a Resource Agency Dr. John Barry Taylor, Texas Parks and Wildlife

03:05 PM Social Media for Science Sake! Amy Hays, Texas AgriLife Extension

03:25 PM Texas Marine Species Identification Website Brenda Bowling, Texas Parks and Wildlife

03:45 PM Raffle/Break (15 min)

Moderator: Moderator: Moderator: Beth Stys, Florida Fish and Wildlife CommissionBeth Stys, Florida Fish and Wildlife CommissionBeth Stys, Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission

04:00 PM Preliminary Application of a Framework for Modeling Geographical Distribution of Stream Fishes with Derived Metacommunity Samples Jian Huang, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

04:20 PM Catching cane toads: determining biological differences in cane toad (Rhinella marina) trappability and assessing the effect of acoustic attractant position on cane toad capture rates Alyse Yeager, Baylor University

04:40 PM Automating Stream Inventory Data Entry Mike Babcock, Yakama Nation and Nicole Tursich, Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission




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TUESDAY EVENINGTUESDAY EVENINGTUESDAY EVENING———OCTOBER 16, 2012OCTOBER 16, 2012OCTOBER 16, 2012

5:305:305:30———7:00 pm7:00 pm7:00 pm Poster Session and Technical DemonstrationsPoster Session and Technical DemonstrationsPoster Session and Technical Demonstrations “Hacker’s Ball” Dinner Buffet (provided)“Hacker’s Ball” Dinner Buffet (provided)“Hacker’s Ball” Dinner Buffet (provided)

Florida’s State Wildlife Grants Tracking and Reporting Database Twanisha Gordon-Presley, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

Why did the black bear cross the road: Using GPS, Google Maps, Panoramio, and .NET to find out? Joel Sartwell, Missouri Department of Conservation

eXtension Initiative - 24/7 Outreach and Education Amy Hays, Texas AgriLife Extension

iMapInvasives—Providing Tools for Monitoring the Effectiveness of Invasive Species Control Projects Brent Kinal, New York Natural Heritage Program

Evolution of Texas Parks and Wildlife Resource Information System (RIS) Marian O’Brien, Texas Parks and Wildlife

Demonstration of an integrated tabular and GIS based data query system Bruce Schmidt, Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission

Modeling oxygen deficits during upwelling off the coast of Oregon Sandy Letzing, Oregon State University


2012 CONFERENCE AGENDA Facilitating a Network of Fish & Wildlife Information Managers


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WEDNESDAY MORNINGWEDNESDAY MORNINGWEDNESDAY MORNING———OCTOBER 17, 2012OCTOBER 17, 2012OCTOBER 17, 2012

Conference Session IIIConference Session IIIConference Session III Moderator: Moderator: Moderator: Sabra Tonn, Arizona Game and Fish DepartmentSabra Tonn, Arizona Game and Fish DepartmentSabra Tonn, Arizona Game and Fish Department

08:15 AM Developing YOUR Organization’s Mobile Application Strategy Chris Gerecke, Timmons Group

08:35 AM MDC Mobile: iPads for Collecting Field Data Joel Sartwell, Missouri Department of Conservation

08:55 AM CyberTracker - Mobile Data Applications, TPWD Wildlife Division Stephen Lange, Texas Parks and Wildlife


Moderator: Moderator: Moderator: Don Schrupp, Retired Wildlife Ecologist (CDOW)Don Schrupp, Retired Wildlife Ecologist (CDOW)Don Schrupp, Retired Wildlife Ecologist (CDOW)

09:30 AM Monitoring Methods: An On-Line Tool for Helping Practitioners Find the Best Techniques for Monitoring Natural Resources Steve Rentmeester*, Matt Deniston, Sitka Technology Group, and Jacque Schei, Pacific Northwest Aquatic Monitoring Program

09:50 AM The Benefits of Cloud Computing to Automate Habitat Mapping with Acoustics Matt Johnson, Contour Innovations

10:10 AM At-sea Data Collection in the Salmon Fisheries Using GPS-Enabled Android John Lavrakas, Advanced Research Corporation





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WEDNESDAY MORNING cont. WEDNESDAY MORNING cont. WEDNESDAY MORNING cont. ———OCTOBER 17, 2012OCTOBER 17, 2012OCTOBER 17, 2012

Moderator: Moderator: Moderator: Don Katnik, Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and WildlifeDon Katnik, Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and WildlifeDon Katnik, Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife

10:45 AM Multiple Approaches to Leveraging Mobile Technologies for Field Data Collection Brent Kinal, New York Natural Heritage Program

11:05 AM Integration of tabular and GIS technologies in a web-based data query system Bruce Schmidt, Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission

11:25 AM Texas Fishing Mobile Web Dyanne Cortez, Texas Parks and Wildlife

Lunch and Business MeetingLunch and Business MeetingLunch and Business Meeting

12:00 PM LUNCH (provided)

12:45 PM Business Meeting & Service Awards




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WEDNESDAY AFTERNOONWEDNESDAY AFTERNOONWEDNESDAY AFTERNOON———OCTOBER 17, 2012OCTOBER 17, 2012OCTOBER 17, 2012

Conference Session IVConference Session IVConference Session IV Moderator: Moderator: Moderator: Dr. John Barry Taylor, Texas Parks and WildlifeDr. John Barry Taylor, Texas Parks and WildlifeDr. John Barry Taylor, Texas Parks and Wildlife

02:00 PM Atlantic Coastal Cooperative Statistics Program: Good Data In, Good Data Out, Good Decisions

Julie Defilippi, Atlantic Coastal Cooperative Statistics Program

02:20 PM Developing Climate Change Adaptation Strategies for Florida Beth Stys, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

02:40 PM The Surprising Impacts of Technology: Development of a Fish Identification Mobile Application Keith Hurley, Nebraska Game and Parks Commission

03:00 PM Results of the Data Standards Technology Survey Kevin Patten, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

03:20 PM Raffle / Break (15 min)

3:35 PM 3:35 PM 3:35 PM ------ Evolution of OFWIM Web Presence Evolution of OFWIM Web Presence Evolution of OFWIM Web Presence

Recent History of OFWIM Web Presence Danny Lewis, Texas Parks and Wildlife

Where We Go From Here / Discussion Don Katnik, Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife

5:30 - 7:30 PM Banquet and Celebration of OFWIM History




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THURSDAY MORNING THURSDAY MORNING THURSDAY MORNING ———OCTOBER 18, 2012OCTOBER 18, 2012OCTOBER 18, 2012

08:00 AM Breakfast (provided)

Conference Session VConference Session VConference Session V

Moderator: Moderator: Moderator: Jeanette Jones, Tennessee Wildlife Resources AgencyJeanette Jones, Tennessee Wildlife Resources AgencyJeanette Jones, Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency

09:00 AM 2012: A RIS Odyssey (the evolution and future of TPWD’s Resource

Information System)

Vivian Ackerson, Texas Parks and Wildlife

09:20 AM LandHelp.info - Assisting Land Owners in Making a Plan for Their Lands

Don Schrupp, Retired Wildlife Ecologist (CDOW)

09:40 AM HabiMap - A Web Service supporting State Wildlife Action Plan and

More

Sabra Tonn, Arizona Game and Fish Department


Moderator: Moderator: Moderator: Kevin Patten, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation CommissionKevin Patten, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation CommissionKevin Patten, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

10:15 AM A New Map-based Online Conservation Planning and Environmental

Review Tool in Virginia

Jason Bulluck, Virginia DCR - Natural Heritage Program

10:35 AM Web Mapping Made Easy with Google Fusion Tables

David O’Donnell, Texas Parks and Wildlife

10:55 AM U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s TRACS System (Implementation and

Use from a State Perspective)

James E. Husband, Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries

11:15 AM LUNCH (on your own)




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THURSDAY AFTERNOON THURSDAY AFTERNOON THURSDAY AFTERNOON ———OCTOBER 18, 2012OCTOBER 18, 2012OCTOBER 18, 2012

01:15 PM WORKSHOP - Phenology and Citizen Science Go Mobile The USA National Phenology Network (USA-NPN), an early adopter of mobile technology for citizen science and ecology, will lead a workshop on the benefits, complications, and lessons learned from introducing their own program to the mobile world. The session will explore various mobile platforms, web services, and approaches to infrastructure, security, and more.

