Interactive introductory distance sampling training

Distance sampling is a recognised technique for conducting population assessment of marine mammal populations.  Understanding the principles underlying survey design, field protocols for data collect and analytical methods are fundamental to understanding of marine mammal populations.  We are happy to announce an offering of this workshop for remote participants.

We are offering the training workshop in 10 two-hour blocks in November.  You will be invited to interact in short lectures on distance sampling principles.  Exercises analysing data sets in R will reinforce those principles and the lecturer will be available to assist during the practical session via screen sharing.  The block will conclude with a summary of the exercise and question/answer session for both lecture and exercise.   You can participate in polls during the workshop to assess your comprehension of topics discussed.

The workshop will be delivered using Zoom web conferencing software along with R-Studio "in the cloud". You will need (free) accounts for both pieces of software. I encourage you to experiment with Zoom (at https://zoom.us) and https://rstudio.cloud before the course begins.   There will be an internet connection testing session prior to the first meeting on 09 November.

Companion online training workshops

We are planning an additional advanced distance sampling workshops in January and March 2021.  These workshops will require knowledge of basic distance sampling principles derived from this introductory training workshop.

Important details

    Workshop dates and time: 09-20 November 2020, 1500-1700 Greenwich Mean Time. For the time of day in your zone, follow this link. 
    Registration deadline: 23 October 2020
    Enrolment limit: 15
    Cost: 215 British pounds
    What is included: Lectures, exercises, code, data all available online
   
What they are saying

I would like to say I really liked RStudio Cloud and it is working just fine and I am really enjoying using it as a student. I'm looking forward to using it as an instructor too. I really liked the first half of the course. I love distance sampling and I am enjoying every second of the course! The only thing I can say about this particular workshop is it deserves more time. -- Kaan Özgencil, PhD student, Department of Biological Sciences, Middle East Technical University, Ankara

Further details are available at:

http://workshops.distancesampling.org/intro-nov-2020.html

At this page you will find a link to the St Andrews online shop where payment is made.  After payment is made, I will contact you with additional details regarding workshop electronic materials, etc. Feel free to contact me with questions.

Information regarding all distance sampling workshops can be found at

https://workshops.distancesampling.org

-- 
Eric Rexstad
Centre for Ecological and Environmental Modelling
University of St Andrews
St Andrews is a charity registered in Scotland SC013532