Demo of application

iPlover
first demo and Q&A

Project Lead
Rob Thieler
U.S. Geological Survey
Woods Hole, MA

Project Team
App development: Luke Winslow, Megan
Hines, Jordan Read, Rob Thieler
Science application: Nathaniel Plant, Ben
Gutierrez, Sara Zeigler, Sawyer Stippa,
Rob Thieler
Sarah Karpanty, Katy Gieder, Jim Fraser,
Dan Catlin, Shannon Ritter
Anne Hecht, Andrew Milliken

And all of you participating in this effort

Current Research Themes
Impacts on
Habitat

Storms

Sea Level + Erosion

Integrate SL and storm
history and processes
with geology, biology,
and hydrology to
assess and forecast
vulnerability and
integrity over event and
climate time-scales.
Impacts on GW Resources

Application of a Bayesian network to an uncertain future:
Probability of shoreline erosion >1 m/yr at Assateague
Island National Seashore
Current conditions

SLR +1 mm/yr, Wave ht. +10%
1

High

0.6

0.4

Probability

0.8

0.2

0

Narrow probability
distributions
Erosion rate

Relatively low uncertainty

Higher likelihood of
erosion
Erosion rate

Broader distributions
Increased uncertainty

Low

Integration and prediction of coastal change
• Short- and long-term coastal hazard processes (i.e., storms, sea-level rise)
• Uses data and models

storm/wave models

+

+

shoreline data

=

coastal change prediction and
prediction uncertainty

=
Time

Shoreline change near San Francisco using Kalman filter (data assimilation)

(Long and Plant, 2012)

Decision Support for DOI Agencies
Piping plover, C. melodus

• Listed species
• DOI management responsibility

• Lifecycle includes substantial time on
NPS lands for breeding, migrating,
wintering
• Have interesting and specific habitat
requirements that we can predict
• Rangewide habitat availability
• Attributes and distribution of breeding,
foraging areas
• Wave run-up and inundation sensitivity
(morphologic and hydrodynamic detail)
Bill Byrne, MA F&W

• Can feed predictions into models used
to make land and species management
decisions

Objective: predict influence of
sea-level rise  coastal morphology  plover*

•
•
•

Sea-level change (and other factors) drives coastal erosion
Erosion and sedimentation modify morphology
Large-scale and local morphology predicts plover success (and
vegetation, groundwater resources, wetland behavior, etc.)

•

*The people problem is the same, minus the feathers

Objectives supported by research output

IPCC, 2014
Parris et al.,
2013
Gutierrez et al., 2011
NCA, 2014
Gutierrez et al., 2014

Gutierrez et al., in
revision
Gieder et al., 2014

Forecasting hypothetical future management
scenarios and plover nesting probability

~2050, 4.1 mm/yr SLR

~2050, 4.1 mm/yr SLR,
with frequent sand
placement

~2050, 4.1 mm/yr SLR,
with increased berm
height

Probability
of PIPL Nest
Good

Not-as-good

Good
90-100%
50-60%

0-10%
(Gutierrez, Gieder et al., in prep)

Sea-level rise: broadening scope and
diving deep
• Continued research
• Assateague
• Chincoteague

• Expansion to new locales
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

Cape Lookout
Eastern Shore of VA
Forsythe
Gateway (JBU)
Fire Island
Rhode Island
Monomoy
Parker River
Rachel Carson

• Diving Deep
• Forsythe
• Gateway (JBU)
• Fire Island

iPlover: feeding SLR, plover (and other) models with
standardized observations
• Deploy to select DOI partners;
provide protocols
• Vastly increase spatial domain
• Can deal with fuzzy observations
• Collection requirements based on
what we've learned to date

DATA!

There's an app
for that
Unofficial
splash screen

Unofficial icon

iPlover
• A mobile web app to collect location and
environmental attribute information about PIPL nests
• Observations can be fuzzy or uncertain
– Our models account for that
– There are alternative methods to help estimate some
parameters

• Used to drive research models of habitat evolution and
utilization
• Data and models used to inform land- and speciesmanagement decision making at local to regional
scales

Today's How-to's
• Set up the iPhone with the iPlover security certificate
• Access the iPlover URL
• Use the application
– Collect data using draft field protocols
– Upload data to USGS

• Get help
• Provide feedback
• Troubleshoot
• Q&A

Install and activate security certificate (1/2)
1

Open email with
certificate file;
tap file icon
(can use the built-in
mail app or the
browser, e.g., to access
mail.doi.gov)

2

Tap Install

3

Tap Install Now
("unsigned" means it is
not signed by a
recognized entity like
Verisign or TRUSTe; it's
locally generated and
signed by USGS)

Install and activate security certificate (2/2)
4

If your iPhone has
a Passcode, enter
it

5

6

Enter the
certificate
password

Tap Done

(supplied verbally by
iPlover dev team)

