scholarly journals MONITORING SEABIRDS AND MARINE MAMMALS BY GEOREFERENCED AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY

2016 ◽  
Vol XLI-B8 ◽  
pp. 689-694 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Kemper ◽  
A. Weidauer ◽  
T. Coppack
Keyword(s):  
Marine Mammals ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Anthropogenic Impacts ◽  
Relative Size ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Offshore Wind ◽  
Technical Requirements ◽  
Spatial Coverage ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Mandatory Requirement

The assessment of anthropogenic impacts on the marine environment is challenged by the accessibility, accuracy and validity of biogeographical information. Offshore wind farm projects require large-scale ecological surveys before, during and after construction, in order to assess potential effects on the distribution and abundance of protected species. The robustness of site-specific population estimates depends largely on the extent and design of spatial coverage and the accuracy of the applied census technique. Standard environmental assessment studies in Germany have so far included aerial visual surveys to evaluate potential impacts of offshore wind farms on seabirds and marine mammals. However, low flight altitudes, necessary for the visual classification of species, disturb sensitive bird species and also hold significant safety risks for the observers. Thus, aerial surveys based on high-resolution digital imagery, which can be carried out at higher (safer) flight altitudes (beyond the rotor-swept zone of the wind turbines) have become a mandatory requirement, technically solving the problem of distant-related observation bias. A purpose-assembled imagery system including medium-format cameras in conjunction with a dedicated geo-positioning platform delivers series of orthogonal digital images that meet the current technical requirements of authorities for surveying marine wildlife at a comparatively low cost. At a flight altitude of 425 m, a focal length of 110 mm, implemented forward motion compensation (FMC) and exposure times ranging between 1/1600 and 1/1000 s, the twin-camera system generates high quality 16 bit RGB images with a ground sampling distance (GSD) of 2 cm and an image footprint of 155 x 410 m. The image files are readily transferrable to a GIS environment for further editing, taking overlapping image areas and areas affected by glare into account. The imagery can be routinely screened by the human eye guided by purpose-programmed software to distinguish biological from non-biological signals. Each detected seabird or marine mammal signal is identified to species level or assigned to a species group and automatically saved into a geo-database for subsequent quality assurance, geo-statistical analyses and data export to third-party users. The relative size of a detected object can be accurately measured which provides key information for species-identification. During the development and testing of this system until 2015, more than 40 surveys have produced around 500.000 digital aerial images, of which some were taken in specially protected areas (SPA) of the Baltic Sea and thus include a wide range of relevant species. Here, we present the technical principles of this comparatively new survey approach and discuss the key methodological challenges related to optimizing survey design and workflow in view of the pending regulatory requirements for effective environmental impact assessments.

scholarly journals MONITORING SEABIRDS AND MARINE MAMMALS BY GEOREFERENCED AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY

2016 ◽  
Vol XLI-B8 ◽  
pp. 689-694 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Kemper ◽  
A. Weidauer ◽  
T. Coppack
Keyword(s):  
Marine Mammals ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Anthropogenic Impacts ◽  
Relative Size ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Offshore Wind ◽  
Technical Requirements ◽  
Spatial Coverage ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Mandatory Requirement

The assessment of anthropogenic impacts on the marine environment is challenged by the accessibility, accuracy and validity of biogeographical information. Offshore wind farm projects require large-scale ecological surveys before, during and after construction, in order to assess potential effects on the distribution and abundance of protected species. The robustness of site-specific population estimates depends largely on the extent and design of spatial coverage and the accuracy of the applied census technique. Standard environmental assessment studies in Germany have so far included aerial visual surveys to evaluate potential impacts of offshore wind farms on seabirds and marine mammals. However, low flight altitudes, necessary for the visual classification of species, disturb sensitive bird species and also hold significant safety risks for the observers. Thus, aerial surveys based on high-resolution digital imagery, which can be carried out at higher (safer) flight altitudes (beyond the rotor-swept zone of the wind turbines) have become a mandatory requirement, technically solving the problem of distant-related observation bias. A purpose-assembled imagery system including medium-format cameras in conjunction with a dedicated geo-positioning platform delivers series of orthogonal digital images that meet the current technical requirements of authorities for surveying marine wildlife at a comparatively low cost. At a flight altitude of 425 m, a focal length of 110 mm, implemented forward motion compensation (FMC) and exposure times ranging between 1/1600 and 1/1000 s, the twin-camera system generates high quality 16 bit RGB images with a ground sampling distance (GSD) of 2 cm and an image footprint of 155 x 410 m. The image files are readily transferrable to a GIS environment for further editing, taking overlapping image areas and areas affected by glare into account. The imagery can be routinely screened by the human eye guided by purpose-programmed software to distinguish biological from non-biological signals. Each detected seabird or marine mammal signal is identified to species level or assigned to a species group and automatically saved into a geo-database for subsequent quality assurance, geo-statistical analyses and data export to third-party users. The relative size of a detected object can be accurately measured which provides key information for species-identification. During the development and testing of this system until 2015, more than 40 surveys have produced around 500.000 digital aerial images, of which some were taken in specially protected areas (SPA) of the Baltic Sea and thus include a wide range of relevant species. Here, we present the technical principles of this comparatively new survey approach and discuss the key methodological challenges related to optimizing survey design and workflow in view of the pending regulatory requirements for effective environmental impact assessments.

