README.md

In ericmkeen/suRvey: Data Entry App for Wildlife Surveys

suRvey

Data entry app for wildlife surveys, optimized for touchscreens.

Install the package

# install.packages("remotes") # uncomment if you need to install
remotes::install_github("ericmkeen/suRvey")
library(suRvey)

Touchscreen data entry app

To build and launch your survey app, see the documentation here:

?survey_app

This function launches a Shiny app designed to optimize data entry during wildlife surveys. The app was designed with marine mammal surveys in mind, but should be generalizable for other contexts and target species. GPS position updates are possible in this app, if the GPS feature is enabled on your device. The app should be useful for both stationary and transect-based surveys. Layout has been optimized for touch screens.

https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/10263731/159953772-5f319a74-546d-4e39-a393-b27469dc10a3.mov

Here is the code used to produce this demo:

# Customize settings =======================================

observers <- c('Grace','Janie','Chenoah', 'Ben')

platforms <- c('Inside','Outside')

optics <- c('N/A','Big Eyes', 'Binocs', 'Scope', 'Naked Eye')

landmarks <- c('N/A','Gil Mtn', 'CMP peaks', 'Otter',
               'Twartz', 'Farrant', 'N Fin shore')

cues <- c('N/A','Blow','Vessel','Body','Fluke','Splash','Sound')

species <- list('MarMam' = c('Humpback', 'Fin', 'Dalls porpoise',
                             'Harbour seal', 'Stellars sea lion',
                             'Elephant seal', 'Killer whale'),
                'Vessel' = c('Large rec', 'Small rec', 'CFV', 'Sailing',
                             'Tug only', 'Tug+barge', 'Gitgaat',
                             'Research', 'Cruise', 'Tanker'))

behaviours <- list('MarMam' = c('Active', 'Sleep', 'Feeding',
                                'BNF', 'Milling', 'Robust', 'Fast travel',
                                'RE-TR'),
                    'Vessel' = c('Fast travel', 'Slow travel', 'Fishing',
                                 'With whales', 'Anchored'))
# Launch app =======================================

survey_app(observers,
           platforms,
           optics,
           landmarks,
           cues,
           species,
           behaviours)

To process and summarize a day of survey effort, use the survey_overview() function. This function returns a synopsis as well as re-formatted tables of the data to facilitate QA/QC and off-season analysis.

Image analysis tool

If your survey involves taking fine-scale measurements of detection locations based upon photographs, you can use the image_measure() function to batch-process your photographs.

?image_measure()

To try out this function, you can download a demo "images" folder here. Place it in your working directory and extract/unzip it. The app should then work using the four demo photographs within that "images" folder.

You can then try out the function by simply running:

image_measure()

The first time you run it, make sure you are connected to the internet; you will be prompted to allow R to download the package EBImage through the function of another package (BiocManager).

Coming soon

Next in the development pipeline:

• survey_map(): a spatial mapping function.

ericmkeen/suRvey documentation built on Feb. 5, 2025, 7:44 a.m.