Workshop: Spatial models for distance sampling data using R and ArcGIS

[Melanie Colón]

On 27-30 October 2015 Duke Environmental Leadership program in collaboration with the University of St Andrews will offer a workshop on spatial modelling methods for distance sampling line transect data. The workshop will cover: the basics of organizing survey data in ArcGIS using the MGET toolbox, developed at the Marine Geospatial Ecology Lab, Duke; followed by building and evaluating spatially explicit models of abundance (using environmental predictors) in R, using packages developed at the Centre for Research into Ecological and Environmental Modelling, St Andrews. The aim will be to demonstrate an end-to-end workflow for spatial modelling of distance sampling data, and illustrate the underlying theory behind both spatial modelling using generalized additive models and distance sampling (we will focus on the "density surface modelling" approach). The course is intended for graduate students/postdocs/faculty in applied ecology, government/industry scientists and wildlife managers interested in developing spatially explicit models of abundance. Prior knowledge of R and ArcGIS will be highly advantageous, as is a quantitative background. The course will be taught by David L Miller (St Andrews), Jason J Roberts (Duke) and Eric Rexstad (St Andrews), at the Duke campus in Durham, NC. The deadline for registration is 12 October 2015. Detailed information on the course content and registration can be found at https://nicholas.duke.edu/del/distance.