Led by: Lee Marsh 02:45 PM BREAK (15 min) 03:00 PM WORKSHOP - Ornithological Crowdsourcing: An Innovative Approach to Data Collection

Learn about the development of the North American Bird Phenology Program, the first ornithological crowdsourcing program created around a collection of historic migration cards. In an innovative project to curate the data and make them publically available, the records are being scanned and placed on the internet, where volunteers worldwide transcribe these records and add them into a database for analysis.

The BPP Program will be presented in a step-by-step process:

Development of the program’s crowdsourcing methods

List of software and scanning equipment considered and used for the program

Methods of data rectification and output

Lessons learned and recommendations for building similar projects

Target user group, outreach tools, volunteer retainment methods used and user feedback

Discuss BPP program in the broader context of citizen science: why it is worthwhile to develop these projects

Led by: Jessica Zelt

04:30 PM Closing Remarks

ADJOURN




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PRESENTATION

ABSTRACTS

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OFWIM 2012 Conference Abstract Opening Session

Tue, Oct 16 8:45 am

Welcome to Texas! John Herron, The Nature Conservancy

BIOGRAPHY:

As director of the organization’s conservation and land programs statewide, John coordinates the management of 40 preserves, the acquisition of new preserves and easements and the activities of a staff of 55 dedicated professionals. He has nearly three decades of experience in conservation in both the private and public sectors, including service as director of the Wildlife Diversity Program for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Assistant Secretary of Operations for the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Park and as a state wildlife planner, federal-grants coordinator and wildlife biologist. Before launching his career in conservation, John served in the U.S. Army for four years of active duty and seven years in the Army Reserve as a combat-engineer officer. John has a M.S. degree in Wildlife Ecology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a B.S. in Fisheries and Wildlife from Michigan State University. Originally from Pennsylvania, John currently lives in Austin with his wife Nancy and has two adult sons, John and Thomas.

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OFWIM 2012 Conference Abstract Conference Session I

Tue, Oct 16 9:30 am

Fishes of Texas Project – a highly normalized and comprehensive data resource for management, research and citizen science Dean Hendrickson, University of Texas at Austin, Texas Natural History Collection

ABSTRACT:

Fishes of Texas Project (www.fishesoftexas.org) compiled Texas fish species occurrences from 42 museums. All data were processed through a rigorous quality control and data normalization/standardization process to result in 124,415 records collected between 1851 and 2010 by 5,924 collectors. Nearly all TX inland records were manually georeferenced with placement error estimates, revealing 88,348 records from 7,868 unique localities. 8,460 records from the Gulf of Mexico & 18,923 inland records from adjoining Mexican and U.S. states are partially processed. Records were plotted and 4,107 species geographic outliers were flagged as potential identification or location errors. Most specimens flagged were examined and identifications corrected or confirmed to reveal 31 species occurrences in major river basins where they were previously not known to occur. Distribution changes over time were revealed, and the data were used to produce species distribution models then used to explore species’ responses to future climates, for systematic conservation planning and for statewide bioassessment. The website has high quality photos, illustrations, original field notes, accounts of species' biology and ecology, and digital identification keys. Data can be queried, mapped, and downloaded. Users can comment on records and upload images and field notes.

BIOGRAPHY:

Dean Hendrickson got his bachelors and Ph.D in Fisheries from Arizona State University, with several years of fisheries work in South America and a Masters in Applied Hydrology from University of London, UK, in between. He was the native fish biologist for Arizona Game and Fish Department for 4 years and has been Curator of Ichthyology at University of Texas at Austin for 22 years. His fieldwork, research and teaching has been in South and North America, Europe and the Great Barrier Reef, but has focused primarily on ecology and conservation of fishes and aquatic habitats of North American deserts in the southwestern US and México. He has authored over 80 peer reviewed papers and book chapters.

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Tue, Oct 16 9:50 am

Biotics 5 - Countdown to Launch Robert Solomon, NatureServe

ABSTRACT:

Last year in St. Louis we introduced you to NatureServe’s biodiversity data management tool suite and offered an early preview of Biotics 5, the latest in a long line of software for tracking the location and status of species and their habitats. Now, a year later we’re busy testing the new software and on the verge of releasing the web-based application to our member programs and their partners. As pilot tester programs begin to put this new tool through its paces, we can see how migrating the national system to a cloud-based architecture and using web services will yield significant improvements in data processing efficiency and system interoperability. The modernization of Biotics will ensure the continued use of a consistent data management platform using a common taxonomy for species and ecosystems to guide multi-state conservation actions, made more accessible and interoperable through the use of open data and technology standards. This session will provide a live look at Biotics 5, demonstrate the flexibility and ease of use through its ArcGIS Server-based map viewer and browser-based data entry forms and illustrate system workflow improvements, including a more automated process for developing spatial features. We’ll also show how Biotics 5 will integrate with external systems, including Wildlife TRACS and a new web application for states that supports public access to self-serve data requests or subscription-based access for rapid, online environmental review.

BIOGRAPHY:

Rob has been with NatureServe and worked with its network of member Heritage programs since 1986. He has over twenty years of experience providing managerial and technical support for several generations of NatureServe’s conservation software applications including Biotics and Kestrel and will manage the network-wide deployment of Biotics 5 early in 2013. He has also long been involved in NatureServe’s work to develop standards for the collection and management of spatial conservation data and the implementation of those standards through the adaptation of GIS technologies. Mr. Solomon has also worked as an ecologist and regional naturalist for the State of New York. He has a degree in Forest Biology and MLA course work.

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Tue, Oct 16 10:10 am

The Multistate Aquatic Resources Information System: New Design and Applied Uses Andrew Loftus, Loftus Consulting Jeff Smith*, COMSO, Inc. (Under contract to USGS Core Science Analytics & Synthesis)

ABSTRACT:

Two things can be said about every resource agency. First, limited budgets and manpower mean that much of the data that is needed or wanted cannot be gathered by agency personnel. Second, educating and involving the public in natural resource issues is always a goal. Training the public to gather scientific data is a good way to get our message out, get more data, and keep the cost at an acceptable level. Unfortunately, the quality of data gathered by the public does not always meet the high standards for which we hope. This does not necessarily invalidate the data – it just means the problems must be recognized, and mitigated where possible. I use the Texas Nature Trackers and other citizen science projects to illustrate the benefits of using messy data, and discuss ways to handle the inherent problems.

BIOGRAPHY:

Jeff is a 1992 graduate of Rutgers University, Cook College. Immediately after graduating, Jeff worked for the NJ Division of Fish and wildlife. During his tenure there, Jeff designed and built the New Jersey freshwater fish management database, which tracks fisheries surveys, stocking, and pathology information. Jeff also was the project manager for NJ’s Electronic Licensing System, and worked on many other fisheries GIS projects. In 2008, Jeff accepted a position as a web developer at COMSO, a government contracting company working with the USGS. During his tenure there, he has worked on several fisheries related web applications, including the National Fish Habitat Partnership data system, the National Fisheries Data Infrastructure, and the Multistate Aquatic Resources Information System.