The extent of dispersive movement behaviour in Australian vertebrate animals, possible causes, and some implications for conservation

2007 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 93 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandy Gilmore ◽  
Brendan Mackey ◽  
Sandra Berry
Keyword(s):  
Marine Mammals ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Net Energy ◽  
Migratory Species ◽  
Marine Reptiles ◽  
Published Evidence ◽  
Darwinian Fitness ◽  
Population Breeding ◽  
Epbc Act

We review categorizations of, and published evidence for, large-scale or dispersive movement in Australia's vertebrate fauna. For the purposes of this paper, dispersive movements are defined as any large scale movements, relative to an individual's territory or to the population breeding range. A continuum in dispersive behaviours can be recognized between regular annual migration and less regular more opportunistic and either more or less extensive re-colonization movements. We argue that dispersive movements can be explained in terms of individuals maximizing Darwinian fitness through optimizing net energy intake traded off against mortality risk, as these vary over space and time. We find that migration, nomadism and other forms of dispersive behaviour can be considered to differ, not in type, but merely in degree. Our review revealed evidence of dispersive movement for 36 (16%) freshwater fish species, 2 (1 %) frogs, 5 (0.6%) land and freshwater reptiles, 7 (100%) marine reptiles, 342 (51%) land and freshwater birds, 88 (56%) marine birds, 27 (8%) land and freshwater mammals, and 28 (50%) marine mammals. The Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) is the Australian Government's main legal instrument for the conservation of biodiversity. While it recognizes, and has special provisions for, international migratory species, the Act does not recognize the special conservation challenges of continental dispersive fauna. The continental dispersive fauna not recognized by the Act includes 246 bird species. We conclude that the EPBC Act needs to be amended to explicitly account for the national conservation responsibilities of the Australian Government with respect to dispersive fauna.

scholarly journals Research and Implementation of Real-time Render Optimization Algorithm Based on GPU

2021 ◽  
Vol 2136 (1) ◽  
pp. 012059
Author(s):  
Songlan Wang ◽  
Ji Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Computer Graphics ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Continuous Optimization ◽  
Technology Application ◽  
Future Technology ◽  
Research And Innovation ◽  
Technical Requirements ◽  
Core Technology ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Complex Scenes

Abstract In the continuous optimization of computer graphics, game engine and virtual reality have become the focus of research and innovation in the current technology field. Rendering is a core technology to show a variety of graphic effects, which has been attached great importance to and applied by the whole society. Nowadays, although the rendering of large-scale and complex scenes has a wide range of applications, the actual optimization requirements are very high. Therefore, in the future technology application and research and development, based on higher and higher technical requirements, it is necessary to improve the efficiency of actual rendering while ensuring or improving the rendering quality. Therefore, this paper studies how to use the algorithm to improve the efficiency of actual rendering, so as to provide a new basis for future computer graphics research.

scholarly journals Subsistence practices, past biodiversity, and anthropogenic impacts revealed by New Zealand-wide ancient DNA survey

2018 ◽  
Vol 115 (30) ◽  
pp. 7771-7776 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frederik V. Seersholm ◽  
Theresa L. Cole ◽  
Alicia Grealy ◽  
Nicolas J. Rawlence ◽  
Karen Greig ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Marine Mammals ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Anthropogenic Impacts ◽  
Spatial Dynamics ◽  
Terrestrial Mammals ◽  
Bone Fragments ◽  
Genetic Survey ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Subsistence Practices

