1. What is the focus of your primary work?Please select all applicable answers. Select All Wildlife conservation Biology Environmental science Other OtherPlease specify2. In what field of science is your research primarily focused?Please select all applicable answers. Biogeography Botany Computational Biology Conservation Biology Ecology Entomology Ethology Herpetology Mammalogy Ornithology Phytopathology Systems Biology Other OtherPlease specify.3. What role best describes what you do?Please select all applicable answers. Field Scientist / Researcher Naturalist / Environmental Advocate / Citizen Scientist Advisor / Administrator / Consultant Writer / Journalist Educator PhD Candidate / Student Other OtherPlease specify.4. With what type of organization are you affiliated? Select All Conservation NGO Research University Zoo / Aquarium / Other Other OtherPlease specify. 5. What types of environmental sensors facilitate your research or the research of your organization? Select All Bioacoustic Camera traps Aerial imagery (Drone/UAV) Thermal imaging GPS Soil properties Fresh water (quality, water levels, flow rate) Salt water (quality, water levels, flow rate) Weather Air quality Other OtherPlease specify.6. How have you or your organization obtained environmental sensors used in field research? Select All Raise funds (grants, donors, sponsors) to buy new/used sensors. Rent sensors as needed. Borrow from other research projects. My institution already has all the sensors necessary for my research. Doesn't Apply 7. What level of geographical granularity do you need in the data for it to be useful for your research? Per hectare Per square kilometer Per square meter Per square centimeter Doesn't apply 8. In your field research, does the data have to come from all species or a sample of the population?All species in the populationA representative sampleDoesn't applyDo you have any additional comments regarding your use of environmental sensors in field studies? 9. How would you rank the logistical challenges scientists face in conducting field studies?Proper installation of environmental sensors in the field.Finding qualified personnel to monitor and read data from installed environmental sensors.Managing malfunctions in environmental sensors installed in the field.10. How would you rank the financial challenges scientists face in conducting field studies?Cost of obtaining environmental sensors.Costs associated with installing environmental sensors (travel, lodging, etc.)Costs associated with long-term monitoring of environmental sensors (be that staffing, travel, or technology costs).11. How would you rank the data analysis challenges scientists face in conducting field studies?Volume of data collected.The length of time needed to label data.Lack of qualified personnel (taxonomists) needed to label data.Quality of data collected.Existence of unexplained anomalies.Would you like to add any comments regarding the challenges of field research? 12. In my field, it would be better if the majority of field studies moved towards permanent field stations with automatic data delivery to open datasets.Strongly disagreeDisagreeNeutralAgreeStrongly agree13. In my field, the majority of field studies are so specialized they require the installation of a stand-alone or "campaign" system of environmental sensors.Strongly disagreeDisagreeNeutralAgreeStrongly agree14. Which scenario best describes how you approach data collection and analysis?I/my team manually collect and analyze data in the field.Data from the devices I/my team uses is collected manually in the field and stored on local machines (eg: laptop) for later analysis.Data from the devices I/my team uses is collected manually in the field and uploaded to a cloud-based database for later analysis.Data from the devices I/my team uses is streamed continuously via telemetry.Would you like to add any comments regarding data collection? 15. Research in my field would benefit greatly if there were more open datasets available for scientists to use for their research.Open data is freely available to everyone to use and republish as they wish, without restrictions from copyright, patents or other mechanisms of control.Strongly disagreeDisagreeNeutralAgreeStrongly agree16. Access to bycatch data available on open datasets expands the scope and scale of scientific research.Bycatch data are data collected from a study that are not the primary focus of the study. These data may have no value to the researchers who collected them, but may be useful to other people, for different reasons.Strongly disagreeDisagreeNeutralAgreeStrongly agree17. Open datasets and/or bycatch data can act as a bridge that connects scientists to one another.Strongly disagreeDisagreeNeutralAgreeStrongly agree18. I have used data from open datasets and/or bycatch data in my own research.If you represent an organization as a administrator/advisor, etc., please answer this question from the point of view of your organization.YesNoNot yet — but if it contributed to my research, I would.Not applicableDo you have additional comments about open datasets and/or bycatch data? This survey is designed to study the feasibility of installing and maintaining a comprehensive array of connected environmental sensors on the Galápagos Islands to serve as a data-collecting infrastructure for comprehensive environmental monitoring. The infrastructure would include: Fully automated, telemetered image, video, sound, soil, air, and water sensors continuously streaming research-grade data; a robust, open data platform managed by data scientists available to partner with field researchers; and software and apps for remote monitoring. While focused on the Galápagos, results from the research may be considered a model for other ecosystems around the world. As such, the following questions are applicable regardless of the geographic location of your field research. For the purposes of this survey, assume the sensors and data would be deployed, monitored, and maintained in such a way to meet/exceed rigorous scientific standards.19. The project described above could result in a larger pool of researchers designing and executing research related to the Galápagos.Strongly disagreeDisagreeNeutralAgreeStrongly agree20. The project described above could expand research opportunities for scientists whose field of research is too narrow to garner the funding needed to support advanced technologies.Strongly disagreeDisagreeNeutralAgreeStrongly agree21. Other ecosystems around the world could benefit from a program like the one described above.Strongly disagreeDisagreeNeutralAgreeStrongly agree22. Researchers would be interested in the long-term data collected from a project like the one described above.Strongly disagreeDisagreeNeutralAgreeStrongly agree23. If data from the project described above were available to you, how specifically could it benefit your research? Reducing costs associated obtaining, installing, and/or monitoring environmental sensors needed for my field studies. Increasing the amount of data available for my research. Giving me access to data-analysis capabilities I do not currently have. The data described would not be useful for my research. Other OtherPlease specify.Do you have any comments or questions about the project described above? For the purposes of this survey, AI technologies includes anything from smart devices able to learn over time to complex convolutional neural networks.24. Have you used AI technologies in your field research work?If you are an administrator/advisor/etc., please feel free to answer on behalf of your organization.YesNoNot yet but am hoping to in the future.25. What type of AI is applicable to your research?If you are an administrator/advisor/etc., please feel free to answer on behalf of your organization. Smart devices (connected devices able to operate interactively and autonomously) Image recognition/analysis technology Audio recognition/analysis technology Predictive analytics Pattern recognition technology Classification by machine learning Open source libraries Other OtherPlease specify. Please share your email to receive more information on this project.Your email address will not be shared with anyone, nor will it be used for any reason other than infrequent communication regarding this research project. Would you allow us to follow up with you, briefly, about this research project?YesNoDo you have any additional comments?