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Texas Wildlife Information Management Services (TWIMS) Stephen Lange, Texas Parks and Wildlife

ABSTRACT:

The Wildlife Division of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department has instituted the Texas Wildlife Information Management Services (TWIMS) program with the goal of integrating all data collected by the Wildlife Division. The purpose of this program is to create secure, centralized client/server systems to input data into a single database for storing and analyzing data, generating reports, and printing permits. This system provides important tools for TPWD biologists, managers, and constituents which will significantly increase the efficiency of managing information and data needed to make better decisions concerning the management of wildlife resources in Texas. For example, TWIMS will assist field biologists and landowners with data collection, standardization, validation, storage and backup, while eliminating redundant data collection and maintenance. The Private Lands application includes the development of a custom built web-based interface for reporting habitat management practices as well as reporting outreach and consultation efforts. It also includes portals for permit processing, printing, distribution and reporting for Managed Lands Deer Permits (MLDP), Antlerless Deer and Spike Control Permits (ADCP), Trap, Transport, and Transfer (TTT) permits, Trap, Transport, and Process (TTP) permits, Deer Management Permits (DMP), and Depredation Permits in Texas.

BIOGRAPHY:

Stephen Lange attended Texas A&M-Commerce graduating with a BS in Geography in 1992 and a MS in Earth Science in 1997. He started at the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department in May of 1998 in wildlife operations. In 2003 he completed a technical degree in GIS from Tyler Junior College. In 2004 he accepted a position at the TPWD regional office and was promoted to bi-regional program specialist for information science in 2008. As the current TWIMS/GIS Specialist for Wildlife Regions 3 & 4, he oversees the application and maintenance of information technologies as it applies to wildlife operations, technical guidance, and public use. He currently supports 117 staff covering 99 counties and 39 of the state’s 50 WMAs across half of Texas.

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Biodiversity Information Serving Our Nation (BISON): The national unified resource for discovery, linkage and re-use of organismal occurrence data Annie Simpson*, Derek Masaki, and Gerald Guala, U.S. Geological Survey, Core Science Systems, Eco-Science Synthesis Branch ABSTRACT:

The rise of ubiquitous network computing infrastructure and the application of common interoperable data models are beginning to break down information silos and promote synthesis studies.

In an effort to improve on our current capacity to aggregate, normalize and visualize the massive accumulation of species occurrence data, the newly-formed USGS Core Science Analytics & Synthesis Program is developing the Biodiversity Information Serving Our Nation (BISON) project, as an integrated permanent resource for biological occurrence data from the United States.

BISON leverages USGS assets such as the US Node of the Global Biodiversity Information Facility the USGS National Map. BISON currently contains more than 106 million occurrence records of species found in the US and integrates dozens of environmental layers for visualization and spatial analysis, including the Natural Resources Conservation Service soils database and NASA imagery. Users can define a geospatial polygon and retrieve all occurrences of species within it, to compare with numerous environmental variables. More data sources are being recruited, with emphasis on federal data sources and an invasive species theme. BISON’s service layer is under development through a partnership with Oak Ridge National Laboratory at their facility, which also houses a Cray Jaguar Petascale supercomputer, the third fastest on earth. Being built with access to this powerful infrastructure enables BISON broad access to standardized biological data and serves as a resource for enabling ecological data discovery, analysis, and synthesis.

BIOGRAPHY:

Annie Simpson is a biologist and information scientist with the US Geological Survey's Core Science Analytics & Synthesis Program within the Core Science Systems Mission Area. She has master's degrees in entomology and library & information science, and 20 years of experience in tropical ecology and ecotourism in Costa Rica. Annie currently works to recruit invasive species and other biodiversity occurrence datasets for inclusion in the Biodiversity Information Serving Our Nation (BISON) project and leads or co-leads such diverse projects as Science.gov, the Global Invasive Species Information Network, and the IABIN Invasives Information Network (I3N). In her spare time Annie is a woodturner and serves on her church's board of directors.

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Development and management of New York Protected Areas Database (NYPAD), New York State’s conservation lands and open space database Brent Kinal, New York Natural Heritage Program

ABSTRACT:

A regularly maintained comprehensive database of protected open-space is a crucial tool for conservation and land-use planning. The New York Natural Heritage Program (NYNHP) and partners have developed NYPAD (New York Protected Areas Database). NYPAD is designed to provide individuals, agencies and organizations relevant information on land-ownership, conservation intent, duration of protection, and other attributes useful in make informed land-use and conservation planning decisions. NYPAD provides the information necessary to better understand the spatial relationship protected lands, allowing users to collaborate when making planning and management decisions through ability to look beyond ownership, and political or jurisdictional boundaries. NYPAD is the authoritative conservation lands database for New York State and will be incorporated into various national efforts to collect and assemble open-space data such as LandScope and PAD-USA.

BIOGRAPHY:

Brent has been GIS Specialist with the New York Natural Heritage Program, Invasive Species Database Program for the last 4 years. He has 19 years experience in natural resources and GIS. In his spare time he tries to avoid computers by spending time with his wife and two sons exploring the outdoors. Brent enjoys telemark skiing, mountain biking and playing soccer.

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OFWIM 2012 Conference Abstract Conference Session II

Tue, Oct 16 1:30 pm

Implementing Data Quality Assurance and Control Procedures at the Time of Data Capture Steve Rentmeester*, Jason Fiengold, Matt Deniston, and Jeff Lewis, Sitka Technology Group

ABSTRACT:

The Columbia Habitat Monitoring Program (CHaMP) is designed to monitor the quantity and quality of the stream habitats that support Pacific salmonids. The CHaMP Data Management System is designed to support this protocol. The data system includes tools for documenting the statistical design, efficiently capturing field data, lowering the overall cost of data management, ensuring consistent data formatting and quality, and providing public access to field data measurements, derived metrics, maps, charts, and other data visualizations. Field crews capture data on a ruggedized data logger with a custom build application. The data logger application implements an innovative approach for ensure and verifying data quality while crews are on-site. The logger application provides immediate feedback on data entry errors, missing values, and warnings for unexpected values. At the end of surveying, crews are presented with a list of errors with quick links to the record where the error exists. Crews must repair all errors and missing values prior to releasing the data for upload to the central system. Additionally, logger allows crews to indicate rational for why a method or measurement was not implemented. This innovative approach implements quality review at the time of data capture, minimizes end-of-season cleaning, and improves overall data quality and workflow efficiency.

BIOGRAPHY:

Steve is a Senior Business Analyst with Sitka Technology Group in Portland OR. His satisfaction comes from seeing how technology enables clients to better manage natural resources throughout the Pacific Northwest. Prior to joining Sitka in January 2012, Steve spent 15 years working at the interface between ecology and information. For the last seven years, his work involved analyzing the information needs of salmon recovery research, monitoring, and evaluation programs in the Columbia River Basin. Steve’s experience also includes coordinating data management systems and tasks as an independent contractor at agencies such as Bonneville Power Administration and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries Service.

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Tue, Oct 16 1:50 pm

Science and the Real World Jon Purvis, Texas Parks and Wildlife

ABSTRACT:

There are well-known and accepted ways of doing science. A question that needs answering is identified, a research methodology is designed to accurately and precisely get the data that is needed, and then the data is analyzed. However, it isn’t a perfect world, and perfect projects are not always possible. The weather could be against us, equipment could fail, and we may not have enough time or money. In the end, we have some data, but not of the quality we wish. I will discuss some of these pitfalls in regards to running an opinion survey, and use the 2012 Texas Bobwhite Quail Regulations survey as a real-life example. Bobwhite quail (Colinus virginianus) numbers are in a long-term decline across their range. Rainfall was sparse in Texas during 2009 and 2010, with various stages of drought across the state, and this negatively affected reproduction, further dropping their numbers. Public requests from hunters and sportswriters to reduce, or even cancel the season, were heard. The TPWD Commission directed that a survey of bobwhite quail hunters be done to gauge their support for regulation changes, as well as investigate perceived differences in hunters that supported or opposed the changes. Time and money were limited, so an internet survey was chosen despite potential biases. As expected, significant differences were found between the email and postcard strata, but not between respondents from the northern or southern portions of the state.