("Not Trusted" means it
is not signed by a
recognized entity like
Verisign or TRUSTe; it's
locally generated and
signed by USGS)

Access the iPlover web app (1/3)
1

2

3

Tap Safari icon to
start the browser

Get browser page

Enter the URL,
iplover.org; tap Go

(you may not have any
bookmarks yet, as
shown here)

Access the iPlover web app (2/3)
4

Splash screen
shows USGS
identifier, app
name, and version

5

App Home page
loads

6

Tap the Share icon
(this will allow saving as
a bookmark for later
easy-to-find use)

Access the iPlover web app (3/3)
7

Tap Bookmark

8

Tap Save

9

Bookmark now
available
whenever you
access the
browser

When to Collect iPlover Data
Preferences
Describe nest site in sync with
vegetation phenology and
geomorphology (i.e., near the time of
nest initiation or full clutch)
Collect at the same time you are doing a
close nest-approach for other reasons.
(Biggest concern is unexclosed nests at
locations with plover-focused avian
predators. Lower priority concerns are
weather and direct effects of
disturbance.)

Using iPlover

Two basic functions:
1) Collect
2) Submit

Using iPlover – Collect Data
Space for notes
Site info
1) Site ID
2) Photo
3) Location
Geologic info
1) Setting
2) Substrate

Biologic info
1) Veg. type
2) Veg. density

SAVE!

Site info (ID, Photo, Location)
1

Tap New Nest Site
to start data
collection

2

Apps must ask to
use the GPS
(only the first time);

Tap OK

3

4

GPS starts
computing
location for 60
seconds; accuracy
should improve
with time

Tap Show Map to
see map with
Accuracy Ring
(ring will get smaller as
accuracy improves)

Nest location
No

Yes

1-2 m

Site info (ID, Photo, Location)
5

What if I get great accuracy (2-5 m) almost
instantly?
Tap Lock Location to save the current GPS fix,
and move on.

Site info (ID, Photo, Location)
5

If my accuracy is poor (>-15-20 m), what should
I do? When should I stop trying to get better
data?
The GPS will stop automatically after 60
seconds. If accuracy is poor, tap Refresh to start
another 60 second attempt. If accuracy
improves, great. If not, move on.

Nest photo
1

Tap Choose File
attach a photo to
the site

2

3

Choose from the
options (Take

Take picture, tap
Use Photo (or

Photo used here)

Retake if you want a
do-over)

4

Tap Show Map to
see map with
Accuracy Ring
(ring will get smaller as
accuracy improves)

Nest photo width of field

5m

nest
Unzoomed iPhone 5S camera width of field is about 6 m
(~20 ft) at 5 m (~16 ft) from subject.
(Stand 5 m from nest and you're good to go.)

Nest photo considerations
Stand about 5 m from nest.

Place nest in center of field of
view.
Don't use zoom.
What direction you are facing
doesn't matter. (But don't shoot into
the sun.)

Avoid shadows if possible (yours,
other people, trees, shrubs, etc.).

Site ID considerations
Use the same system that your
Refuge or Park uses.
Be consistent.

A suggested workflow…
1) Go to app Home page.
2) Approach nest and establish
your position.
3) Tap New Nest Site to start the
GPS.
4) Get good GPS fix. (If good
accuracy is quick, tap Lock Location;
otherwise wait and try Refresh.)

5) Move to 5 m from nest and
take picture.
6) Move away from nest to
complete Site ID and other
data fields.

Using iPlover – Collect Data
Space for notes
Site info
1) Site ID
2) Photo
3) Location
Geologic info
1) Setting
2) Substrate

Biologic info
1) Veg. type
2) Veg. density

SAVE!

Geomorphic Setting
These are "radio buttons".
You can only pick one.
Tap on the button or the text to
select.
The selected button will darken.

Geomorphic Setting description

Next slides

dune
Upper beach
wrack line
beach

A wrack line as well as slight scarp separates upper beach from beach

Low dune/foredune.

dune
Low dune/foredune.
Landward limit of upper
beach

Low dune/foredune.

Low dune/foredune.

Low dune/foredune.

Low dune/foredune.

Blow out

Dune.

Dune.

Washover/overwash

Break in dune crest and vegetation line
Subtle dune crest here

Edge of overwash fan

x

Barrier interior.

x

Chincoteague "Hook"

Beach ridge-swale.

Substrate Type
These are "radio buttons".
You can only pick one.
Tap on the button or the text to
select.
The selected button will darken.

Substrate Type description
Forest/Shrub

Wetland

Unknown

Sandy

Using iPlover – Collect Data
Space for notes
Site info
1) Site ID
2) Photo
3) Location
Geologic info
1) Setting
2) Substrate

Biologic info
1) Veg. type
2) Veg. density

SAVE!

