The National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) offers long-term ecological data, archival samples and resources to scientists and other users to study the environment and ecological responses to ecosystem changes. NEON gathers data from across the continental United States including Hawaii, Alaska and Puerto Rico. The Observatory monitors 81 field sites (47 terrestrial sites and 34 aquatic sites) with a large suite of observational protocols and instrumentation at multiple spatial and temporal scales. NEON staff consist of local area experts at 18 domain offices and subject matter experts at a central headquarters. The Observatory, in addition to providing data and samples, also serves the scientific community for principal investigator research by providing access to observatory infrastructure and resources. NEON’s Assignable Asset program enables scientists to use the NEON platform for their own research. Primarily a cost reimbursable program, access requests to use the NEON platform typically fall into several main categories. These include Sensor Infrastructure, Observational Sampling, Airborne Observation Platform (AOP), Mobile Deployment Platform (MDP), and Field Site Access and Coordination.
Results/Conclusions
NEON program staff can assist researchers with pricing, planning and executing field campaigns across the Observatory. Field and headquarter staff are positioned to review sampling procedures, schedules, instrument methods and to generally help researchers to maximize research opportunities and ideas. As needed, engineers, scientists, field staff and project managers partake to evaluate the feasibility of Assignable Asset research projects. NEON staff have the site-specific and the technical knowledge to know what works and how to incorporate researcher proposals into on-site support. Staff also have significant sampling expertise and detailed knowledge of the hard infrastructure to leverage the NEON platform and work schedules. Staff can provide low-level support such as site host introduction, comment on the ease of acquiring permits or a letter of support. Projects that are more complex may require combined efforts from multiple NEON teams or the assistance of NEON field crews. Alternatively, support can be provided for using one of the assignable asset sensor-sets such as an MDP or AOP. Research support, in the form of NEON’s Assignable Asset program, can harness the power of the NEON platform and tap into the support of professional scientists, project managers and technical experts that work daily on delivering high-quality ecological data.