BIOGRAPHY:

Jon Purvis is an upland game bird biologist by training, and has an M.S. from Texas A&M University. He has been a data analyst with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department since 1997. His duties involve running opinion and harvest surveys, database design, and statistical analysis of data. In his spare time, he enjoys hunting feral hogs, managing his small hobby farm, and reading history books.

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Tue, Oct 16 2:10 pm

Database Integrity: Looking for Change Don Katnik, Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife

ABSTRACT:

Maintaining data integrity has always been an important part of managing information. As more organizations share their information and as more users have access to increasingly sophisticated tools such as web mapping, database integrity has become even more critical. Many information managers run queries on their data to look for errors. For example, we might search for missing values or values that do not fit a specified pattern. At OFWIM 2010, I presented a “Database Integrity Tool” that uses a script to automate a series of predetermined queries. Many databases are intentionally changed over time by adding, modifying, and deleting data. They also may unintentionally change when records are accidentally modified or deleted. If you archive your database, however, the concept of integrity testing can be expanded to include looking for errors due to unintentional change. Feature-level metadata (documentation of any addition, change, or deletion to a database record) is critical for determining whether a difference between a current and archived version of a record was intentional or an error. As a database ages and its archive library grows, the number of possible comparisons that must be made to look for unintended changes may become impractical, especially when the records include spatial geometries such as GIS features. In this presentation, I will introduce the “Last Documented Change” concept as a more efficient way to track and test for database changes.

BIOGRAPHY:

Don Katnik has been Leader of the Habitat Group at Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife since 2002 and an active member of OFWIM since 2007. He specializes in GIS, application development, and programming. His other interests include fiction writing, ballroom dancing, home improvement projects, and spoiling his two dogs.

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Tue, Oct 16 2:45 pm

You don't have to be a programmer anymore: Applying Business Intelligence tools in a Natural Resource Agency Dr. John Barry Taylor, Texas Parks and Wildlife

ABSTRACT:

Although SAS is one of the most widespread statistical reporting tools used by Wildlife and Fisheries teaching and research programs at Universities across the United States, the complexity and steep learning curve required to program SAS has been a barrier to harnessing SAS tools for many staff within many Natural Resource agencies. However, there are several new Business Intelligence technologies SAS has developed that offer much promise in furthering the analytical and reporting capabilities of staff throughout an enterprise. Texas Parks & Wildlife (TPWD) has implemented several of these technologies, and are recognizing many benefits. For example, SAS’s “Add-In for Microsoft Office” enables our staff to access SAS statistical and graphing procedures from within Excel, Word, or PowerPoint via a menu-driven interface. For more advanced users, SAS’s “Enterprise Guide” allows users to access statistical and graphing procedures via either menus or more-traditional SAS programming techniques, and users can also construct analysis projects in a modular fashion and save these projects for later use and modification. These projects can then be converted into a stored process that can be served up to users through SAS’s Web Report Studio via a web browser, enabling customizable queries and reports to be accessed by users over the internet without the need for SAS software to be installed on the user’s computer. Additionally, the SAS Business Intelligence platform provides a capacity for data integration that was previously unattainable; TPWD has used this SAS Business Intelligence platform to integrate separate native Oracle, Sybase and SQL Server databases. Data from each of these disparate sources are all available from within SAS tools, and data from different native sources can even be combined within SAS reports. Business Intelligence technologies allow more of our staff to access data directly, generate reports efficiently, and better visualize data.

BIOGRAPHY:

Dr. John Barry Taylor is a Data Analyst with the Inland Fisheries Division of Texas Parks and Wildlife. He is also the Technical Lead for the project building the agency’s “License Utilization and Revenue Enhancement System” (LURES). The LURES project is implementing SAS Business Intelligence technologies to consolidate the agency’s licensing point-of-sale system and other revenue-related databases (boat registration, magazine subscription, etc.) to support enhanced understanding of customer interactions with the agency, in attempt to improve customer service and retention as well as the agency’s financial resources.

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Social Media for Science Sake! Amy Hays, Texas AgriLife Extension

ABSTRACT:

Social media is no longer the “new” technology it was two years ago, but it continues to mature and change the way we do business, outreach, and education. Social media is no longer for friend-to-friend connection; it’s an important part of how the public gives and receives information. There is confusion, disagreement, and sometimes barriers and obstacles about who should implement social media efforts in an organization and why or why not an organization should use social media outlets. Is it an IT effort? Is it a communication team effort? Who should be responsible for begin “social” when an organization is involved? What is the trade-off for jumping in, or staying out? When you are a public entity or a non-profit are the rules of engagement different? What is the trade-off for creating social media policy and agency guidelines that restrict various use of social media for employees? This presentation will look at social media engagement from the aspect its value to science and natural resource management. We will visit some standard social media (Facebook, Twitter) and examine their contribution to the conversation, as well as look at some savvy new comers to the social media party. What do these tools offer science and agencies and how do you plan their implementation? Join this look at ways to think about social media in your organization.

BIOGRAPHY:

As a Texas AgriLife Extension Service emerging technologies specialist, Amy Hays helps the merge science, technology and learning methods by studying and implementing new technologies that will expand the reach of science to address natural resource issues. Hays joined the Texas A&M Institute of Renewable Natural Resources (IRNR) at its inception in 2006. Previously she worked as a Texas AgriLife Extension Service program specialist in the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences. She served as the state’s geospatial technology specialist from 2005 – 2008. In addition, Hays worked for Texas Parks and Wildlife as a natural resource specialist and later as farm bill coordinator.


Tue, Oct 16 3:05 pm

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Tue, Oct 16 3:25 pm

Texas Marine Species Identification Website Brenda Bowling, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department

ABSTRACT:

The Texas Marine Species Identification website is an interactive web-based collection of photographs and information on marine species found off the coast of Texas. The project began a few years ago to provide Texas Parks & Wildlife Coastal Fisheries technicians and biologists with simple visual aids in identifying organisms caught in routine sampling. It began as a collection of printed digital images that pointed out the distinguishing characteristics of each organism. Ultimately, the species list and content were expanded and the images and data made available on the World Wide Web. By expanding this information to the internet, it allowed not only biologists and technicians, but the general public, access to a usable, visual tool for identifying Texas’ species. The website is photo-based using whole-fish and close-up photos of features useful in identification. Each species has information on distinguishing characteristics, similar species, maximum size, habitat, current and former common and scientific names, state bag and size limits, fin ray counts (fishes), and other interesting info. There is a diagnostic key to fish families. There is also a feature key where you can query the list of fishes by particular features. The information is presented in an understandable way so that users of all backgrounds and levels of expertise may benefit from the knowledge. The website is expandable and will constantly be updated as new species and photographs become available.

BIOGRAPHY:

Brenda Bowling graduated from Texas A&M University at Galveston. She is a Natural Resource Specialist with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department where she has worked for the past 28+ years. Presently, her main project is collecting new species for and updating the Texas Marine Species Identification website. Other research interests include taxonomy, invasive species and integrating digital technology into fisheries management.

