Wilderness Webcam Monitoring

Acadia National Park has monitored wildlife in many different ways, including population studies and invasive species detection. However, these different methods entailed physically capturing the animal of focus. These methods also require large amounts of time and effort and can be disruptive to the wildlife. Webcams are an alternative method that have been effectively used by researchers in other National Parks to monitor wildlife. 

The 2020 WPI research team explored the application of remote cellular webcams to monitor wildlife activity in Acadia and identified opportunities and limitations for future applications of these webcams to monitor wildlife. The team evaluated the performance of multiple webcams, cellular connectivity, and provided recommendation to the park regarding future applications and strategies for remote monitoring.