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Fish and Wildlife official praises local volunteer work after Vero Beach MODIS tower detects long-distance migrants
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Summary
Tim Breen of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recognized Bob Michael for six years of cooperation on a MODIS tower at Vero Beach High School that has detected 44 tagged birds from 17 species, including individuals tagged in Canada and the Pacific Northwest.
The School District of Indian River County recognized community member Bob Michael on Jan. 26 for his work supporting wildlife monitoring at Vero Beach High School.
Tim Breen, Everglades Program Supervisor for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, described how a MODIS tower installed at Vero Beach High School in 2019 picks up radio transmitters on migratory birds, bats and insects as they pass the station. "To date it has detected 44 individually tagged birds representing 17 different species," Breen said, describing detections that traced individual birds from Ontario and New Jersey to wintering locations in Costa Rica and south of Bogota, Colombia. He noted the farthest-tagged bird detected at the site had been tagged in Vancouver, British Columbia, roughly 2,800 miles away.
Breen told the board the station's detections provide meaningful scientific data despite inherently low detection probabilities, and he thanked Bob Michael and district staff for prompt technical assistance when connectivity or hardware issues arose. Breen presented Michael with a plaque and a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service challenge coin in recognition of his support.
Board members and attendees applauded the recognition; the presentation was part of the meeting's awards and presentations segment that concluded before the formal business agenda.
What happens next: The MODIS station remains active at Vero Beach High School; the presentation established appreciation and noted the data contributions to continental-scale migration monitoring.
