DOI: 10.5061/dryad.jsxksn08b
title: A satellite-based mobile warning system to reduce interactions with an endangered species

description: Earth observing satellites are a major research tool for spatially
 explicit ecosystem nowcasting and forecasting. However, there are
 practical challenges when integrating satellite data into usable real-time
 products for stakeholders. The need of forecast immediacy and accuracy
 means that forecast systems must account for missing data and data latency
 while delivering a timely, accurate and actionable product to
 stakeholders. This is especially true for species that have legal
 protection. Acipenser oxyrinchus oxyrinchus (Atlantic Sturgeon) were
 listed under the United States Endangered Species Act in 2012, which
 triggered immediate management action to foster population recovery and
 increase conservation measures. Building upon an existing research
 occurrence model, we developed an Atlantic Sturgeon forecast system in the
 Delaware Bay, U.S.A. To overcome missing satellite data due to clouds and
 produce a three-day forecast of ocean conditions, we implemented Data
 Interpolating Empirical Orthogonal Functions (DINEOF) on daily observed
 satellite data. We applied the Atlantic Sturgeon research model to the
 DINEOF output and found that it correctly predicted Atlantic Sturgeon
 telemetry occurrences over 90% of the time within a three-day forecast. A
 similar framework has been utilized to forecast harmful algal blooms, but
 to our knowledge, this is the first time a species distribution model has
 been applied to DINEOF gap-filled data to produce a forecast product for
 fishes. To implement this product into an applied management setting, we
 worked with state and federal organizations to develop real-time and
 forecasted risk maps in the Delaware River Estuary for both state level
 managers and commercial fishers. An automated system creates and
 distributes these risk maps to subscribers’ mobile devices, highlighting
 areas that should be avoided to reduce interactions. Additionally, an
 interactive web interface allows users to plot historic, current, future,
 and climatological risk maps as well as the underlying model output of
 Atlantic Sturgeon occurrence. The mobile system and web tool provide both
 stakeholders and managers real-time access to estimated occurrences of
 Atlantic Sturgeon, enabling conservation planning and informing fisher
 behavior to reduce interactions with this endangered species while
 minimizing impacts to fisheries and other projects.
description: This dataset and code is based on the linked article (Breece et
 al. 2018) and satellite data from the MODIS-Aqua sensor for SST and ocean
 color estimates and Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer suite (VIIRS) on
 board Suomi-NPP, launched in 2011 in a combined effort between NASA and
 the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration to extend and
 improve MODIS data products into the foreseeable future through continued
 launches of similar sensors on future satellites through the Joint Polar
 Satellite System (https://www.jpss.noaa.gov/launch.html).
description: To properly use this dataset the user must use program R and the
 associated packages in the code. To expand on the example climatology
 contained within the user would be required to download and process
 satellite data from VIIRS. The associated manuscript and Breece et al.
 2018 are very informative in the production, use, and function of this
 dataset.