home about services publications news careers contact

Radar Survey

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.

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 

The MARS® avian radar systems are available in a range of configurations (e.g., standard, airport) and can be modified or custom 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.

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.

Related Projects

Avian Radar Study and NEXRAD Analysis

GMI used two MARS® units to monitor avian activity and migration patterns in the study area. GMI biologists recorded avian observations during the fall and spring migrations. In addition to the onshore avian radar system, an offshore MARS® unit collected horizontal and vertical data to study the passage rates, flight directions, altitudes, and area distribution of birds within the proposed wind park.

Offshore and Onshore Avian Radar Surveys

GMI conducted onshore and offshore radar-based surveys of seasonal and daily bird movements and densities in the vicinity of the first proposed offshore wind turbine site in U.S. waters. Surveys were conducted in the spring and fall seasons during 2002, 2005, and 2006. Through the use of GMI’s MARS® advanced processing technologies, biologists identified bird targets from clutter in the avian radar data. GMI’s MARS® unit allowed 24-hour monitoring of bird activity over a 4-mile radius, including bird size, migratory path, and altitude. GMI analyzed radar data for day and night avian activity and for activity in clear and inclement weather. Altitude distributions of bird tracks and abundance counts for altitudes of interest provided data for an assessment of possible risk to migratory birds. GMI MARS® data were used by Cape Wind Associates to develop an EIS and evaluate the potential impact to avian activity at the proposed wind turbine site.

NEXRAD Analysis and Avian Risk Assessment

GMI conducted bird migration studies in spring 2005, fall 2005, and fall 2006 at various sites within the proposed wind resource area. GMI installed a MARS® unit at various hilltop locations to gather avian data. GMI later analyzed the data to determine avian use and flight patterns in the area.