New Zealand’s geographic isolation, lack of native terrestrial mammals, and Gondwanan origins make it an ideal location to study evolutionary processes. However, since the archipelago was first settled by humans 750 y ago, its unique biodiversity has been under pressure, and today an estimated 49% of the terrestrial avifauna is extinct. Current efforts to conserve the remaining fauna rely on a better understanding of the composition of past ecosystems, as well as the causes and timing of past extinctions. The exact temporal and spatial dynamics of New Zealand’s extinct fauna, however, can be difficult to interpret, as only a small proportion of animals are preserved as morphologically identifiable fossils. Here, we conduct a large-scale genetic survey of subfossil bone assemblages to elucidate the impact of humans on the environment in New Zealand. By genetically identifying more than 5,000 nondiagnostic bone fragments from archaeological and paleontological sites, we reconstruct a rich faunal record of 110 species of birds, fish, reptiles, amphibians, and marine mammals. We report evidence of five whale species rarely reported from New Zealand archaeological middens and characterize extinct lineages of leiopelmatid frog (Leiopelma sp.) and kākāpō (Strigops habroptilus) haplotypes lost from the gene pool. Taken together, this molecular audit of New Zealand’s subfossil record not only contributes to our understanding of past biodiversity and precontact Māori subsistence practices but also provides a more nuanced snapshot of anthropogenic impacts on native fauna after first human arrival.

Electron microscopy study of reactively sputter-deposited Ti/N films on silicon

1992 ◽  
Vol 50 (2) ◽  
pp. 1362-1363
Author(s):  
V. C. Kannan ◽  
A. K. Singh ◽  
R. B. Irwin ◽  
S. Chittipeddi ◽  
F. D. Nkansah ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Integrated Circuits ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Hexagonal Phase ◽  
Microscopy Study ◽  
Electron Microscopy Study ◽  
Process Conditions ◽  
Tin Films ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Fcc Phase ◽  
Circuits Vlsi

Titanium nitride (TiN) films have historically been used as diffusion barrier between silicon and aluminum, as an adhesion layer for tungsten deposition and as an interconnect material etc. Recently, the role of TiN films as contact barriers in very large scale silicon integrated circuits (VLSI) has been extensively studied. TiN films have resistivities on the order of 20μ Ω-cm which is much lower than that of titanium (nearly 66μ Ω-cm). Deposited TiN films show resistivities which vary from 20 to 100μ Ω-cm depending upon the type of deposition and process conditions. TiNx is known to have a NaCl type crystal structure for a wide range of compositions. Change in color from metallic luster to gold reflects the stabilization of the TiNx (FCC) phase over the close packed Ti(N) hexagonal phase. It was found that TiN (1:1) ideal composition with the FCC (NaCl-type) structure gives the best electrical property.

THE SOME QUESTIONS OF AUTONOMOUS MOTION AND MANAGEMENT OF LAND-MOBILE ROBOTIC COMPLEXES FOR UKRAINIAN GROUND FORCESE

2019 ◽  
pp. 53-58
Author(s):  
О. Кravchuk ◽  
V. Symonenkov ◽  
I. Symonenkova ◽  
O. Hryhorev
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Armed Forces ◽  
Distributed Information ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Highly Effective ◽  
Information Management Systems ◽  
Robotic Devices ◽  
Principles And Standards ◽  
And Control ◽  
The Eu

Today, more than forty countries of the world are engaged in the development of military-purpose robots. A number of unique mobile robots with a wide range of capabilities are already being used by combat and intelligence units of the Armed forces of the developed world countries to conduct battlefield intelligence and support tactical groups. At present, the issue of using the latest information technology in the field of military robotics is thoroughly investigated, and the creation of highly effective information management systems in the land-mobile robotic complexes has acquired a new phase associated with the use of distributed information and sensory systems and consists in the transition from application of separate sensors and devices to the construction of modular information subsystems, which provide the availability of various data sources and complex methods of information processing. The purpose of the article is to investigate the ways to increase the autonomy of the land-mobile robotic complexes using in a non-deterministic conditions of modern combat. Relevance of researches is connected with the necessity of creation of highly effective information and control systems in the perspective robotic means for the needs of Land Forces of Ukraine. The development of the Armed Forces of Ukraine management system based on the criteria adopted by the EU and NATO member states is one of the main directions of increasing the effectiveness of the use of forces (forces), which involves achieving the principles and standards necessary for Ukraine to become a member of the EU and NATO. The inherent features of achieving these criteria will be the transition to a reduction of tasks of the combined-arms units and the large-scale use of high-precision weapons and land remote-controlled robotic devices. According to the views of the leading specialists in the field of robotics, the automation of information subsystems and components of the land-mobile robotic complexes can increase safety, reliability, error-tolerance and the effectiveness of the use of robotic means by standardizing the necessary actions with minimal human intervention, that is, a significant increase in the autonomy of the land-mobile robotic complexes for the needs of Land Forces of Ukraine.

