The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES) host an environmental radio relay system, the GOES Data Collection System (DCS) which connects remote in-situ environmental monitoring platforms, also known as Data Collection Platforms (DCPs) with researchers throughout the western hemisphere. This relay service is free to use for U.S. federal, state, and local government agencies, in addition to international government agencies and research organizations with a U.S. government sponsor. By integrating Motus receivers with GOES DCS transmitters, near real-time migratory species telemetry data can be relayed from remote locations, such as offshore wind energy facilities, and delivered to the Motus database. This integration enables a larger distribution of Motus receiver stations both offshore and terrestrially by providing a reliable, service fee free link that can deployed anywhere within the footprint of the GOES spacecraft and follow-on NOAA geostationary satellite constellations.
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In 2022, United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and project collaborators released a series of interrelated products (‘offshore Motus protocols’) to inform the use of Motus technology for offshore wind energy applications. Placing Motus receivers at offshore wind energy facilities provides data on the interactions of migratory species, specifically birds and bats, with new wind energy installations. Offshore Motus stations installed on buoys can also contribute to this monitoring effort in addition to expanding the overall reach of the Motus network beyond the line-of-sight from shore based stations.
Offshore Motus installations require the use of satellite connectivity, given the distance from terrestrial cellular networks or direct accessibility for downloading data. GOES DCS can provide a continuous, near real-time link for offshore Motus stations via geostationary orbit. As an environmental monitoring platform serving government stakeholders, GOES DCS equipped Motus stations can be widely deployed without prohibitive service costs that would otherwise limit the expanse of their deployment. Existing suites of environmental monitoring sensors designed for GOES DCPs can also be interleaved with Motus telemetry, providing in-situ monitoring of local environmental phenomena.
GOES DCS equipped Motus stations are not limited to these offshore applications - they can also be used terrestrially anywhere GOES DCS provides service, which is throughout the entire Western Hemisphere. The use of GOES DCS is free, although use is limited to the transmission of environmental data (and supporting system telemetry, for example battery voltages, system health) - and there must be an associated USG government “sponsor” - i.e. a government entity who is willing to say they have a use or support the collection of the data. Motus wildlife telemetry tracking is an approved use of GOES DCS as it is considered to fall under the environmental use case.
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