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OFWIM 2012 Conference Abstract

Conference Session II

Tue, Oct 16

4:00 pm

Preliminary Application of a Framework for Modeling Geographical

Distribution of Stream Fishes with Derived Historical Metacommunity

Samples

Jian Huang* and Emmanuel Frimpong,

Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State

University

ABSTRACT:

Good-quality data of species occurrence largely determines the validity of a predictive

model of spatial species distribution. However, gathering occurrence data by sampling

each species’ entire habitat range can be time- and budget-costly, which constrains our

understanding of species-habitat relationships, especially for rare, threatened and

endangered freshwater fish species. Fortunately, sampling non-game fish species has

been predominantly community-based, offering an avenue for deriving absences for a

species from known presences of other species. Species recorded in a habitat unit over

time are more appropriately described as a metacommunity sample because while

species present in the unit belong to the same regional pool, they may not all have co-

existed in that unit at any point in time. In this preliminary study, we propose a

framework of modeling species distribution using historical presence observations of

fish species recorded in high-resolution atlases before 1990 and absences inferred

from locations where historical presences have been recorded for non-game fish

species. This framework was then tested by developing habitat suitability and fish

distribution models for 12 selected species with a wide range of traits and varied

prevalences in the New River basin. The metacommunity-based SDM framework

broadens our capability to model fish distribution by combining various sources of

public data, and this should greatly motivate a national-scale collation of historical

occurrence data for management and conservation initiatives.

BIOGRAPHY:

Jian is now a graduate student in the Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation at

Virginia Tech, and working on species distribution models and endangered species

conservation based on GIS and statistical approaches. After he received his bachelor’s

degree in Marine Biology at Xiamen University, China, he worked on protecting

freshwater mussel in the Illinois Natural History Survey during 2008-2011.

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Tue, Oct 16 4:20 pm

Catching cane toads: determining biological differences in cane toad (Rhinella marina) trappability and assessing the effect of acoustic attractant position on cane toad capture rates Alyse Yeager, Baylor University

ABSTRACT:

The toxic cane toad (Rhinella marina) is a major concern as an invasive species reducing abundance of native organisms worldwide. Eradication methods have not yet been developed, but trapping is an effective strategy for short-term or local-area management. The aims of this study were to identify any biological features of toads likely to increase cane toad trappability and to determine the effect of acoustic attractant placement on trap success rates. A cage trap was placed in the middle of a 45m2 arena in Townsville, Australia, and capture rates were recorded for 12 trials, each using 30 wild-captured toads as subjects with different light (UV light present or absent) and cane toad mating call placement (inside or on top of traps) treatments. Though a number of biological parameters were significantly different between trapped and untrapped toads, a logistic regression showed that only sex significantly impacted trappability. More females were captured when an auditory attractant was placed inside the trap than on top of the trap. This modification may be applied directly to the use of this trap in order to increase capture rates of female cane toads, which has the potential to slow rates of population growth and dispersal.

BIOGRAPHY:

Alyse Yeager is a student at Baylor University pursuing a Master’s thesis degree in

Biology. Under the advisement of Dr. Robert Doyle in the Center for Reservoir and

Aquatic Systems Research (CRASR), she will be conducting research on how land use

change and climate change may alter the biogeochemistry of aquatic systems and the

organisms living within them. She is from Roxbury, New Jersey and earned her

Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Studies at Gettysburg College,

Pennsylvania. She has conducted research on box and wood turtle habitat preference at

Gettysburg College, loggerhead sea turtle diving behaviour at Mote Marine Lab in

Florida, and cane toad trappability at James Cook University in Townsville, Australia.

She plans to pursue a career in environmental and wildlife management in either the

United States or Australia.

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Tue, Oct 16 4:40 pm

Automating Stream Inventory Data Entry Nicole Tursich, Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission Mike Babcock, Yakama Nation

ABSTRACT:

The Rapid Aquatic Habitat Assessment Protocol (RAHAP) was designed by Yakama Klickitat Fisheries Project (YKFP) Biologists to provide quantitative information on stream habitat. This protocol quantifies reaches, habitat units, spawning patches and bedrock features, while enumerating individual wood pieces and jams. These habitat surveys are followed by one or more electro-fishing surveys to address fish distribution in relation to the habitat features. A photographic record is taken of many features and GPS waypoints are recorded for all features quantified. This ambitious effort requires the tracking of ten separate data sheets containing 268 columns with various numbers of rows, ranging from one into the thousands. Entity relationship diagramming, identified a physical data model of 35 tables to store this data. To eliminate the time intensive, tedious, and error prone task of entering this data, Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission (CRITFC) and the YKFP developed a seamless alternative, electronically capturing written data to a SharePoint Server using Capturx Forms for SharePoint© by Adapx and inputting that data to the database using ASP.NET with C# and Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2 stored procedures. This method of capturing written data electronically provides the advantages of automated data entry while maintaining a paper data sheet for validation and archival purposes. BIOGRAPHY:

Nicole Tursich is the Database Administrator for Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission in Portland, Oregon. She holds a BS in Biology and an MS is Land Resources and Environmental Sciences. She has been primarily using VB/C#, .NET, JavaScript, SharePoint Server, and MS SQL Server for creating interactive data entry and reporting applications. Michael Babcock is the Data Systems Manager for the Klickitat River side of the Yakama /Klickitat Fisheries Project, a joint effort of the Confederated Tribes and Bands of The Yakama Nation and Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. He has a BS in industrial Organizational Psychology and a Master’s of Information Technology.

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OFWIM 2012 Conference Abstract Poster Session

Tue, Oct 16

Florida’s State Wildlife Grants Tracking and Reporting Database

Twanisha Gordon-Presley, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

ABSTRACT:

Florida's State Wildlife Grants Program (SWG) is supported by the US Fish and Wildlife Service’s State Wildlife Grants Program. SWG is a federal matching program that provides annual funding to every state and territory. The Florida Wildlife Legacy Initiative (FWLI) administers Florida’s SWG Program. To date FWLI had administered funding to over 140 projects focused on the primary goal of keeping Florida’s common species common. Until recently SWG funded projects have been tracked in a single massive MS Access table and in a paper-based filing system which has limited FWLI staff’s ability to analyze and report on SWG grant funding information. In an effort to improve SWG grant tracking and reporting, a new database tracking system has been developed that provides the FWLI program with a single centralized system for entry, storage, analysis, and distribution of SWG data.

BIOGRAPHY:

Twanisha Gordon-Presley joined the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission in 2011 as the State Wildlife Grant Quantitative Data Manager. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Information Technology from The Florida State University.

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Tue, Oct 16

Why did the black bear cross the road?: Using GPS, Google Maps, Panoramio and .NET to find out Joel Sartwell, Missouri Department of Conservation

ABSTRACT:

When it comes to roads black bears don’t always to get to the other side. Sometimes they try to go around.

We have been following about 50 black bears with GPS collars in Missouri for 2 years. In some cases, we have data during the summer months at 10 minute intervals. This has left us with a large cache of location data, many involving their travel across and along major roadways.

I will discuss our pursuit to present this information in a timely, informative and entertaining way on the internet for public consumption.

BIOGRAPHY:

Joel Sartwell is a Systems Analyst with the Missouri Department of Conservation in Columbia, Missouri. He received his B.S. in Chemistry from the University of Missouri-Kansas City and his Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry from the University of Nebraska. His interests include scientific software development, user interfaces, simulation, and statistical wildlife biology. His current projects include data capture systems using cell phones and hand-held computers, as well as, using javascript and Google Maps to create animated displays of GPS tracking data for black bears and elk.

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Tue, Oct 16

eXtension Initiative - 24/7 Outreach and Education Amy Hays, Texas AgriLife Extension

ABSTRACT:

In 2002, the 79 Land Grant Universities across the nation realized it was time to think about how to serve the public in a changing electronic information age. Cooperative Extension has been serving the public for 75 years, and they realized they needed to reach out and learn how to "work differently" to be able to continue to serve the public. The result of that vision was the eXtension Initiative (http://extension.org)- a mash-up of technology, exert systems, and science-based communities of practice that were charged with developing a new road map for Cooperative Extension. Today the system includes over 70 Communities of Practices, a Drupal content management system (CMS), webinar, and Moodle capabilities. The system not only serves as a open platform for Cooperative Extension, but an open working environment for any expert in partnership for the public. Come find out more about eXtension and how you can get involved.

