Contacts Subscribe Newsletter
Advanced Course Use of Technology in field biology

Objectives

Collecting data in the field is nowadays greatly facilitated by the advance of technology such as the development of devices that can automatically record and store environmental information, or miniaturized GPSs that can follow the movements of animals. In this course we will provide advanced hands-on training on some of the most used technological tools in field biology: movement tracking devices (e.g. GPS loggers, geolocators), environmental data loggers (e.g. to record temperature or water depth), acoustic devices (e.g. Audiomoths), camera traps, identification apps and drones. At the end of the course the participants will 1) understand the usefulness of each tool in the context of field biology; 2) know the basic principles of the use of these tools in fieldwork; 3) be able to download the data to a computer. Data analysis will not be addressed in this course, although a list of available software to deal with data handling and analysis for each tool will be provided.

Participants have to be present at 85% of the contact hours (this means that they can miss one half-day), and actively participate in all activities. 

This course can give credits to PhD programmes at CIÊNCIAS or of programmes with partnership from CIÊNCIAS and other institutions with 6h-7h of contact hours per ECT, as a function of specific requirements. For these students additionally to the exercises done during the week the delivery of a written report done after the course is mandatory. For programmes with less hours of contact per ECT (6h/ECT, getting 6 ECTs from the course) students need to do an additional assignment (summary report). If needed 1 or 2 additional hours of contact may be added. Such report(s) are also advised for other students requesting accreditation of the course in their institutions.

Minimal formation of students: some experience in fieldwork is desirable; basic knowledge on Excel.

Directed to: MSc or PhD students in Biology, Environmental Sciences, Ecology, Agricultural and Forestry or related areas, postdocs and professionals working in related topics.

General Plan

Provisional plan

Day 1 (CIÊNCIAS) – 2h (morning or afternoon, TBD)

  • Introduction
  • Brief presentations of each tool
  • Plans for fieldwork

Days 2-5 (HRA) 34h (ca. 8.5h per day)

Days 2 -4 will be organized in modules. Each module will consist of a practical session where the trainees will have the opportunity to use the tools in a real-case example, collect data, learn how to transfer the data to the computer and, when applicable, visualize the data with a dedicated software. End of day 4 and day 5 the participants will have the opportunity to do a practical work using one of the tools (in groups).

Participants should arrive the night before of the start and leave by the end of day 5/early morning the following day.

Day 2

8h-10h: Module 1: Tracking devices: deployment

10h-12h: Module 2: Data loggers: placement in the field

Lunch break

14h-16h: Module 3: Camera traps: placement in the field

16h-18h: Module 4: Acoustic devices: placement in the field

Day 3

8h-10h: Module 5: ID apps

10h-12h: Module 6: Drones: operating

Lunch break

14h-16h: Module 7: Drones: data download

16h-18h: Module 8: Tracking devices: data visualization*

Day 4

6h-8h: Module 8: Collection of devices (data loggers, acoustic devices and camera traps)

8h-9h: Module 9: Data loggers: data visualization*

Coffee break

10h-11h: Module 10: Camara traps: data visualization*

11h-12h: Module 11: Acoustic devices: data visualization*

Lunch break

14h-16h: Group work: Device deployment

Day 5

8h-14h: Group work: Device collection and data download

14h-16h: Final session

Funding

Students fees

Fee

Free for 1st year PhD students in Doctoral programmes at CIÊNCIAS (e.g. Biology), Biodiversity, Genetics and Evolution (BIODIV ULisboa; UPorto), Biology and Ecology of Global Changes (BEAG ULisboa, UAveiro) and Sustainability Science (ULisboa, several institutions), when the course counts credits for their formation, in which case the delivery of a final report done after the course is mandatory; the course is also free for more advanced PhD students of the BIODIV programme (ULisboa or UPorto); 50 € for more advanced PhD students of CE3C; 80 € for PhD students of the PEERS network (CFE); 125 € for CIÊNCIAS Master students and unemployed; 180 € for BTI, BI and other PhD students; 250 € for Professional and postdocs.

When the maximum number of students is reached, 8 vacancies will be available for non-paying 1st year PhD students mentioned above, being, by order of preference students from: 1) CE3C; 2) BIODIV (not from CE3C); 3) CIÊNCIAS (not from CE3C); 4) Sustainability Science (not from CE3C or CIÊNCIAS); 5) BEAG (not from CE3C or CIÊNCIAS).

How to Apply

Candidates should complete the application form available when the call is open.

This form is strictly confidential, as explained in the introduction, and the data are required because the CE3C Advanced Courses are also offered as part of the PRR programme of CIÊNCIAS.

When filling out the form, mind to:

  • FILL ALL THE MANDATORY FIELDS;
  • UPLOAD CV AND MOTIVATION LETTER, both mandatory; use the names as instructed there;
  • If you want to resume later, SAVE the form, otherwise you will need to fill everything out again;
  • At the end, SUBMIT the form before exiting.

If you have any questions, please contact the coordinator of the CE3C Advanced Courses, Margarida Matos (mmmatos@fc.ul.pt), and the teachers Maria Dias (madias@fc.ul.pt) and Inês do Rosário (itrosario@fc.ul.pt).