Jack and Laura Dangermond Nature Preserve multiscale bird and bat monitoring data (radar and thermal imagery), July 21-25, 2025

The goal of this project is to develop, test, and validate an integrated, real-time, multi-scale system in which multiple sensors work together to improve bird and bat monitoring capacity and understanding of bird and bat interactions with floating offshore wind (FOSW) technologies and provide data to better estimate relative risk of bird and bat strike with FOSW projects. This field data was collected to test and validate a system that integrates radar and stereo thermal camera operations, system functionality, and data output to advance capabilities of each sensor and leverage a combined dataset collected over multiple spatial scales. Specific objectives were to: (1) Develop methodology for collection and synchronization of multiple real-time sensor data sources to address data needs, (2) Determine optimal use modes of each sensor (radar and thermal imagers) as an integrated system, (3) Define dataflow (e.g., cloud-based or onboard processing and interpretation or combination of both) and data processing and analysis methods, and (4) Evaluate advantages and limitations of integrated radar and thermal imaging data as inputs to bird and bat collision risk models as well as for FOSW technology environmental and operational monitoring.