Stirring and aeration system for the upgrading of small waste water treatment plants

1994 ◽  
Vol 29 (12) ◽  
pp. 149-156 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcus Höfken ◽  
Katharina Zähringer ◽  
Franz Bischof
Keyword(s):  
Waste Water ◽  
Water Treatment ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Waste Water Treatment ◽  
Water Treatment Plants ◽  
Waste Water Treatment Plants ◽  
Basic Fluid ◽  
Aeration System ◽  
Technical Realization ◽  
Wide Range

A novel agitating system has been developed which allows for individual or combined operation of stirring and aeration processes. Basic fluid mechanical considerations led to the innovative hyperboloid design of the stirrer body, which ensures high efficiencies in the stirring and the aeration mode, gentle circulation with low shear forces, excellent controllability, and a wide range of applications. This paper presents the basic considerations which led to the operating principle, the technical realization of the system and experimental results in a large-scale plant. The characteristics of the system and the differences to other stirring and aeration systems are illustrated. Details of the technical realization are shown, which conform to the specific demands of applications in the biological treatment of waste water. Special regard is given to applications in the upgrading of small compact waste water treatment plants.

Thin structure of heterogeneous and multiphase fluid flows

2012 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 175-180
Author(s):  
Yu.D. Chashechkin
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Fundamental System ◽  
Fluid Flows ◽  
Regular Solutions ◽  
Flow Models ◽  
Group Methods ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Thin Structure ◽  
Multiphase Fluid ◽  
Complete Solutions

According to the results of visualization of streams, the existence of structures in a wide range of scales is noted: from galactic to micron. The use of a fundamental system of equations is substantiated based on the results of comparing symmetries of various flow models with the usage of theoretical group methods. Complete solutions of the system are found by the methods of the singular perturbations theory with a condition of compatibility, which determines the characteristic equation. A comparison of complete solutions with experimental data shows that regular solutions characterize large-scale components of the flow, a rich family of singular solutions describes formation of the thin media structure. Examples of calculations and observations of stratified, rotating and multiphase media are given. The requirements for the technique of an adequate experiment are discussed.

Integrative Data Analysis from a Unifying Research Synthesis Perspective

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eun-Young Mun ◽  
Anne E. Ray
Keyword(s):  
Data Analysis ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Research Synthesis ◽  
Alcohol Intervention ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Integrative Data Analysis ◽  
Level Data ◽  
Model Complex ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Individual Participant

Integrative data analysis (IDA) is a promising new approach in psychological research and has been well received in the field of alcohol research. This chapter provides a larger unifying research synthesis framework for IDA. Major advantages of IDA of individual participant-level data include better and more flexible ways to examine subgroups, model complex relationships, deal with methodological and clinical heterogeneity, and examine infrequently occurring behaviors. However, between-study heterogeneity in measures, designs, and samples and systematic study-level missing data are significant barriers to IDA and, more broadly, to large-scale research synthesis. Based on the authors’ experience working on the Project INTEGRATE data set, which combined individual participant-level data from 24 independent college brief alcohol intervention studies, it is also recognized that IDA investigations require a wide range of expertise and considerable resources and that some minimum standards for reporting IDA studies may be needed to improve transparency and quality of evidence.

Quantum Optomechanics and Nanomechanics

2020 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Gravitational Wave ◽  
Summer School ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Quantum Noise ◽  
Foundations Of Quantum Mechanics ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Measurement Laser ◽  
Quantum Limits ◽  
Quantum Optomechanics ◽  
Quantum Ground State

The Les Houches Summer School 2015 covered the emerging fields of cavity optomechanics and quantum nanomechanics. Optomechanics is flourishing and its concepts and techniques are now applied to a wide range of topics. Modern quantum optomechanics was born in the late 70s in the framework of gravitational wave interferometry, initially focusing on the quantum limits of displacement measurements. Carlton Caves, Vladimir Braginsky, and others realized that the sensitivity of the anticipated large-scale gravitational-wave interferometers (GWI) was fundamentally limited by the quantum fluctuations of the measurement laser beam. After tremendous experimental progress, the sensitivity of the upcoming next generation of GWI will effectively be limited by quantum noise. In this way, quantum-optomechanical effects will directly affect the operation of what is arguably the world’s most impressive precision experiment. However, optomechanics has also gained a life of its own with a focus on the quantum aspects of moving mirrors. Laser light can be used to cool mechanical resonators well below the temperature of their environment. After proof-of-principle demonstrations of this cooling in 2006, a number of systems were used as the field gradually merged with its condensed matter cousin (nanomechanical systems) to try to reach the mechanical quantum ground state, eventually demonstrated in 2010 by pure cryogenic techniques and a year later by a combination of cryogenic and radiation-pressure cooling. The book covers all aspects—historical, theoretical, experimental—of the field, with its applications to quantum measurement, foundations of quantum mechanics and quantum information. Essential reading for any researcher in the field.

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