BIOGRAPHY:

Amy Hays currently works for Texas AgriLife Extension as a emerging technologies program specialist with the Texas A&M Institute of Renewable Natural Resources. She also serves on the national eXtension staff in content management. She provides support to new communities of practice, and works with national staff to develop new tools and programs to integrate into the eXtension initiative.

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Tue, Oct 16

iMapInvasives - Providing tools for monitoring the effectiveness of invasive species control projects Brent Kinal, New York Natural Heritage Program

ABSTRACT:

Invasive species have become a ubiquitous challenge for those tasked with managing lands and waters. Deciding whether to control invasive populations and identifying the most effective techniques are best made with accurate, up-to-date spatial data and information about other management efforts. In New York, the State invasive species database (iMapInvasives) was developed to provide an effective, GIS-based mechanism for aggregating and sharing detailed invasive species data. In addition to maintaining point locations of infestations, the online database includes complex data entry to help land managers track and share monitoring and treatment efforts across the state. Current efforts are focused on gathering existing datasets and training users to input data. By providing a shared platform for land managers to record the results of treatments and post-treatment monitoring, the database is becoming a valuable tool for making management decisions.

BIOGRAPHY:

Brent has been GIS Specialist with the New York Natural Heritage Program, Invasive Species Database Program for the last 4 years. He has 19 years work experience in natural resources and GIS. In his spare time he tries to avoid computers by spending time with his wife and two sons exploring the outdoors. Brent enjoys telemark skiing, mountain biking and playing soccer.

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Tue, Oct 16

Evolution of Texas Parks & Wildlife Resource Information System (RIS) Marian O’Brien, Texas Parks and Wildlife

ABSTRACT:

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department was charged with "developing an integrated GIS database of fish, wildlife, and water data to ensure decisions are based on sound science and the best available data." To meet this goal, the Resource Information System (RIS) was created in 2002 to provide ecological web applications, spatial data solutions, and georeferenced historical imagery. This poster illustrates web applications customized to clients' specification, the Historical Ortho-Photo Project (HOPP) an historical collection of spatial imagery covering TPW lands, and how RIS provides infrastructure through GIS server and software administration, and maintenance of statewide base data for TPW.

BIOGRAPHY:

Marian O'Brien graduated from Texas State University with a Bachelor of Science in 2000 as well as a Master of Applied Geography in 2002. She has worked for Texas Parks and Wildlife as a GIS Analyst since 2001.

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Tue, Oct 16

Modeling oxygen deficits during an upwelling off the coast of Oregon

Sandy Letzing, Oregon State University

ABSTRACT:

Due to seasonal upwelling (the rise of cold, nutrient dense, oxygen poor water from the depth), hypoxia (


Tue, Oct 16

Demonstration of an integrated tabular and GIS based data query system

Bruce Schmidt, Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission

ABSTRACT:

StreamNet, a cooperative fisheries data dissemination project, has implemented a new online data query system that integrates tabular and map based functions, which will be demonstrated. Users query data by sorting and/or filtering on columns in a tabular format in conjunction with a map interface to select locations. Query results of tabular data are shown in tabular format with the location mapped and the data graphed on a chart, while query results for GIS data are displayed on a map. System users can 'tag' individual records to assign needed information to personal groups for rapid retrieval in the future. The organization and layout of the user interface is customizable, and in the future will remain in the selected layout on future visits. Multiple data download options are provided. The system functions by accessing web services, with each record related to a feature in a published web map service (ArcGIS Server REST API). Our web programmer, database administrator and GIS specialist collaboratively designed the system to allow different aspects to be configured by the appropriate staff person with no need to modify the actual code. The result is a data query approach that is fast, intuitive, flexible, and able to deal with complex data.

BIOGRAPHY:

Bruce Schmidt has over 35 years of experience in fisheries management, research and administration spanning four states. He has BS and MS degrees in fisheries, and began work with computers in 1973 using Fortran IV. He is currently employed in the field of information management as Program Manager of the StreamNet Project with the Pacific States Marine Fisheries commission with funding from Bonneville Power Administration.

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OFWIM 2012 Conference Abstract Conference Session III

Wed, Oct 17 8:15 am

Developing YOUR Organization's Mobile Application Strategy Chris Gerecke, Timmons Group

ABSTRACT:

The presentation will focus on the various mobile GIS options available for fish, wildlife, and environmental organizations. In order to be able to sift through the various options, at the enterprise level, a good understanding and a mobile strategy should be in place. There are a multitude of options available including native and web-based mobile applications. These options are compounded with decisions needed regarding hosting, data, performance, public apps vs. internal field data collection applications, accuracy concerns, etc. This presentation will focus on several real-world use cases of mobile geospatial strategies and applications built for fish and wildlife organizations. The presentation will also focus on the integration of several API's (application programming interfaces) available for mobile development, such as TRACS, eBirds, etc.

BIOGRAPHY:

As Director of Enterprise Solutions of Timmons Group, Chris Gerecke performs a multitude of tasks required for the successful design, development, implementation, and support of high quality geospatial and technology solutions. His comprehensive knowledge of geospatial software solutions, including Google, Bing!, Esri ArcGIS Mobile, Esri ArcGIS Server and various mobile API's and HTML5 mobile-web standards, enables Timmons Group to provide GIS application development and implementation for a growing list of clients.

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Wed, Oct 17 8:35 am

MDC Mobile: iPads for collecting field data Joel Sartwell, Missouri Department of Conservation

ABSTRACT:

At the Missouri Department of Conservation we have been using Trimble Rangers and Nomads for almost 7 years for collecting data in the field. Twenty years before that we used the hefty CMTs hand-held computers. Numerous data collections programs have been written for all of these devices, for many different users. All computer applications and devices have shortcomings. This is especially true for hand-held devices when trying to enter complex data. There is never enough memory, computer screen, or computation speed to make the job efficient and user friendly. We are now ready to make the leap to iPads. Not only does this platform provide a larger screen with which to work and increased performance, it also give us the benefit of using the “cloud” to store our data in a single location. I will detail our latest efforts to use the iPad to replace Nomads for collecting survey data at our Nature Centers.

BIOGRAPHY:

Joel Sartwell is a Systems Analyst with the Missouri Department of Conservation in Columbia, Missouri. He received his B.S. in Chemistry from the University of Missouri-Kansas City and his Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry from the University of Nebraska. His interests include scientific software development, user interfaces, simulation, and statistical wildlife biology. His current projects include data capture systems using cell phones and hand-held computers, as well as, using javascript and Google Maps to create animated displays of GPS tracking data for black bears and elk.

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Wed, Oct 17 8:55 am

CyberTracker – Mobile Data Applications, TPWD Wildlife Division Stephen Lange, Texas Parks and Wildlife

ABSTRACT:

TPWD Biologists conduct population surveys annually for big game (white-tailed deer, mule deer, pronghorn, desert bighorn sheep) and avian species (waterfowl, dove, quail, and turkey). Currently, big game data is collected using a variety of GPS-enabled, Windows-based, touch screen capable devices with customized free software from CyberTracker Conservation (www.cybertracker.org). CyberTracker is compatible with most PalmOS, PocketPC, Windows and Windows Mobile devices that have a touch screen. Cybertracker also supports any GPS that can output NMEA sentences (a serial text protocol that GPS devices use to communicate with other computers); in general most serial and Bluetooth GPS devices are compatible. Customization of the Cybertracker application for data collection requires no programming skills. TPWD-customized Cybertracker applications include the ability to record basic distance and direction values, to record GPS tracks and waypoints and to capture more complicated data entry such as voice recording of data observations and viewing a moving map of the survey area and recorded observations. Cybertracker allows field data to be captured in a standardized format and, if enabled, uploaded to a centralized location automatically upon achieving a data connection. Cybertracker data can be exported in many different formats including Microsoft Excel and ArcMap shapefiles for data analysis.

