Selected Projects...

Avian Radar Study and NEXRAD Analysis, Long Island Offshore Wind Park, New York Read more >

Offshore and Onshore MARS® Avian Radar Surveys for Cape Wind Associates, Nantucket Sound, Massachusetts Read more >

Avian Monitoring Studies, NEXRAD Analysis, and Avian Risk Assessment, Paragon Wind Energy Project, New York Read more >

Wildlife Hazard Assessment, Management Plan, and Training, Bush Field Airport, Georgia Read more >

Real-Time Avian Hazard Radar Monitoring, Royal Air Force, Kinloss Read more >

Airfield, Landfill and Wind Farm Radar Surveys, Central Science Laboratory Bird Management Unit, United Kingdom Read more >

Radar

GMI's Mobile Avian Radar System® (MARS®) units have been used worldwide for applications such as avian assessments for onshore and offshore wind farms, and in the management of bird and wildlife hazards at airports. GMI’s bird detection systems include modified radar systems utilizing commercial off-the-shelf equipment and custom engineered, tailor constructed systems.

GMI’s pioneering Wildlife Remote Sensing and Technology program came online in 1994. We developed avian remote sensing systems to reduce bird strikes to aircraft and collect data for a variety of environmental applications. Since then, staff members have developed many innovative technologies and processes used to power state-of-the-art avian radar and bird detection systems such as MARS®.

GMI has accomplished many milestones in the BASH industry and GMI’s MARS® are leading the way in remote sensing systems for bird detection.

MARS

1st automatic vertical scanning radar for bird detection (2000)

1st real-time, on-airport bird detection and warning system (2003)

1st predictive algorithms to track migrating birds (2005)

1st post-processing analysis tools library

1st enhanced data visualization

GMI continues to develop and refine systems to detect, quantify, and track bird activity. GMI continues to research, modify, and increase capabilities of its products (e.g., MARS®), services, and technologies to provide excellence to its clients.

The GMI wildlife remote sensing and technology team consists of:

Radar ornithologists
Environmental biologists
Statisticians
Radar system engineers
Software engineers

GMI develops innovative technology and algorithms to power state-of-the-art radar-based bird detection systems and provide cost-effective methods to conduct avian and bat surveys, assessments, management planning, and training.

SERVICE AREAS

GMI offers a full line of advanced wildlife remote sensing services, products, and technology for wildlife/bird studies, wildlife hazard assessments/management plans at airports, wind energy facilities, and tower and other development sites. GMI’s MARS® bird detection systems support a wide range of safety and environmental protection applications.

The MARS® unit offers:

Bird and bat activity and density assessments
- Large radar coverage area
- Detailed data resolution
Recording of baseline activity and migratory events
Effective day and night and in limited visibility
Real-time data processing
24/7 automatic target archive to database
- Operations limited only by available power and data storage capacity
- Automatic clutter and interference suppression

Comparison of mars® surveillance radar to traditional visual observation methodologies

ADVANTAGES OF MARS®

No observer bias inherent with traditional visual observation methodologies

Continuous (24 hours/day, 7 days/week) automatic GIS target digital archive to database which can be replayed later to analyze various characteristics of events

Continued operation during low visibility conditions (e.g., cloudy, light rain, nighttime) when visual observations may not be possible

Continuous scanning sweep of 360º up to 6 nautical miles

Fully integrated, GIS that provides target coordinates, heading, and size parameters updated every 2.5 seconds

DISADVANTAGES OF SURVEILLANCE RADAR

Visual observations may be necessary to identify individual species

Note: Surveillance radar cannot distinguish between individual birds and flocks of birds.

The MARS® avian radar systems are available in a range of configurations (e.g., standard, airport) and can be modified or custom Monthly avian activity as recorded by MARS designed to satisfy client/developer requirements. GMI offers MARS® for sale or lease.

GMI clients which have purchased or leased a MARS® unit include:

Wind power developers
Airports
Federal and foreign agencies
Domestic and international commercial carriers
Utility companies
Landfill operators
Mining firms
Industrial facilities

GMI MARS® units have been used for avian studies collecting data for migratory and resident bird and bat activity patterns. MARS® data collection allows for an avian and/or bat analysis including passage rates, flight directions, and altitude use.

GMI offers a range of stock and custom-designed MARS® units for sale, long-term lease, or short-term rental for safety and/or environmental applications. The MARS® is a fully self-contained radar system ready for operation at delivery. Custom options include increased radar power, fiber optic and wireless data links, customized processing software, on-board power, and other features. The MARS® units, incorporating additional processors and GMI proprietary software algorithms, demonstrate remarkable features that set them apart from the conventional radars and other bird radars that have been developed for ornithological research. Systems are available in X-, S-, and combined-band radar formats depending upon specific application requirements and operational objectives. Each MARS® is custom configured to the client’s specifications.

View a typical MARS configuration here

As a component of GMI, avian radar surveys and monitoring, GMI can also conduct a variety of field activities to assess, monitor, restore and manage birds and wildlife hazards at urban (e.g. airports, landfills) and remote (e.g. wind power, tower) project sites.