Vegetation Type
These are "radio buttons".
You can only pick one.
Tap on the button or the text to
select.
The selected button will darken.

Vegetation Type description
Woody

Herbaceous

Water

Shell Bed

Gravel/Cobble

Vegetation Density
These are "radio buttons".
You can only pick one.
Tap on the button or the text to
select.
The selected button will darken.

Vegetation Density description

Next slides

No vegetation (bare surface)

Sparse <20%

Sparse <20%

Sparse <20%

Moderate (20-90% vegetation cover)

Sparse

x

sparse <20%

moderate veg.

Sparse veg.

Moderate 20-90%

Moderate 20-90%

Moderate 20-90%

Moderate 20-90%

Moderate 20-90% (could also be Dense >90%)

Dense >90%

Dense >90%

Using iPlover – Collect Data
Space for notes
Site info
1) Site ID
2) Photo
3) Location
Geologic info
1) Setting
2) Substrate

Biologic info
1) Veg. type
2) Veg. density

SAVE!

Notes
This is a free text entry field. It
can handle up to XXXX characters.

Tap in the white area to bring up
the keyboard.
Add any supplemental
information you think is
important, such as:
) nest status (active, failed, fledged)
) exclosed
) uncertainty of any observations

Using iPlover – Collect Data
Space for notes
Site info
1) Site ID
2) Photo
3) Location
Geologic info
1) Setting
2) Substrate

Biologic info
1) Veg. type
2) Veg. density

SAVE!

Saving Data
When you are finished entering
data, tap the Save Nest Data
button.
All data are saved locally on the
iPhone.
The app checks to make sure you
entered all the required data.
After saving, the app returns to
the Home page.

Using iPlover – Submit Data (1/2)
1

2

3

4

bug
correct

Tap Upload Data
(a counter shows how
many sites [records]
you have stored on the
phone)

Tap Upload n
Site(s) to begin
data submission
to USGS database

Progress bar will
move from 0100% for each site
(record) as it is
uploaded

When complete,
record count will
update, button
grays out
(lower left shows
success or error for
each record)

Using iPlover – Submit Data (2/2)
5

Tap Home to
return to Home
page

6

The app is ready
to go again

Some Quirks and Tips
Uploads

Photos

Use a wifi, LTE,
or 4G
connection.

This will initially
be 10. Then 25.
Then 50.

Don't even try to
upload on an
EDGE
connection.

Depending on
how often you
restart the app,
you may not see
this message.

Apple is protective
of your browser and
photos. iOS will ask
if you want to
increase database
size after a few sites
are collected. Tap
Increase.

Data uploads will
sometimes fail

Some Quirks and Tips
You can practice with the app!

Any site that
starts with
the word
"test" (and
variants like
those on the
right) will
not be used
as real data.

Getting Help
email

telephone
Rob Thieler (USGS), 508-922-7108 (cell)
• any question or complaint
• before 17 June, 7a-9p EDT
• 17 June – 25 July, problematic (at sea)

iplover_help@usgs.gov

put iPlover in subject

Megan Hines (USGS), 608-821-3917 (office, Wisconsin)
• technical support questions
• 10a-6p EDT, M-F

Describe problem, or
ask for a phone call.
Provide contact info.

Jordan Read (USGS), 608-821-3922 (office, Wisconsin)
• technical support questions
• 10a-6p EDT, M-F

Sarah Karpanty (Va Tech), 540-557-7432 (cell)
•
•

science, field description questions
call "anytime"

Anne Hecht (FWS), anne_hecht@fws.gov

Email to
iplover_help goes to
9 people on the
team. We'll get back
to you!

•

or call 978-443-4325 (office)

•

leave call-back number

•

how to maximize the value of iPlover data collection
while minimizing adverse effects on plover breeding
activity

If all else fails, try this… (method 1/2)
1

Press Home button
twice; brings up
running apps

2

Flick Safari up to make
it quit

3

Enter iplover.org URL
manually, then tap Go

If all else fails, try this… (method 2/2)
1

Tap Settings

2

Scroll down and tap
Safari

3

Tap Clear History, then
tap Clear Cookies and
Data (an "Are you sure?"
prompt will appear for
each)

Give Us Feedback!
This is a science project. It can only succeed (and inform plover management) with
your participation and feedback.

Please tell us what you think. Send feedback to iplover_help (put "iPlover feedback"
in the subject line.
Changes to workflow? Layout of the screen? Describing nest site attributes? Too
burdensome? Not collecting enough information? Problems with the iPhone?
Problems with data/calling plan? Other?

Coming Soon(ish)
We'll send you the test data you entered.

We'll send you all the data from your Refuge or Park after the season.
After the season, please send us known or estimated dates of nest initiation.
Collection of "random points"; protocol and people TBD.
Updates and improvements (including your feedback) for 2015.
"Public" release to state agencies and NGOs planned for 2015.