Mitch Lockwood, Big Game Program Director Alan Cain, White-tailed Deer Program Leader Shawn Gray, Mule Deer & Pronghorn Program Leader Cristy Burch, TWIMS Program Specialist Stephen Lange, TWIMS Program Specialist

BIOGRAPHY:

Stephen Lange attended Texas A&M-Commerce graduating with a BS in Geography in 1992 and a MS in Earth Science in 1997. He started at the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department in May of 1998 in wildlife operations. In 2003 he completed a technical degree in GIS from Tyler Junior College. In 2004 he accepted a position at the TPWD regional office and was promoted to bi-regional program specialist for information science in 2008. As the current TWIMS/GIS Specialist for Wildlife Regions 3 & 4, he oversees the application and maintenance of information technologies as it applies to wildlife operations, technical guidance, and public use. He currently supports 117 staff covering 99 counties and 39 of the state’s 50 WMAs across half of Texas.

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http://www.cybertracker.org


Wed, Oct 17 09:30 am

Monitoring Methods: An On-Line Tool for Helping Practitioners Find the Best Techniques for Monitoring Natural Resources Steve Rentmeester*, Matt Deniston, Sitka Technology Group, and Jacque Schei, Pacific Northwest Aquatic Monitoring Program

ABSTRACT:

Fisheries and aquatic habitat monitoring researchers, restoration practitioners, and resource managers are increasingly aware of the importance of documenting and tracking objectives, methods, and study designs used for monitoring fish populations and other aquatic resources. While uncertainty is an integral part of dealing with biological systems, it is crucial that researchers and monitoring practitioners use methods that minimize uncertainty. In addition, there has been rising demand in recent years for organizations to collaborate on monitoring activities and data sharing. Recent Biological Opinions have stated that consistent data collection and analysis methods are essential to enable aggregating and summarizing data across large and diverse geographies and across time. Monitoring Methods (www.monitoringmethods.org) is an on-line tool that allows practitioners to document protocols and methods as well as share their insights about those protocols and methods. Monitoring Methods also allows people to document adjustments to monitoring protocols, enabling them to maintain a record of what happened over the course of a multi-year study. Because the tool is accessible for free on-line, it allows people, often from multiple organizations, to work together on developing protocols and methods. By providing a place where practitioners can be transparent about their techniques, we can better understand how and why data are collected.

BIOGRAPHY:

Steve is a Senior Business Analyst with Sitka Technology Group in Portland OR. His satisfaction comes from seeing how technology enables clients to better manage natural resources throughout the Pacific Northwest. Prior to joining Sitka in January 2012, Steve spent 15 years working at the interface between ecology and information. For the last seven years, his work involved analyzing the information needs of salmon recovery research, monitoring, and evaluation programs in the Columbia River Basin. Steve’s experience also includes coordinating data management systems and tasks as an independent contractor at agencies such as Bonneville Power Administration and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries Service.

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Wed, Oct 17 9:50 am

The Benefits of Cloud Computing to Automate Aquatic Habitat Mapping with Acoustics Matt Johnson, Contour Innovations

ABSTRACT:

Explore the benefits of cloud computing software and processes to automate bathymetric and vegetation mapping while forming an online warehouse of historical aquatic habitat data. By collecting acoustic data using Lowrance HDS depth finders and providing cloud processing algorithms to automate the output, we can eliminate a need for the hours and costs associated with generating habitat data with a wide range of methods. By removing the human element of processing raw acoustics, these Systems support a new protocol of recording data every time you are on the water in order to build a uniform and historical database of aquatic environments. In addition, by processing the data in the cloud and warehousing in a secure account online, we greatly increase the ability to share uniform habitat data across agencies and organizations for historical comparisons. These platforms will allow us to expand into a consumer model with a different feature set appealing to anglers that incentivize them to upload acoustic files for trend analytics, patterning, and personal bathymetric mapping of the areas they fish. This crowd sourcing effort will lead to a single source of truth for uniform and historical lake habitat data for early detection and rapid response.

BIOGRAPHY:

Matt Johnson is the CEO of Contour Innovations, formed to create the first centralized tools to bridge the gap between the power of Lowrance HDS acoustics and the web. The ciBioBase System, launched in 2011, was developed to provide database and trend tools for aquatic vegetation research groups. Using automated cloud acoustic processing and geo-statistic outputs, BioBase offers the power of lake and vegetation abundance mapping for maintaining a comprehensive look at lake status changes over time and crowd sourcing the effort. Real time and historical mapped data can be used in correlation with additional studies to evaluate lake performance and allocate/recommend efficient resources management.

40



At-sea Data Collection in the Salmon Fisheries Using GPS-enabled Android

Jon Lavrakas, Advanced Research Corporation

ABSTRACT:

Fisheries today are challenged with the overfishing of desired species, catching of weak stocks, and understanding the migration patterns of fish in changing oceanographic conditions. Geospatial techniques and the use of GPS have opened up a new possibilities for data collection and visualization, providing tools to assist fishers, fishery managers, and scientists in better managing the fisheries. Over the past several years, systems have been developed to do the data collection, but they have been bulky, difficult to operate, and pricey. With the advent of smart phones and tablets, rich in features such as wireless communications, GPS, and significant processing power comes an opportunity to jump start the process, providing low cost and easy to use products. This paper presents the results of research conducted to develop and field an at-sea data collection system using devices and technologies such as the Nook tablet reader, an Android-based smartphone, and Bluetooth and wireless. The paper explores the usability issues associated with fielding electronic equipment onboard the decks of fishing vessels operating at sea in the Pacific northwest, and makes recommendations for improvements to the positioning and communication technology, operational deployment, and application to data collection at sea.

BIOGRAPHY:

John W. Lavrakas is president of Advanced Research Corporation of Newport, Oregon, providing consulting and R&D services in fishery information systems and navigation technologies. Under his guidance, Advanced Research developed fishery information systems for the West Coast Genetic Stock Identification Project and for the Gulf of Mexico Reef Fish Shareholders’ Alliance. His career field has been in GPS where he has worked for over 32 years, and serves as a subject matter expert to the U.S. Department of Transportation. He is past president and fellow of the Institute of Navigation, and an officer in the Oregon chapter of the Marine Technology Society.

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Multiple Approaches to Leveraging Mobile Technologies for Field Data Collection Brent Kinal, New York Natural Heritage Program

ABSTRACT:

The use of personal mobile devices including smartphones and tablets has increased dramatically in the last 5 years changing the way we generate and access data. Use of mobile devices for field data collection should not be a one-size fits all approach, This presentation will discuss how resource managers can provide multiple tools for field data collection, utilizing smartphones and tablets to collect field data, allowing organizations to pick the application and platform which best fits their needs.

BIOGRAPHY:

Brent has been GIS Specialist with the New York Natural Heritage Program, Invasive Species Database Program for the last 4 years. He has 19 years experience in natural resources and GIS. In his spare time he tries to avoid computers by spending time with his wife and two sons exploring the outdoors. Brent enjoys telemark skiing, mountain biking and playing soccer.

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Integration of tabular and GIS technologies in a web-based data query system Bruce Schmidt, Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission

ABSTRACT:

StreamNet, a cooperative fisheries data dissemination project, has implemented a new online data query system that integrates tabular and map based functions. Users query data by sorting and/or filtering on columns in a tabular format in conjunction with a map interface to select locations. Selecting specific stream, dam or hatchery locations is accomplished by typing in the first few letters of the name. Query results of tabular data are shown in tabular format with the location mapped and the data graphed on a chart, while query results for GIS data are displayed on a map. System users can 'tag' individual records to assign needed information to personal groups for rapid retrieval in the future. The organization and layout of the user interface is customizable, and in the future will remain in the selected layout on future visits. Multiple data download options are provided. The system functions by accessing web services, with each record related to a feature in a published web map service (ArcGIS Server REST API). Our web programmer, database administrator and GIS specialist collaboratively designed the system to allow different aspects to be configured by the appropriate staff person with no need to modify the actual code. The result is a data query approach that is fast, intuitive, flexible, and able to deal with complex data.

BIOGRAPHY:

Bruce Schmidt has over 35 years of experience in fisheries management, research and administration spanning four states. He has BS and MS degrees in fisheries, and began work with computers in 1973 using Fortran IV. He is currently employed in the field of information management as Program Manager of the StreamNet Project with the Pacific States Marine Fisheries commission with funding from Bonneville Power Administration.

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Texas Fishing Mobile Web

Dyanne Cortez*, John Taylor, and Ken Kurwaski, Texas Parks and Wildlife

ABSTRACT:

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department hosts an extensive and well-used website, visited

by more than 25,000 people per day. Web statistics indicate a growing share of this

customer base, perhaps as high as 30 percent, is connecting via mobile device. As

mobile web surfing becomes more common, our agency is seeking ways to use these

technologies to reach our constituents. Some teams are exploring possibilities for

downloadable applications, but this route presents some disadvantages: generally, an

“app” is written for a specific mobile device, making it necessary to create multiple

versions or risk excluding groups of users; and producing an app may require hiring

contract programmers, which can strain limited state budgets. Our group chose instead

to build a small set of web pages within the larger site that are specially designed for

anglers using mobile devices. This meant not only developing a mobile-friendly

stylesheet and page template, but also considering what information would be most

important to mobile anglers and presenting it in the most useful way. The Texas Fishing

Mobile Web offers weekly fishing reports, a searchable database of fish records and

site-specific fishing regulations, and quick-dial links to agency telephone hotlines. The

mobile web pages can be read by any internet-enabled device and were built by

reallocation of existing staff hours at no additional cost.

BIOGRAPHY:

Dyanne Cortez has a degree in Horticulture from Texas A&M University, but has spent

most of her working life translating science into plain English for the general public.

She currently serves as web and publications coordinator for Texas Parks and Wildlife

Department’s Inland Fisheries Division, working with colleagues in other divisions to

keep the agency website up to date. And she writes occasional articles for the award-

winning Texas Parks and Wildlife Magazine.


Conference Session III

Wed, Oct 17

11:25 am

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OFWIM 2012 Conference Abstract Conference Session IV

Wed, Oct 17 2:00 pm

Atlantic Coastal Cooperative Statistics Program: Good Data In, Good Data Out, Good Decisions Julie Defilippi, Atlantic Coastal Cooperative Statistics Program

ABSTRACT:

The Atlantic Coastal Cooperative Statistics Program (ACCSP) is a cooperative state-federal program. One of the major tasks for the ACCSP staff is compilation of data from 23 state and federal partners into a single dataset, the Data Warehouse, in order to provide the most complete picture of Atlantic coastal catch-effort data. The ACCSP aids partners in data collection by funding collection programs and through the development and maintenance of the Standard Atlantic Fisheries Information System (SAFIS). The applications that fall under the SAFIS umbrella include eDR (dealer reporting), eTRIPS (fishermen reporting), eREC (recreational trips) and SMS (management system). All these data are available at confidential and non-confidential levels to hundreds of ACCSP users. The data are referenced by various state and federal staff for management purposes and have been accessed for multiple stock assessments. The data in the Data Warehouse have also been used for a variety of Custom Data Requests. ACCSP data are used to track trends in bait fisheries, evaluate fishery participation, and socio-economic analyses. The varied utility of the Data Warehouse demonstrates that the integrated, holistic approach to data collection and dissemination practiced by the ACCSP has succeeded in creating a valuable resource for the Atlantic coast.

BIOGRAPHY:

Julie Defilippi has been a Data Coordinator for the Atlantic Coastal Cooperative Statistics Program for the last five years. She is responsible for managing the data feeds from various partners and aiding partners and the public in gaining access to the data.

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Conference Session IV

Wed, Oct 17

2:20 pm

Developing Climate Change Adaptation Strategies for Florida

Beth Stys, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

ABSTRACT:

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), in response to potential

impacts to natural resources due to climate change, has begun work on developing a

common set of tools and approaches for climate change adaptation planning that can

be used across the agency’s management programs (e.g., harvested species, imperiled

species, SWAP strategies, wildlife management areas). Overall, this document will be a

‘one-stop’ product providing the necessary background information and guidance for

incorporating climate change into FWC activities. The first part will consist of: 1) an

overview of climate change-related stresses and threats that are projected to occur in

Florida, 2) the potential ecological effects caused by the identified stresses and threats

and 3) associated adaptation strategies. The second part of the document will consist

of overall guidance on the process of incorporating climate change adaptation

strategies into existing plans or those under development. In order to facilitate

gathering information on possible ecological consequences, an Access database was

developed. The database provided a user friendly entry form as well as “pick lists” to

maintain consistency across the inputs.

BIOGRAPHY:

Beth received her B.S. in Wildlife and Fisheries Science from Texas A&M University and

an M.S. degree in Wildlife Ecology and Management at Mississippi State University.

Beth is currently a Research Administrator within the Center for Spatial Analysis of the

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s Fish and Wildlife Research

Institute. She has worked for the FWC for over 20 years. Most of her work with the

FWC has focused on landscape level, statewide conservation planning, including

imperiled species protection, terrestrial and freshwater aquatic conservation area

identification and prioritization, species habitat modeling and land cover mapping.

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OFWIM 2012 Conference Abstract Conference Session IV

Wed, Oct 17 2:40 pm

The surprising impacts of technology: Development of a fish

identification mobile application.

Keith Hurley, Nebraska Game and Parks Commission

ABSTRACT:

Advances in technology continue to occur at incredible speeds enabling capabilities unimagined just a few years ago. Through cross-discipline collaboration between fishery and computer scientists, we undertook to determine if current visual analysis techniques and technologies would be sufficient to create a mobile (Android) application that could identify the major game fish species of Nebraska with end-user generated pictures. The current product of this collaboration is a prototype application that correctly identifies fish a majority of the time, and is capable of uploading the picture and resulting assessment to a citizen-science style, geospatial-based, social media website. During this collaboration, we learned that these advances in technology can be useful in educational and field science (expected lesson), and that these advances in technology will likely revolutionize and rewrite such main-steam, old-school disciplines as ichthyology (unexpected lesson).

BIOGRAPHY:

Keith Hurley received a B.S. in Wildlife and Fisheries Science from South Dakota State University and a M.S. in Zoology from Southern Illinois University – Carbondale. I was hired by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission in 1999 and worked as a fisheries biologist in the northeast and southwest district offices for 7 years. In 2006, I was promoted to Fish and Wildlife Specialist and for the past 6 years have spent my time managing fisheries and creel data collected statewide, developing new data systems for the fisheries division, maintaining and updating computers for our staff, and conducting and overseeing fisheries research projects across the state.

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OFWIM 2012 Con

Documents

Organization of Fish & Wildlife Information ManagersWeb Mapping Made Easy with Google Fusion Tables David O’Donnell, Texas Parks and Wildlife 10:55 AM U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s